Atomfall features a few tools that players can use to make the most of exploring post-apocalyptic northern England, and one of these tools is the Metal Detector. The tool works just as you’d expect, allowing you to uncover buried caches and loot their goods.
The Metal Detector is optional, but it’s well worth grabbing, as it takes no time at all to use and it could help you dig up new quest leads, crafting supplies, and more. So without further ado, here’s where to find a Metal Detector in Atomfall, and how to use it.
Where to find a Metal Detector in Atomfall
The earliest that you can get your hands on a Metal Detector in Atomfall is pretty much as soon as you step foot into the first region, Slatten Dale. Here, you’ll meet a few NPCs – namely Nat and Molly – the latter of which has a Metal Detector available to trade.
I don’t actually recommend trading your hard-earned items with Molly for a Metal Detector, though, as a short walk south of her, you can pick up the tool for free.
If you follow the path east of Water Wheels until you come to a stream of water, and then follow that water to the large bit of river it culminates in (there’s a small waterfall here, too), you should see an Outlaw corpse on a rock in the middle of the pond.
Loot his corpse to get your hands on an early, free Metal Detector that you can then use for the rest of the game.
The below map, from friends over at MapGenie, features every (currently known) Metal Detector you can find in the game:
It’s also worth noting that most Traders in Atomfall – including Wyndham Village’s Alf – will have Metal Detectors available to trade too if need be.
How to use a Metal Detector in Atomfall
The Metal Detector is a tool in Atomfall that is automatically equipped. With the tool in your possession, whenever you approach an area that has a buried item for you to dig up, the Metal Detector will make a distinct beeping noise.
If you then navigate to your inventory and whip the Metal Detector out in this area, you’ll be presented with a small dial that has five lights on it. You want to slowly wander around until all five lights are illuminated red and the Metal Detector begins to make a lot of noise; when this happens, dig!
If a single light appears on either side of the Metal Detector, this acts as a hint as to what direction to move in to get closer to the buried loot.
Upon digging, you will likely uncover a metal lunchbox (one of Atomfall’s collectibles) or some sort of cache. These caches often contain crafting supplies and other loot, and may contain new quest leads.
If you want a hint as to one of the early-game caches you can find, which gives you a rather interesting quest lead (that ultimately leads to some very good loot), I recommend retrieving June’s Key from The Little Tea Room Wyndham Village and using it on June’s Lockbox at the back of the Village Hall to get you started.
For more on Atomfall, take a look at how to upgrade your weapons, how to solve the murder in the church, and where to find all Gnomes in Wyndham Village.