Outbound might look like a relaxing road-trip survival game on the surface, but if you are trying to fully complete the game, things become a lot more serious surprisingly fast.
Suddenly you are checking cliffs for cairns, searching under benches for hidden gnomes, hoarding Redwood for campfires, and feeding hundreds of bottle caps into weird gacha machines hoping the blueprint you need finally drops.
The good news is that Outbound’s collectible system is actually very forgiving. Nothing is missable, every biome stays explorable later, and you can slowly clean up achievements at your own pace.
This guide covers every collectible category in Outbound, how they work, where to look, what achievements they unlock, and the best tips for 100% completion.
Outbound 100% Collectibles Guide – Gnomes, Cairns, Paintings
Outbound currently has 6 major collectible categories tied to achievements.
Full Collectibles Table
| Collectible | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Cairns | Cairnivore |
| Gnomes | Gnome Sweet Gnome |
| Paintings | Camper Van Gogh |
| Cap ‘n Snap Blueprints | Snapped ‘Em All |
| Campfires | Shine Your Light On Me |
| Bottle Caps | Ring-a-Ding-Ding! |
There is also a hidden achievement:
- Meet the Devs!
This unlocks after finding special developer-themed gnomes at the Gnome Workshop.
Are Any Collectibles Missable?
No.
This is probably the best thing about Outbound’s collectible system.
You can:
- Return to every biome later
- Continue collecting after story progression
- Explore at your own pace
- Collect everything solo or in co-op
Nothing disappears permanently.
So if you accidentally rush through a biome early, you are completely fine.
All Biomes With Collectibles
Every collectible type appears across all four regions in the game.
Biome Progression Table
| Biome | Description |
|---|---|
| Starting Area (Meadows) | Tutorial-friendly starting region |
| Canyons | Unlocks after repairing bridges |
| Pacific Coast | Features lighthouse and ferry access |
| Mountains | Final biome with highest elevations |
Each biome also contains:
- Signal Towers
- Research Centers
- Scenic campsites
- Hidden collectible locations
- Points of Interest
Collectibles are NOT restricted to major landmarks. Many are hidden between roads, forests, cliffs, and exploration areas.
Cairns Guide
Cairns are easily the simplest collectibles in Outbound.
These are stacked stone towers usually found:
- On cliffs
- Near scenic viewpoints
- Along roads
- On hilltops
How Cairns Work
You simply:
- Walk up to the cairn
- Interact with it
- Stack/activate it
That’s it.
No materials needed.
No tools required.
No puzzle involved.
Cairn Tips
Honestly, most cairns are not hidden at all.
The real challenge is remembering to stop while driving around because many are placed in scenic locations you might speed past.
Cairn Achievement
| Collectible | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Cairns | Cairnivore |
Gnomes Guide
Gnomes are by far the hardest collectibles to fully complete.
Unlike cairns, these are intentionally hidden.
Each gnome:
- Has a unique appearance
- Has its own costume/theme
- Is placed in hidden spots
Common Gnome Locations
You can usually find gnomes:
- Behind buildings
- Under trees
- Near benches
- Around campsites
- Near satellite towers
- On overlook edges
Gnome Audio Cue
One thing many players miss:
There is a faint sound cue when you are close to a gnome.
If you suddenly hear strange noises while exploring, slow down and search carefully nearby.
Co-Op Advantage
Co-op actually helps a LOT here because multiple players can split up and search different areas.
Once one player spots the gnome, everyone in the session can collect it.
Hidden Gnome Achievement
The Gnome Workshop contains special developer-themed gnomes.
Finding them unlocks:
- Meet the Devs!
Separate from the normal gnome completion achievement.
Gnome Achievement Table
| Collectible | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Gnomes | Gnome Sweet Gnome |
| Dev Gnomes | Meet the Devs! |
Paintings Guide
Paintings are collectible artwork pieces hidden throughout the world.
These are less hidden than gnomes but harder to notice than cairns.
Where To Find Paintings
Common painting locations include:
- Inside buildings
- Near art displays
- Around campsites
- Near decorated structures
- Points of Interest
What Paintings Do
Paintings are cosmetic collectibles.
After collecting them, they display inside your van.
No gameplay bonus.
Purely visual.
Still required for achievements though.
Painting Completion Tip
The game does NOT properly track which specific paintings you already found.
Because of this, the best strategy is:
- Fully explore one biome at a time
- Check all interiors carefully
- Search decorative areas slowly
Painting Achievement
| Collectible | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Paintings | Camper Van Gogh |
Cap ‘n Snap Blueprint Guide
These are special collectible blueprints obtained through gacha vending machines.
Instead of directly finding blueprints in the world, you spend Bottle Caps at machines for random rewards.
How Blueprint Machines Work
- Collect Bottle Caps
- Find Cap ‘n Snap machines
- Spend caps
- Receive random blueprint rewards
Each machine contains its own blueprint pool.
You can repeatedly use machines until you obtain everything from that location.
Important Blueprint Clarification
Cap ‘n Snap blueprints are DIFFERENT from:
- Signal Tower blueprints
Signal Towers unlock progression recipes.
Cap ‘n Snap machines unlock collectible blueprint rewards.
Many beginners confuse these systems.
Blueprint Achievement
| Collectible | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Cap ‘n Snap Blueprints | Snapped ‘Em All |
Bottle Caps Guide
Bottle Caps serve two purposes:
- Blueprint machine currency
- Achievement progression
Best Ways To Farm Bottle Caps
You mainly get Bottle Caps from:
- Picking up litter
- Exploring campsites
- Looting containers
- Searching trash bins
Important Bottle Cap Tip
The achievement tracks:
- Highest total ever reached
NOT your current amount.
So once you hit 100 Bottle Caps total, you permanently unlock the achievement even if you spend everything afterward.
That means:
Spend them freely afterward.
No reason to hoard.
Bottle Cap Achievement
| Collectible | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Bottle Caps | Ring-a-Ding-Ding! |
Campfire Guide
Campfires are the only collectible system tied directly to resource management.
How Campfires Work
To activate campfires:
- Find campfire locations
- Bring Redwood
- Light the fire
The important detail:
ONLY Redwood works.
Other wood types do not count.
Why Campfires Become Annoying
Some biomes contain:
- Lots of Everwood
- Very little Redwood
Which means many players discover campfires long before they have enough fuel saved.
Best Campfire Strategy
Whenever you find Redwood:
- Stockpile it immediately
- Keep extras in van storage
This lets you activate multiple campfires during longer exploration trips.
Campfire Persistence
Once lit:
- Campfires remain permanently completed
No need to revisit them later.
Campfire Achievement
| Collectible | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Campfires | Shine Your Light On Me |
Signal Towers Explained
Signal Towers are NOT collectible achievements.
These towers:
- Unlock crafting blueprints
- Advance progression
- Improve research options
You naturally encounter them during normal exploration.
Do not confuse them with collectible systems.
Research Centers & Hidden Achievement
Each biome contains one Research Center.
Research Center Table
| Biome | Research Center |
|---|---|
| Starting Area | Yes |
| Canyons | Yes |
| Pacific Coast | Yes |
| Mountains | Yes |
Delivering research materials to all four unlocks:
- Certified Researcher
This is separate from collectible achievements but still important for full completion.
Do You Need To Fully Clear Each Biome?
Not exactly.
The game tracks:
- Total collectibles found globally
It does NOT track:
- Per-biome completion
So even if you fully explore one biome, you may still need collectibles from later regions.
That’s why spreading exploration naturally across all four biomes works better.
Outbound’s collectible system is honestly one of the more relaxing completion grinds in modern survival games.
No timers.
No combat pressure.
No missable items.
Just exploration, road trips, hidden collectibles, and slowly turning your camper van into a museum full of weird paintings and stolen garden gnomes.
And somehow… it becomes incredibly hard to stop once you start chasing 100%.