Scavland Main Quests & Contracts Guide

Quick answerProgression in Scavland is bifurcated into primary storyline Quests and repeatable faction Jobs (Contracts). Main quests guide your overarching narrative through Zalesye—commencing with the tutorial objective 'Dead Man's Rest' and advancing to core contracts like 'Catching Current' to secure the Flux Aspect Core. To safeguard quest items, Update 0.6.0 and Update 0.7.0 introduced explicit visual item segregation: Quest Items are colored orange, while Job Items appear in green. In Update 0.8.0, developer NoShadow added the new NPC Dogface and his quest 'On the Road', alongside Journal Map NPC pins. Crucially, Hotfix 0.8.8 resolved a critical quest blocker: accepting 'Catching Current' or completing contracts with a full backpack now drops dialogue rewards directly at your feet rather than losing them permanently. Cancelling an accepted contract deducts 20% of that Job's Reputation reward (with a minimum penalty of 1). Contracts refresh across a 24-hour cycle or upon sleeping in a bed with a mattress.

Scavland quest journal showing main story progression, contract tracking, and inventory item colors

Media: user-provided authorized asset pack · Official Steam announcements & community reports · Update 0.8.0 & Hotfix 0.8.8. This image supports context, not every mechanic described on the page.

Field notes

Official Video Reference: Scavland Part 9 Catching Current · Zquietgamer

01 · Distinguish Main Quests vs Faction Jobs: Main Quests (such as 'Dead Man's Rest', 'Catching Current', and Dogface's 'On the Road') advance world lore and unlock critical survival systems like fast travel. Faction Jobs are repeatable economic contracts taken from brokers like Anatoly (logistics and bandit camps) and Nadja (mutant hunts).
02 · Color-Coded Quest Item Identification: In your inventory, Quest Items are highlighted in orange, whereas repeatable Job Items are highlighted in green. Quest items can be transferred between stash inventories with a confirmation warning, preventing accidental loss.
03 · Multi-Job Tracking & Journal Map Pins (Update 0.8.0): The Journal allows tracking multiple Jobs simultaneously; notifications only trigger for actively tracked objectives. In Update 0.8.0, NPCs appear as persistent pins on your Journal Map once you get close to them or talk to them. Zoom in and hover over a pin to view their name.
04 · Contract Cancellation & Reputation Penalty: You can cancel unwanted contracts directly from the Journal interface, but cancelling costs 20% of that Job's Reputation reward (with a minimum penalty of 1). Only abandon jobs if their objective sector is heavily contested.
05 · Faction Broker Roles & Diplomat Raisa Rebalance: In Update 0.7.0, gunsmith Volodymyr offers specialized jobs focused on high-quality weapons and dangerous mutants. Under Hotfix 0.7.2, developer NoShadow rebalanced Raisa's jobs so Diplomat Raisa can offer a follow-up job immediately without forcing players to wait for their current contract to finish.
06 · World Refresh & Mattress Sleeping: Job rosters refresh every 24 in-game hours. Under Update 0.7.0, sleeping to advance time requires a bed with a mattress. Safehouse sleep cycles both merchant stocks and daily contract boards.
07 · Dialogue Rewards & Inventory Drop Safety (Hotfix 0.8.8): In Hotfix 0.8.8, turning in contracts or accepting Catching Current with a full backpack safely drops dialogue rewards onto the ground at your feet, and previously stuck saves automatically have Anatoly's Detector restored upon load.

Evidence boundary

Main Quest Line	Narrative progression runs through foundational milestones including Dead Man's Rest, Catching Current, and On the Road
Item Color Separation	Quest Items are visually highlighted in orange; Job Items appear in green (Update 0.6.0)
Reward Drop Safeguard	Dialogue rewards and Anatoly's Detector drop at your feet if inventory is full (Hotfix 0.8.8)
Journal Map NPC Pins	NPCs appear as pins on Journal Map upon proximity or dialogue; hover to view names (Update 0.8.0)
Job Cancellation Penalty	Cancelling a Job directly from the Journal costs 20% of that Job's Reputation reward with a minimum penalty of 1
Simultaneous Job Tracking	Multiple jobs can be tracked at once; notifications only display for actively tracked jobs
Trader Volodymyr Jobs	Volodymyr offers jobs focused on high-quality weapons and dangerous mutants (Update 0.7.0)
Diplomat Raisa Overhaul	Raisa can offer follow-up jobs without waiting for current one to finish (Hotfix 0.7.2)
24-Hour Reset Cycle	Contract rosters refresh every 24 in-game hours or upon sleeping in a bed with a mattress (Update 0.7.0)

Questions players ask

What is the difference between Main Quests and Jobs in Scavland?

Main Quests (such as Dead Man's Rest, Catching Current, and On the Road) drive central narrative progression, introduce core tools like the Core Detector, and carry orange-bordered items. Jobs are repeatable contracts offered by local brokers like Anatoly, Nadja, and Volodymyr to earn rubles and faction reputation.

Why are some items orange and others green in my inventory?

Under Update 0.6.0, Quest Items are color-coded in orange to prevent accidental disposal or sale, while repeatable Job Items are color-coded in green. Equipped clothing cannot be accidentally turned in for jobs.

What happens if my backpack is full when receiving a quest reward?

In Hotfix 0.8.8, accepting Catching Current or completing contract hand-ins with a full backpack automatically drops Anatoly's Detector and other dialogue rewards at your feet rather than losing them.

How does Raisa's job assignment work after Hotfix 0.7.2?

In Hotfix 0.7.2, developer NoShadow overhauled Diplomat Raisa's contracts: Raisa can now offer a follow-up job without waiting for your current task to complete, alongside a comprehensive rebalancing of her diplomatic job requirements and payouts.

What is the penalty for cancelling a Job in Scavland?

Cancelling an accepted Job directly from the Journal deducts 20% of that Job's Reputation reward, with a minimum penalty of 1 reputation point.

Can I track more than one contract at the same time?

Yes. The rebuilt Journal allows tracking multiple jobs concurrently. Notifications appear exclusively for the tasks you have actively marked for tracking.

How often do contract boards and merchant jobs reset?

Job offerings rotate every 24 in-game hours or immediately after sleeping in a bed with a mattress. In Update 0.7.0, only beds equipped with mattresses allow sleeping to skip time.

What should I do after completing Nadja's main questline?

After completing Nadja's main questline, progression transitions into high-tier faction contracts and bunker exploration. Take on advanced military jobs from Volodymyr at the Crossroads annex, pursue Diplomat Raisa's follow-up truce jobs (which under Hotfix 0.7.2 can be accepted continuously without waiting for current tasks to clear), explore Subterranean Bunker Sector B-4 on its 3-hour reset cycle, and level up Trader Ranks for the 5% sell value bonus per rank.