Collectibles

Overview

Collectibles are special items and discoveries scattered throughout Outbound's world. They serve as secondary objectives that reward exploration and encourage players to venture off the beaten path. Each type of collectible has a distinct visual identity and purpose, ranging from decorative to functional. Collectibles are tracked in the player's journal, which logs what has been found and how many remain in each region.

The game's map dynamically reveals the locations of cairns, gnomes, paint booths, and blueprint stations as players drive through areas. This means that thorough driving through each region is the best way to uncover collectible locations. Some collectibles are placed along main roads, while others are tucked away in hidden corners that require detours or on-foot exploration.

Types of Collectibles

Rock Cairns

Rock cairns are stackable stone formations found throughout the game's biomes. Unlike other collectibles that are simply picked up, cairns involve a small physics-based interaction where the player stacks stones on top of each other. They appear in natural settings such as riverbanks, hilltops, and forest clearings.

Cairns serve as landmarks and markers of exploration progress. Finding and building them contributes to the journal's record of discovered locations. The stacking interaction fits the game's tactile, hands-on approach to its activities.

Garden Gnomes

Garden gnomes are hidden figurines scattered across every biome in the game. Each gnome is placed in a specific location, and finding them all requires careful observation and willingness to explore off the main paths. Gnomes are often tucked behind rocks, inside bushes, near abandoned structures, or at the edges of scenic overlooks.

The gnome hunt is one of the game's more traditional collectible challenges. Their placement rewards players who slow down and look around rather than rushing from objective to objective.

Bobbleheads

Bobblehead collectibles are small figures mentioned alongside wildlife interactions in Outbound's world. They can be found in various locations, often near areas with notable animal activity. Details on the full set of bobbleheads and any rewards for completing a collection are not yet fully confirmed, but they appear to function as a standard discovery collectible tracked in the journal.

Bottle Caps

Bottle caps are a collectible currency found while exploring the world. Unlike the other collectibles, bottle caps have a functional use: they can be spent at vending machines scattered throughout the game's regions. Vending machines offer various items in exchange for caps, making them a practical reward for exploration.

Bottle caps can be found on the ground, inside containers, or in hard-to-reach spots. Accumulating a supply of caps gives players access to vending machine inventory without needing to craft or gather resources the traditional way.

Paint Booths

Paint booths are discoverable stations found while exploring regions. When a player locates a paint booth, it unlocks new customization options for the camper van. These options include new paint colors and patterns that can be applied to the van's exterior, allowing players to personalize their vehicle as they progress through the game.

Paint booths are a reward for exploration rather than something that can be purchased or crafted. Each booth unlocks a specific set of options, so finding all of them expands the full palette of available van customizations.

Journal System

The in-game journal tracks all discovered collectibles. It records which cairns have been built, which gnomes have been found, how many bottle caps have been collected, and which paint booths have been visited. The journal organizes this information by region, making it easy to see which areas still have undiscovered items.

The journal is a useful reference for completionists who want to find everything. It does not provide exact map coordinates for undiscovered collectibles, but the regional breakdown helps narrow down where to search.

Tips for Collectors

• Drive slowly through new areas and watch the map for dynamically revealed collectible markers.

• Explore on foot around scenic overlooks, riverbanks, and abandoned structures for hidden gnomes.

• Save bottle caps for high-value vending machine items rather than spending them on commonly available supplies.

• Check each biome's journal section to see which regions still have undiscovered collectibles.

• Paint booths are often near landmarks or at the edges of regions, so look for them during long drives through The Outdoors and The Coast.

• Cairns are usually placed in natural, elevated positions. Look for them on hilltops and near water features.