Lushfoil Photography Sim review

Click click zoom

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive

• Developer: Matt Newell
• Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
• Release: April 15th, 2025
• On: Windows
• From: Steam , Epic Games Store
• Price: $15 / £TBC
• Reviewed on: Intel Core 19-10900K, 32GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, Windows 10; Steam Deck

Primarily, Lushfoil Photography Sim is – spoilers – a photography sim. Then it’s a walking sim. Then it’s a photography sim again. Then more walking. Then it’s a photography teacher , and a very calm and cool one at that; the kind that would lay down in liquid mud to shoot a daffodil at just the right angle, then get back up and say “Ahhh, that’s lovely” in a gentle New Zealand accent.

This specific quality accounted for much of my initial interest, being someone who owns a DSLR yet has no clue what half the buttons are for. Lushfoil Photography Sim is a pretty effective instructor, though by choosing a series of stonkingly gorgeous natural beauty spots as its classrooms, it’s even more effective at provoking a general wanderlust that has – repeatedly but quite happily – derailed my studies.

You’re free to explore and snap at your own pace, each location dropping you in and setting you loose upon its picturebook-pretty sights. There’s a global mix of locales to work through, starting with a glistening Italian lake and moving onto Japanese Shinto shrines, eerie Icelandic volcanoes, leafy English parkland, and sky-piercing Nepalese mountains. All are densely detailed in spite of their considerable size, and have been sculpted with a literal photographer’s eye – solo developer Matt Newell is a 3D artist and a shutterbug both. If you could throw a rock at one of these maps, you’d hit three things that would make for a nice shot.

Here’s some I took earlier. I seldom applied the post-shooting filters, but there are loads available.

Snapping for snapping’s sake, without the learning aspect, is welcomed. With autofocus alone, the default DSLR is more than capable of sweeping landscape shots and macro close-ups alike. If you play Lushfoil Photography Sim by simply wandering around and casually grabbing the occasional pic, there’s never a sense that it’s going to lean over and say: " Well actually that would look better if you switched to aperture priority mode and adjust the f-stop, you tourist." If anything, staying relaxed is the point. By giving you free run of such beguiling sceneries with naught but some chilled-out background tunes for company, this game quite obviously wants you to appreciate Mother Gaia’s creation as much as it wants you to make PNGs of it.

The ground-level map design encourages exploration too. While you’re mostly confined to pathways rather than granted true free-roamability, they’re constantly splitting off into enticing side-trails, piquing the same “Ooh, what’s down there?” curiosity that all good holidays are filled with. There’s usually something rewarding down these tracks as well, be it a prime shooting opportunity or a new piece of kit to aid your photography efforts. A paddleboard for sea-to-land shots, for instance, or even an inexplicably abandoned camera drone.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive

A generous fast travel system (you can warp to wherever you’ve previously snapped a photo) helps cut down backtracking along the way, though the sim does well to make its hills, beaches, and forests feel like nice enough places to take a walk in. Besides the visual pizazz (this is Unreal Engine at its most photorealistic, which for once, makes perfect aesthetic sense) it’s one of the most pleasant-sounding games I’ve played in a long while. The instrumental soundtrack is pitch-perfect, all twinkling pianos and soft synths, while details like wind-rustled trees, or how your footsteps snap twigs and compact snow, lock down an already secure sense of place. Each locale may be one big photography subject, but they’re not static backdrops either. Especially when a hare or stray cat darts out from the bushes, usually escaping back into concealment just before you can level a viewfinder at it.

On the subject of camera bits, more enthusiastic photographers will find a sim-appropriate range of granular DSLR controls to tinker with: shutter speeds, ISO levels, white balance, different lenses, all that capturing jazz. But what I appreciate, as an all-the-gear-no-idea photography scrub who usually just snaps graphics cards in Auto mode, is how the game delivers its (entirely optional) lessons in what all those words mean. To the point where I do, genuinely, have a better understanding of my IRL Nikon.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive

For reasons I can only guess, usability design on DSLRs has never progressed beyond jargon, acronyms, and trying to stuff far too many functions onto far too few switches and dials. Do I want AE-L or AF-L? It’s hard to choose when I have just one button for both, and also I don’t know what either of them are. Lushfoil Photography Sim’s tutorials do what camera manuals never seem to by breaking everything down in simple English, while seizing the natural advantage of being able to map these controls to more intuitive keyboard (or gamepad) inputs. The result is a far more successful teaching tool, at least for me, than any text guide or instructional YouTube video. I’m sure I’ve looked up how to adjust depth of field by changing the aperture size before, but it’s never stuck with me until this game walked me through the fundamentals, with a live, dynamic view of what happens when I make the numbers go up or down.

There are some gaps in its curriculum – I’m still winging it on composition – but for learning the more technical, hardware-adjacent aspects of the craft, I’d recommend this in an instant. As I would for those wanting a breezy, feel-good timekiller that doesn’t try too hard to be trendily “cosy”. In fact, weaknesses only flare up when it acts like, of all things, a video game.

Presumably to engineer some sense of progression, most locations need unlocking before they can be explored, and the means of doing so is strangely out of whack with the rest of the game’s easygoingness. First, you must gather a certain number of collectibles: region-specific items dotted around on benches and plinths. Second, you must find a picture board in each area, observe the photos pinned on it, then go out and take matching ones, in something akin to a (mercifully much easier) version of Elden Ring ’s painting puzzles . Only once you’ve acquired enough of both will the next location unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive

These fetch quests aren’t especially taxing, but they don’t add anything either, outside of an attempt to inject some nakedly game-ish challenge/reward system. The beauty, atmosphere, and branching pathways are more than enough to motivate exploration and phototaking on their own, and at worst it can feel like your picturesque world tour is descending into a treasure hunt that needs completing before you’re allowed the next plane ticket. Besides, part of the fun is having the freedom to frame and shoot your own pictures, and it feels odd that every other player is going to have a partially matching gallery to mine.

The other main unlockables (a variety of older point-and-shoot cameras and camcorders you can find lying around) also failed to conjure up much enthusiasm, given their lack of configurability and low photo quality next to the DSLR. Granted, this is still a photography sim, so I understand why they’re there. I’m sure there are Microsoft Flight Simulator owners with a soft spot for the rattly Cessnas.

I also don’t want it to sound like that bit of collectible busywork spoils what is ultimately a very good mix of satisfying snapping and eyes-agog wandering. You can always just capture the requisite frames while you’re passing by, looking for your own shots, and - truth be told - the striking vistas you’ll win access to are very much worth a spot of picture-matching. Come for the lessons, stay for the landscapes.

This review is based on a retail version provided by the publisher.

Find out how we conduct our reviews by reading our review policy .

Lushfoil Photography Sim

Video Game

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.