The Drifter review

Ramblin’ man

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Powerhoof

• Developer: Powerhoof, Dave Lloyd
• Publisher: Powerhoof
• Release: July 17th, 2025
• On: Windows, macOS, Linux
• From: Steam
• Price: TBC
• Reviewed on: Intel Core i5-12600K, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti, Windows 11

The Drifter is sometimes quite silly in ways I don’t think are intentional, and it managed to yank me right out of the experience more than once. You obviously have to be in a thing to get yanked out of it though, which is my way of saying that The Drifter is good, although I will be taking the piss out of it later. It’s stylish, moody, and pulls off the point n’ click adventure game two-for-one: characters worth caring about, and also characters worth irritating by fiddling with their stuff.

Mostly though, it’s just got a great eye for an arresting scene or setpiece. Some of my favourite parts did end up being its more complex multi-scene puzzles, but mainly because these are used sparingly in a story with bloody-minded dedication to anxious forward momentum.

The game opens with roughspun, irritable but dogged protag Mick Carter hitching a train cart to a home he told himself he’d never return to. There’s a funeral in a few days, and he’s vowed to his sister he’ll be there. Mick initially seems pulled straight out the vaguely noirish haunted alcoholic playbook, but it doesn’t take long to realise he’s a fair bit more interesting than that. It’s not empty bottles, but a trail of broken promises and obligations that Mick’s left in his wake.

When the train stops, Mick’s raving paranoid cartmate is gunned down by mystery bastards , and Mick barely escapes by jumping off the train into a rubbish pile on the street below. Between the mystery bastards , rumours of a spate of missing homeless folk, and the bizarre visions Mick is soon assailed by, things get conspiratorial and dangerous quickly. But Mick’s actual goals remain the same: he just wants to get to his sister’s place, to be with his family. It’s this human touch that anchors The Drifter throughout, no matter how B-movie batshit tinfoil it gets. Although for the record, I do love some B-movie batshit tinfoil, and The Drifter absolutely delivers here.

I initially wanted to use a controller. Partly because The Drifter seems proud of its controller scheme, but mostly because leaning back in a chair during work hours makes me feel powerful. It’s a thoughtful scheme, too. Interactables are marked as spots in a ring, so you just need to twirl around the thumbstick to visit anything interesting. I’m sure it’ll be very useful to a lot of people.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Powerhoof

Personally, though, I found the hotspot wheel takes away too much of the good stuff. It encourages interacting with the wheel itself rather than the environment; looking without seeing. I’d prefer to hold on to a little mystery, otherwise it’s like going dungeon delving with a SatNav. The game uses lighting in some thoughtful ways to draw you toward discoveries, and you can always hold the H key to highlight hotspots (huzzah). Also, while we’re on the UI, The Drifter has some excellent fonts. Just, very good lettering.

Not that Mick himself would appreciate those fonts. He tends to get exasperated any time he’s forced to interact with a computer - crusty, tiresome old bastard with a heart of gold that he is. He’s both the best thing about The Drifter and was, for a decent chunk, the biggest barrier I faced in taking the game seriously.

Mick’s dialogue is well written. Evocative while (mostly) avoiding sounding too writerly. It’s also occasionally very funny. Mick’s actor, Adrian Vaughan, has a powerful voice and it’s often very magnetic. The problem is that the game is frontloaded with a lot of very intense, often life-threatening situations for Mick, and Vaughan is giving it 400% all the time. It works well at first, but there comes a point where Mick is being thrown from one nightmare to another, internally freaking out constantly. It slips into absurdity pretty easily and still Mick carries on, narrating his every action at maximal volume and with maximum arse.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Powerhoof

It’s a little hard to explain, but it made me conjure an image of being a nice, chill family picnic on a beautiful day, then suddenly being accosted by a large, haggard Australian man, who picks up a sandwich and very slowly leans into my ear and starts shouting “WITH CAT-LIKE REFLEXES I REACH OUT AND GRAB THE SANDWICH. THE PREVIOUS OWNERS ARE NONE THE WISER”. And it’s like, “I can see you mate”. “I’M SUDDENLY OVERCOME WITH A COLD FEELING OF PURE DREAD, LIKE MY LUNGS ARE FILLING WITH ICE. THE SANGA HAS TUNA IN IT. FUCK.”

And it’s not like this same level of intensity doesn’t work well elsewhere. Like, this sort of full-chestedness is what you want from an actor really. Mick’s monologues can be frightening and harrowing and gripping, they’re just packed in too tightly in the first half of the game. This is also where Mick spends the most time alone, and he’s at his best when he’s got other characters to bounce off, for comedy or drama or touching moments. His ex-wife Sarah is the emotional core of the story. A tropey, slick New Yoik detective both fits in well and reminds you that the game knows it isn’t above some 90’s Lucasarts silliness. Mick’s initially tiring intensity feels like a side effect of the early game’s dedication to breathless pacing, which might well be a fair trade on balance. But since it smooths out nicely around the midgame, I do wish these early chapters - or just Mick’s actor - had pumped the brakes a little.

The Drifter’s approach to puzzle design is best summed up in how it often completely empties your inventory between chapters. The upshot is that this keeps the majority of the puzzles very much in scene. The inventory doesn’t get bloated, and you don’t get any moments where the solution to a problem is a piece of junk Mick thoughtlessly pocketed right at the beginning of the game. The downside is that I actually really like when adventure games do that.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Powerhoof

I’d actually call some of The Drifter’s puzzles straightforward to the point of being automatic, but even this feels deliberate: simple tasks employed as pacing tools to punctuate the drama. Someone needs their head stitched. You find dental floss. Then a fishing hook tangled in pile of lines. Then scissors to cut it out. Then combine it with the floss. Then sterilise it with steam from a coffee machine. This all takes place across three adjacent areas. It’s instantly clear what everything’s for. and these are the only objects available to you anyway. But this also occurs at a point in the story where stalling would be painful, so it works well.

There are a few more complex, chapter-wide puzzles too, and the game ends up hitting a good balance. Elsewhere, some triggers for things like characters moving from place to place can feel somewhat arbitrary, relying on revisiting areas once you’ve already exhausted other options. It feels like you’re occasionally forced to get stuck, basically, if only for a few minutes.

The soundtrack is a real scene-setter; thick, dark, and synthy. Sometimes it’s clattering, hellish soundscapes - genuinely gutwrenching. Sometimes its gothy disco. Some of it is more understated, reminding me of Tycho’s early work . There’s a victory lap scene towards the end, scored so triumphantly I was waiting for Mick to let out a powerful “It’s Driftin’ Time”. Great stuff.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Powerhoof

Between the emotional core centering around Mick and his family, the B-movie batshit tinfoil sci-fi stuff, and the eventual revelations that tie everything together in both theme and plot, there are a lot of elements jostling for space and time in The Drifter. It’s impressive that it manages to wrap things coherently, nevermind the satisfying and touching way it does. Ultimately, it’s a good story, well told, that knows when to lay on the head scratchers and when to ferry you along with simple tasks. I just hope Mick’s actor remembered to combine honey and lemon with tea after recording.

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The Drifter

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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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