Tiny Tina's Wonderlands takes after its Borderlands cousins in various ways. Of course, it's similarly chock-full of intense action, zany humor, and awesome weapons. But like those fan favorites, it also makes liberal use of hidden Easter eggs and locations.
While this fantasy-laden spinoff manages to be a bit more linear and streamlined than, say, Borderlands 3, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is deceptively detailed. It certainly holds plenty of cryptic areas and other secrets that can be tough to spot. These are some such examples of tucked-away locales and points of interest within the Wonderlands; many of which are widely missed by most.
8 A Magic Beanstalk
There are more than a few zones that reside off the beaten path, many with a slew of side quests and treasures to unearth. However, one particularly discreet region is a giant, traversable beanstalk. The game goes full-throttle with fantasy/adventure references here, yielding Easter eggs to Portal and Don Quixote — and this place is a cheeky Jack and the Beanstalk nod.
While it's one of the more apparent locations listed here, it can be easy to miss unless players go out of their way to play through the "Walk the Stalk" side quest. Players must speak to a peculiar talking magic bean on the ocean floor of the Overworld. He's just off the path near Brighthoof, next to a wooden "Warg Tooth Shallows" sign. Players will then be directed to plant the bean beneath a village on a nearby cliff.
This is a journey worth partaking in, as this colorful area, known as Tangledrift, is one of the game's more memorable locales.
7 Fake Walls Hiding Treasures
Fittingly, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands follows in the footsteps of games like Zelda, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring with a smattering of fake walls that hide treasures. These Illusory Walls are quite rare and aren't too easy for gamers on the run to notice. However, players who take the time to absorb their surroundings should be able to spot them.
These areas can be sniffed out by seeking out bare walls with gold specks floating around them. Or, one can be clued in if there appears to be a small open region on the map against the wall that would otherwise be inaccessible. Once a wall has been found, walk up to it and hit it with a melee attack. The illusionary image of the wall will peel away, and players will be clear to nab the hidden loot beyond it.
One of these few secret areas can be found near the center of Murder Church within Tangledrift. It resides just beneath the winding path leading to the building's exit. Here, a coveted Lucky Dice can be found.
6 Brighthoof's Secret Catacombs
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It's fitting that a fantasy game with strange monsters pays homage to the demonic FPS classic DOOM in some fashion. But who would have thought that this Easter egg locale would be hidden in the vibrant, whimsical Brighthoof?
Players are able to access the Secret Catacombs by going beyond the gate near Brighthoof's Wibblesern Well. Players will also need to finish the side missions "Lyre and Brimstone" and "Inner Daemons" to pass through. In alignment with the region's theme, these quests will have people aid in forming a heavy rock band, as well as "commit sins" around the city.
While playing through Inner Daemons, players will find wooden planks leading to an underground passage, and eventually, a weapon that tributes DOOM.
5 Hidden SpongeBob SquarePants Reference
Like the main Borderlands games, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands has no shortage of amusing references. However, even the most seasoned players might not have expected a nod to the zany anthropomorphic sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea.
To find the cheeky reference to SpongeBob SquarePants, players will need to travel to Shattergrave Barrow, reaching a large, vaguely-circular graveyard near the center of the map. Traverse the pathway hooking upward to the south and look down at the coffin next to the tree. Fans may recognize a skeleton wearing a knight helmet that holds two cans of soda; one quite similar to the soda hat SpongeBob sported.
Those who have viewed the episode in which it was featured, "One Krabs Trash," will find the homage especially amusing—as the hat's original owner in the episode had perished.
4 Secret Mimic Level
In keeping with the tradition of fantasy JRPGs that the game spoofs, players clash with some deceptively tough Mimics, who take the form of hostile, fanged treasure chests. While many have discovered the loot potential for these beasts, some may have missed the Mimic-specific encounter screens, which can yield tons of riches.
In the Overworld, seek out areas with multiple chests, as there's a chance one can be a Mimic. Players can choose to farm chest-laden areas by entering and exiting nearby zones, as it will reset the chests. The area just outside Snoring Valley is an ideal spot.
Players lucky enough to clash with a Mimic in the Overworld can then run into it to initiate this rare encounter. This will then lead the player into a battle screen crawling with Mimics and Baby Mimics.
3 A Smurftastic Side Quest
One relatively cryptic reference in the Wonderlands is that of the colorful cartoon classic, The Smurfs. To find it, players must initiate the side mission fittingly called "Little Boys Blue." It can be found as a posting on the bounty board of Weepwild Dankness.
This will get things rolling, but players will still need to seek out the quaint village in which the little guys reside. Keep an eye out for a small town protected by a gate, and speak with Old Murph.
2 Meeting The Maker
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The added "Chaos Chamber" hits fans with a slew of new challenges following the completion of the campaign. Here, the game unleashes hordes of foes and randomized encounters in a quasi-roguelike fashion. While these tough trials yield tons of wealth and loot, they also hold a few secret raid bosses.
This is triggered by activating glowing runes in a particular order (playing Featured Run from the Dragon Lord). Doing this opens up a unique red portal where the boss resides. Defeating the Dragon Lord and activating all three runes will trigger the red portal, which holds Tiny Tina's fantasy likeness — tagged "The Maker." More information regarding the other secret Chaos Chamber bosses can be found here.
1 Developer Room Easter Egg
While game developers often like to inject Easter eggs for players to stumble upon, Gearbox Software goes a step beyond with a hidden reference to themselves in the literal sense.
Players can find this discreet room by exploring the lower level of Harborside, just under the dock entrance in Brighthoof. Head down the stairs to an area with a closed gate, and players will find a blue portal. Enter this portal, which leads to a quaint room with torches and loot boxes. But most notably, the room contains a collage-style portrait of the game's developers, complete with a Gearbox logo watermark over it. It's a nice little homage, to be sure.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.