Villagers and the mystery
Villagers are not just quest givers: they hand out upgrades, reveal lore and connect the pieces of the forest mystery. The full game adds a multi-tool notebook with a map, an objective tracker and collectibles, plus save shrines.
They are not quest boards
The FAQ is unusually blunt about this: villagers "aren't just quest givers — they provide upgrades, reveal lore, and gradually connect the pieces of the larger mystery."
The confirmed cast is described by role rather than name: mechanics, scrapyard owners, bar hosts and hotel staff, plus "other mysterious locals". The studio adds that it doesn't want to spoil them and would rather you meet them properly.
What that means in practice:
- A conversation you have no delivery for can still hand you an upgrade.
- Lore comes from people, not from collectible audio logs.
- So the efficient route through the valley includes stops that pay nothing in money.
The forest is the story
From the FAQ, on the forest: "The forest is the heart of the story. Local legends warn everyone to stay away, villagers talk about strange events and your deliveries slowly reveal what happened there. The mystery unfolds through characters, exploration, and environmental storytelling rather than jump-scare horror."
Three things follow from that:
- Deliveries are the narrative device. Each errand adds a piece. Skip the valley's optional work and you skip the story.
- It is not a horror game. The studio explicitly rules out jump scares. The tension is atmosphere, plus the encounters described on the Ghost Truck page.
- The mystery is environmental. Landmarks, hidden paths and the misty wetlands are where the story is parked.
Tools: the notebook and save shrines
Announced for the full game in the FAQ:
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Multi-tool notebook | Holds the map, an objectives tracker and the collectibles you have found |
| Save shrines | Save points placed around the world — the safety net for exploring off-route |
| Hidden paths | Lead to shortcuts or discoveries; deliberately not marked as icons |
The studio's stated goal for this trio is comfort: "we want to give players comfort of getting lost and then finding the way again." If you are the kind of player who hoovers a map, the design is working against you — the intended rhythm is explore, find, mark, return with a better truck.
Landmarks and what has been teased
Community updates charted the valley's content before launch: Community Update #10 covered forest obstacles, "shiny ripples" and a new character; Update #11 revealed new gameplay, a character line-up and palm trees; Update #12 was built around Red's Scrapyard. That is the studio teasing regions and residents rather than a plot.
Nothing published so far names a story chapter count, an ending structure or a twist. Anyone claiming to know one is guessing.
The collectibles question
The notebook tracks "found collectibles", and the scrap economy rewards picking up abandoned machinery. What is not confirmed: whether collectibles are a separate set from scrap, whether they reward anything beyond completion, and how many there are. Both are on the list to re-check when the build is live.
Why talking is a mechanic, not flavour
Put the two systems together and the valley's design is clear. Deliveries pay money; scrap pays materials; villagers pay in knowledge and upgrades. The third one is the only currency you cannot buy, and it is the one that decides which routes exist for you. That is why the beginner guide puts "talk before you drive" first.
