The core gameplay loop

KOTAMON is a single-player collection and simulation game built around searching the junkyard. Dig through trash piles, recycle ordinary finds, complete orders for the yard owners, and inspect treasures and cards before deciding what to keep.

Searching produces ordinary rubbish, useful finds and collection decisions. Recycling and orders belong to the work loop; repair and exchanges belong to the card loop; character upgrades support progression. The GIGA patch documents requesting more trash from Jenny after clearing all the piles, so the collection is not limited to that first supply.

For an order of first-session actions, use the Beginner Guide. This page explains the systems, not a second starting walkthrough. Use Money for sale and spending decisions, or Upgrades for character growth.

The official store confirms that cards can appear in different conditions and may be damaged, repaired, or traded. Condition affects value, so collection progress and immediate cash are not always the same decision.

Make binder decisions before trading

Use the binder as a collection check, not as proof that every card variant has been documented publicly. The official description promises dozens of unique cards, while the precise current card list comes from community documentation and may change after updates.

When you find a card, ask three questions:

  • Is this card missing from the collection you are building?
  • Is its condition useful compared with the copy you already have?
  • Is it a duplicate you are comfortable trading instead of preserving?

For a current evidence-labeled checklist, use the cards reference. Do not assume an empty slot, an unfamiliar rarity, or a foil appearance proves an undocumented card exists.

The August 27 developer explanation also confirms exchanges of three same-quality duplicate cards for a higher-quality copy. See the Cards Hub for the indicators and the distinction between card exchanges and player upgrades.

Repair damaged cards and fragments

The official GIGA patch describes collecting five card pieces and assembling the complete card at the glue table in the garage. Current community documentation also treats this as a manual repair puzzle.

Keep all five pieces together, work slowly at the table, and preserve a separate good save before testing any recovery path after a save problem. There is no official support in the saved research for automatic assembly, fixed placement coordinates, or a universal repair cost.

See the card repair guide for the preservation-first workflow and version caveats.

Treat foil cards as a separate collection goal

Official material says a cereal box can contain a super-rare foil card. Steam also exposes separate foil collection achievements, so foil status is a collection layer of its own. It should not be confused with printed rarity or card condition.

Search normally, track the foil cards you already have, and use cereal boxes when you find them. Neither the official store nor the public achievement list gives a drop rate, pity rule, or complete foil checklist. The foil card guide keeps those unknowns explicit.

Fold collectibles into normal searches

Cards are only part of the junkyard loop. Official material also points to cereal boxes, hidden treasures, character upgrades, and other collectible discoveries. Some collectible behavior has already changed after release, so avoid building a route around an assumed fixed rate.

Use a simple session checklist:

  • Search each new pile carefully before recycling its ordinary contents.
  • Record collection progress before spending or trading.
  • Keep a separate manual save before testing a route connected to a reported save issue.
  • Review the cereal box guide and achievements reference when a collection goal needs a specific milestone.

Check the patch date before following old advice

The GIGA patch replaced the demo's ending condition with endless trash piles. After release, the August 21 update rebalanced prices and upgrades and addressed save, load, autosave, and achievement behavior. The August 22 update then adjusted the appearance of cereal boxes and other collectibles.

That history makes exact prices, rates, and progression shortcuts patch-sensitive. The August 27 update clarified duplicate-card exchanges and removed repeat Kotalion sales. This guide uses official behavior published through August 27, 2026 and intentionally avoids undocumented numbers. Return to the Guides Hub for the relevant focused guide.