Side quests in Horizon Zero Dawn are missions that are not required to be completed to finish the main story of the game. There are 22 side quests in the base game and 9 quests in the The Frozen Wilds DLC. In total, you need to finish 31 side quests to beat the game.
In Horizon Zero Dawn side quests are marked with green ‘!’ on the map. Most of the side quests don’t influence the main story. They just give you experience and some rewards. However, several side quests may slightly impact the main quest “The Looming Shadow” and gain you the trophy “All Allies Joined”. I will mark them with ** in the list.
Check out our list below to find all the Horizon Zero Dawn side quests, their descriptions, recommended levels, and rewards.
General Side Quests in Horizon Zero Dawn
Here is a list of all the side quests of the basic version of Horizon Zero Dawn, with the recommended level for each. Remember that the recommended level is subjective, so you may try all the quests even at lower levels.
| Quest | Description | Level | Reward |
| In Her Mother's Footsteps | A wounded hunter asks Aloy to find his daughter, who went after a dangerous machine to retrieve a beloved family heirloom. | 3 | 1000 XP, Permanent Boost to Spear Damage |
| The Forgotten | Olara's brother Brom was supposed to come home after 10 years of exile, but he has vanished, leaving behind a blood-soaked camp. | 5 | 1000 XP, 1 Remarkable Reward Box |
| Insult to Injury | The wounded braves of the Nora need Dreamwillow to ease their pain, but supplies have run dry. | 7 | 2330 XP, 1 Remarkable Reward Box |
| Underequipped | A caravan departed on a dangerous route without any decent ammo. Without help, the expedition is doomed. | 10 | 2500 XP, 1 Remarkable Reward Box |
| A Moment's Peace** | A remote Banuk camp is surrounded by docile machines. What could be causing their strange behavior? | 12 | 3000 XP |
| Robbing the Rich | A brazen robbery in broad daylight deprives a noble of a precious heirloom. How was he targeted, and why? | 12 | 3000 XP, 1 Remarkable Reward Box |
| Hunter's Blind** | Talanah has accepted a Hunters Lodge contract that Ahsis refused — helping a village under constant attack from machines. What could be causing the onslaught? | 12 | 3000 XP, 1 Tearblaster Weapon Box |
| A Daughter's Vengeance** | Yan, a young Nora, is worried about his sister Nakao, who left the Sacred Lands to find their father's killer. | 15 | 5000 XP |
| Fatal Inheritance | Ranaman, the son of a Carja noble, barely escaped his father's estate when machines attacked. He needs a machine hunter to clear the place out and discover whether or not his family survived. | 14 | 3750 XP, 1 Remarkable Reward Box |
| Weapons of the Lodge | The Hunters Lodge bestows rewards on those who complete their Trials. | 15 | 1 Lodge Blast Sling Box, 1 Lodge War Bow Box, 1 Lodge Ropecaster Box |
| Honor the Fallen** | Sun-Priest Namman wants to usher in a new era of reconciliation between tribes by helping three pilgrims. Each wishes to mourn loved ones lost during the Red Raids, but obstacles stand in the way. | 16 | 5300 XP, 1 Remarkable Reward Box |
| Heap of Trouble | The Oseram settlement of Free Heap is under attack by bandits and machines. Without help, their claim will be overrun. | 17 | 4250 XP |
| Redmaw** | Ahsis and Talanah have left Meridian to track Redmaw, the Legendary Thunderjaw. If Talanah can bring down the mighty machine, she will become Sunhawk. Ahsis will do anything to prevent that from happening. | 19 | 5000 XP |
| Cause For Concern | Nil, a mysterious outlander, invites Aloy to raid Bandit Camps when their paths cross. | 19 | 5000 XP |
| Acquired Taste | Brin, a Banuk Shaman with a thirst for machine blood, needs new samples to fuel his mind-bending visions. | 20 | 5000 XP, 1 Skill Point |
| Sunstone Rock** | A Behemoth attack has smashed a wall at the prison of Sunstone Rock, letting three dangerous fugitives escape. They must be stopped. | 20 | 6670 XP, 1 Extraordinary Reward Box |
| Sun and Shadow** | Elida, the daughter of a Carja noble, has gone missing. Her father fears suicide but still hopes that she may be found. | 21 | 5000 XP |
| Death from the Skies | The border settlement of Pitchcliff is under attack by Glinthawks. What could have caused such an assault. | 21 | 6250 XP, 1 Extraordinary Reward Box |
| Traitor's Bounty** | Uthid, a well-liked Shadow Carja officer, has been marked for death by the High Priest Bahavas. There must be more to this than meets the eye. | 22 | 7000 XP |
| Blood on Stone | Five guards were murdered in the night at the quarry outside Meridian. Who, or what, could have killed them? | 24 | 6000 XP, 1 Remarkable Reward Box |
| Ancient Armory | An ancient suit of armor lies in a ruin of the Old Ones, visible but out of reach. | 25 | 1 Shield-Weaver Outfit Box |
| Queen's Gambit** | Vanasha is helping the child king Itamen and his mother Nasadi defect from the Shadow Carja to Meridian. But their path is dangerous, and they are certain to be pursued. | 28 | 9330 XP, 1 Skill Point |
The Frozen Wilds Main Quests
I decided to add the main quests from the Frozen Wilds DLC to the side quests list as they are not required to finish the main story of the game. So, here is the list of 5 main quests in the DLC.
| Quest | Description | Level | Reward |
| Into the Frozen Wilds | Aloy travels north to the Banuk lands known as The Cut. | 30 | – |
| The Shaman's Path | Rumors of daemons and spirits abound in the Banuk territory of the Cut. To learn more, Aloy must find someone who can separate fact from fiction. | 30 | 10,000 XP, +1 Extraordinary Reward Box, +1 Banuk Stormslinger Weapon Box, +6 Bluegleam |
| For the Werak | The only way for Aloy to access Thunder's Drum and learn its secrets is to challenge Aratak to a hunting competition. The winner gains control of the werak and the pass to the mountain. | 40 | 13,330 XP, +1 Extraordinary Reward Box, +1 Banuk Icerail Weapon Box, +1 Banuk Werak Cheiftain Outfit Box, +8 Bluegleam |
| Firebreak | Now Chieftain of the werak, Aloy must lead Aratak and Ourea up to Thunder's Drum to discover the secrets within. | 45 | 16,670 XP, +1 Extraordinary Reward Box, +3 Bluegleam |
| The Forge of Winter | To rescue CYAN and learn the true nature of the Daemon, Aloy and her companions must fight their way through the Cauldron beneath Thunder's Drum. | 50 | 16,670 XP, +1 Skill Point, +1 Extraordinary Reward Box, +7 Bluegleam, EPSILON Overrides |
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