Tachyon Dreams Anthology review: ’80s-inspired space questing that channels Sierra’s heyday

Almost like the adventures of Roger Wilco, but not quite

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Cosmic Void

• Developer: Cosmic Void
• Publisher: Cosmic Void
• Release: July 23 2024
• On: Windows
• From: Steam
• Price: TBA
• Reviewed on: Intel Core-i9-10850K, 32GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, Windows 11

In the heyday of Sierra’s adventure game years, there was a series called Space Quest that featured an intergalactic janitor named Roger Wilco. The series was more satirical than King’s Quest , less preachy than Police Quest, and not quite as adult as Leisure Suit Larry. Spearheaded by Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe - a pair of devs who called themselves “Two Guys from Andromeda” - Space Quest was renowned for its humour, and there was a nice sense of progression throughout most of the series, with Roger Wilco leveling up from working class spaceman to the head of his own Star Trek ship.

Tachyon Dreams Anthology , a collection of three short games previously released on Itch.io, is clearly channeling Space Quest. Made by indie dev Cosmic Void , AKA Aviv Salinas, each episode of Tachyon Dreams puts you in the shoes of an intergalactic dishwasher named Dodger, who’s almost like an alternate Roger Wilco if you squint. Dodger’s just chilling on a spaceship clearing plates when all of the staff around him disappear, which is basically what happened to Roger at the start of Space Quest I. Guided by a sentient computer, Dodge has to travel through time and space, and his quest eventually leads him on the trail of the Margdonians, a mysterious race that once cultivated the galaxy.

Here’s Dodger’s pad. The salary for a space dishwasher must be pretty high. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Cosmic Void

The plot, which starts with time travel and ends with Dodger literally contemplating his past while sitting on the porcelain throne, doesn’t quite hit the mark set by any of the Space Quests. But the game’s visuals are 100% reminiscent of a lost Sierra adventure from 1987 made with the company’s then-famous AGI (Adventure Game Interpreter) engine. Even Dodger’s walk cycle channels Roger Wilco’s, though Dodger is several pixels larger than Roger ever was. I’m not sure if Tachyon Dreams Anthology was made in AGI Studio , gamemaking software that’s been widely used amongst Sierra fans, but it certainly looks it. Cosmic Void’s expert use of AGI’s 16 colours is especially impressive, and I really appreciate the pixelated depictions of the galactic sky, swathed in lovely shades of blue and magenta. (Anyone who wants to see similar visuals in something that resembles a ’90s game rather than an ’80s one should check out Twilight Oracle , one of Cosmic Void’s other projects. Alice B (RPS forever in peace) liked the demo! )

Visuals aside, this is a parser game where you control Dodger with the arrow keys and type in commands to get him to do stuff. It takes a certain type of adventure gamer to appreciate this control scheme, but as someone who spent countless hours as a kid trying to figure out which Sierra games recognised what dirty words, I dig it. “Pick up berries.” “Use computer.” “Take off pants.” (The last one doesn’t work.) Tachyon Dreams Anthology recognises a fair number of verbs, though on some occasions you’ll run into an infernal puzzle that requires a very specific combination of commands. But getting stuck is par the course for a Sierra-inspired adventure game, and on the one occasion when I couldn’t figure out how to progress, Cosmic Void was kind enough to answer my query via Twitter/X.

There are two minigames which break up the exploration and verb-typing. One of them’s a mandatory “move the coloured thingies around until they match” exercise, which I could have done without, because I hate it when an adventure game forces you to sit down and solve a Rubik’s Cube before progressing. At least there’s nothing as annoying as Space Quest III’s mandatory Astro Chicken game to contend with here, thank goodness.

Tachyon Dreams Anthology offers you two time-wasting minigames. Move the balls and break the blocks. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Cosmic Void

There’s also no deaths or dead ends in Tachyon Dreams Anthology, which is a page taken from the LucasArts playbook rather than the Sierra one. I’m of two minds when it comes to no deaths in adventure games - I appreciate the lack of danger, but back when I was playing the Space Quests, a perverse part of my soul delighted in seeing Roger Wilco perish in all manner of hilarious ways. I kinda wanted Dodger to suffer ridiculous demises as well, especially when progressing through that aforementioned end-of-game stretch that involves a trip to the loo.

Aside from lacking goofy deaths, Tachyon Dreams Anthology also lacks a truly cohesive story, which I hinted at before. The game’s original episodes - Tachyon Dreams I: The Radiant Fish of the Apocalypse , Tachyon Dreams II: The Bloated Can of Space Root Beer , and Tachyon Dreams III: The Rancid Buttermilk - have been bundled with a smattering of extra screens, puzzles, and text descriptions that attempt to string them together. But the resulting product feels disjointed, like you’re clearly hopping from what was intended to be a standalone bite-sized game to another standalone bite-sized game that misremembered the plot of the first. The snappy computer that Dodger speaks with in Part I sadly disappears in Part II, for instance, and a sudden deep dive into Dodger’s history with his ex in Part III comes out of nowhere. It was probably easier to excuse these holes when the episodes were released separately on Itch, but when melded together, the framework feels flimsy.

<img loading=“lazy” src=“https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/Screenshot-2024-07-09-173115.png?width=2048&height=2048&fit=bounds&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp" onerror=“this.onerror=null;this.src=‘https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe7F7TRXHtjiKvHb5vS7DmnxvpHiDyoYyYvm1nHB3Qp2_w3BnM6A2eq4v7FYxCC9bfZt3a9vIMtAYEKUiaDQbHMg-ViyGmRIj39MLp0bGFfgfYw1Dc9q_H-T0wiTm3l0Uq42dETrN9eC8aGJ9_IORZsxST1AcLR7np1koOfcc7tnHa4S8Mwz_xD9d0=s16000';" alt=“A screenshot from the opening of Tachyon Dreams Anthology. The text reads: “You’re in the main control room of the Penrose Interstellar Space Station. PISS, for short.” - 10”>

Tachyon Dreams Anthology does offer up giggles when it wants to, though a good portion of the humour is of the potty variety. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Cosmic Void

Humour is at least interspersed among the flimsy, although it’s not as funny as it initially lets on. Tachyon Dreams Anthology can be very amusing, straddling the line between toilet humor and referring to Canada as a mysterious foreign country that makes arthouse films, but large portions of the game are actually quite somber. In fact, much of Tachyon Dreams has a lonely, introspective feel, with Dodger exploring mostly-empty locales and reflecting on the nature of being a solo person stuck in the void of space, following the faded footsteps of long-departed aliens. The Space Quests also had their surprisingly serious moments, especially in Space Quest IV: The Time Rippers , my personal favourite which saw Roger Wilco travelling through past, present, and future. But Space Quest IV still offered levity through colourful item descriptions and kooky narration courtesy of the late, great Gary Owens. Tachyon Dreams Anthology doesn’t have this, which isn’t a bad thing, but results in a game that is far more philosophical and quieter than its promotional materials - which promise a rollicking ’80s-style comedy - would suggest.

Ultimately, Tachyon Dreams Anthology reminds me of another project I’ve played by Cosmic Void, a first-person adventure game dubbed Blood Nova that was beautiful, but featured a lot of hints at grand space opera concepts that were never explored in a tangible manner. Tachyon Dreams Anthology has a similar quirk, flirting with a consistent story and a sense of humour, but not providing exactly what I’d hoped for in either arena.

Aside from Dodger, there are only a handful of other characters you can interact with. It’s a lonely space quest! |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Cosmic Void

That said, this game is still worth playing for classic adventure fans, if only to see an indie dev passionately channel the spirit of Sierra’s yesteryear in a way that tips a hat to Space Quest while not quite being a Space Quest fangame . In a world where SpaceVenture , the spiritual successor to Space Quest crafted by the original Two Guys from Andromeda, crashed and burned in truly epic fashion, we could use more games like Tachyon Dreams Anthology. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Dodger - perhaps in a focused sequel that sees him abandoning his dishwashing roots and embracing his destiny as an unassuming guardian of the galaxy, just like his grandpa Roger Wilco did before him.

This review is based on a review build of the game provided by the developer.

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

Tachyon Dreams Anthology

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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

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