Scavland quests split into main quests and side quests, and contracts sit alongside them on trader contract boards, all tracked through an in-game journal. Reputation with the 10 factions gates which contracts and which side quests get posted, so quest progression and faction standing move together. Named questlines, named contract tiers, and individual trader identities are not announced as of 2026-09-04.
Scavland quests: main vs side quests
The official Steam store feature list for AppID 3373500 names "main + side quests" as part of the Early Access feature set, alongside traders, contracts, and a journal that tracks progress. The two quest categories are distinct in purpose even though they share the same delivery systems (settlements, contract boards, the dynamic minimap, and the journal). Main quests: main quests drive the story arc through the post-apocalyptic Soviet setting. They are scoped to push the player across the handcrafted open world and into specific procedural underground bunkers that the main plot requires. Main quests are the route through which the largest reputation shifts happen, because completing them changes faction standing for the issuing faction and often for its rivals. Side quests: side quests are the repeatable, optional layer that occupies the time between main quest beats. They typically tie to a single settlement or faction and route through a contract board, a named NPC, or a discovered map marker. Side quests are the reputation grind path: completing them shifts your standing with a single faction more predictably than main quests do, which makes them the right tool for unlocking reputation-gated trader stock and attachment tiers.
Contract boards and trader interaction
Contracts are posted by traders at settlement boards and run alongside the quest system. The Steam store confirms the existence of "traders" and "contracts" as separate systems, and the practical relationship is that traders operate the contract boards that turn quests into repeatable work. Specific quest/contract taxonomy, named contracts, contract-length tiers, trader identity, contract-endings outcomes, and faction-tier unlock rules are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Contract board layout: a contract board is a settlement object that lists available jobs. The exact fields shown on a contract entry, the exact job categories, and the exact reward rules are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Acceptance stamps the contract into the journal; completion ties back to the issuing trader. Trader interaction: traders are the NPC face behind each contract board. They also buy and sell loot, sell weapons and attachments from the 25+ weapons and 300+ attachments pool covered on the Scavland weapons page, and unlock inventory at higher standing. The exact threshold rules, the exact tier labels, and the exact inventory shifts are not announced as of 2026-09-04.
Journal categories and progress tracking
The journal is the in-game tracker that ties quests and contracts together. The Steam store lists it as a feature without describing its tabs, so the practical breakdown is described at a high level. Specific journal tab labels and specific failure rules are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Quest tracking: the journal records active main and side quests, the issuing faction, the current step, the next objective marker on the world map, and the reward tier. The exact step-recovery rules are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Contract tracking: the journal mirrors the contract board: every accepted contract has a journal entry. The exact fields, the exact timer rules, and the exact cross-references are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Completed contracts stay in the journal as a record of which faction you worked for. Loot and crafting cross-references: the journal also flags items worth looting for a queued contract and tracks crafting recipes unlocked by completed quests. Specific loot flagging rules and specific crafting unlock chains are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Because the crafting system and the loot economy both feed the contract loop, the journal becomes the hub that decides whether to detour for a quest item or push on to the next main quest beat.
Reputation impact on contracts and quests
Reputation with the 10 factions is the gate that decides which side quests, which contracts, and which trader tiers are reachable. The Scavland factions page covers the system in detail; the practical impact on this page is which contracts you see and what they pay. Specific faction-tier unlock rules are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Reputation-gated contracts: a reputation-gated contract only appears once your standing with the issuing faction crosses a threshold. The exact threshold, the exact tier labels, and the exact contract categories per tier are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Reputation costs of accepted contracts: taking a contract from one faction may lower your standing with a rival faction. The exact standing cost, the exact rival list, and the exact visibility rules before acceptance are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Reputation recovery: the Steam store describes the reputation system as a feature but does not name specific repair actions. Specific repair actions are not announced as of 2026-09-04.
Combat tasks inside contracts
Many contracts end in a combat encounter that involves clearing a bunker, escorting an NPC through hostile territory, or fighting dangerous creatures. The specific contract categories and the specific named targets are not announced as of 2026-09-04. The combat loadouts that close those encounters are covered on the Scavland combat tips page, and the loadout you bring has to match both the contract type and the faction you are working for. The most recent patch changes to any of these systems are summarized on the Scavland updates page.
FAQ
What is the difference between Scavland quests and contracts?
The Steam store entry for AppID 3373500 names main quests, side quests, traders, and contracts as separate but connected systems. Main quests drive the story arc; side quests are the optional reputation-grind layer; contracts are repeatable jobs posted by traders on settlement contract boards. All four are tracked through the in-game journal.
Does Scavland have a journal?
Yes. The Steam store entry lists a journal that tracks quest and contract progress alongside map and crafting context. Specific journal tab labels and exact failure rules are not announced as of 2026-09-04.
Do factions gate Scavland quests?
Yes. Reputation with the 10 factions determines which side quests, which contracts, and which trader tiers are reachable. Exact faction-tier unlock rules and exact reputation thresholds are not announced as of 2026-09-04.
Can I fail a Scavland quest or contract?
Specific quest-failure rules, timer rules, and side-effect rules are not announced as of 2026-09-04. Treat all accepted quests and contracts as completable while you stay alive, and watch the journal for any failure flag once Early Access opens.
Where do I read the latest Scavland quest changes?
Read the latest Scavland quest changes on the Steam Community hub at https://steamcommunity.com/app/3373500 and the Scavland updates page. The Steam hub is the canonical source for any change to quest or contract systems.