For players of the Life is Strange series, the experience has always transcended mere plot progression. It’s a deliberate exercise in atmosphere, character, and environmental storytelling, where the richest details are often tucked away in quiet corners, waiting to be discovered. The latest chapter, Life is Strange: Reunion, continues this tradition with a collectible system deeply woven into its narrative fabric. This guide provides a comprehensive, spoiler-aware walkthrough for locating every photograph and sketch, focusing on the critical timing and environmental awareness needed to avoid permanent misses.
Understanding Reunion’s Collectible Philosophy
Life is Strange: Reunion distinguishes between mandatory story beats and optional, enriching discoveries. The collectibles—primarily photographs and character sketches—are not arbitrary checklists. They serve as poignant snapshots of the world, reflections of character personalities, and hidden jokes that reward the observant player. The core mechanic to internalize is that progression is a lock. Advancing dialogue with a key character, interacting with a main story object, or simply moving into a new area can instantly render a nearby collectible inaccessible for that playthrough. The game’s design actively punishes haste and rewards a methodical, curious approach.
Essential Exploration Principles
Before diving into location specifics, adhering to a few fundamental rules will drastically increase your success rate. Upon entering any new scene, your first action should be to ignore obvious objective markers. Pan the camera slowly, looking high and low, and especially behind your starting position. Examine mundane objects—coasters, trash bins, garden decorations—as these often hide interactions. The game’s signature “look” prompt is your best tool. When in doubt, pause and scan the perimeter before engaging in any story-forward conversation.
Complete Scene-by-Scene Collectible Walkthrough
This walkthrough is structured to follow a natural playthrough order, highlighting points of no return to ensure you capture every moment.
Prologue: Mountain Vista
The opening sequence gently introduces the collectible mechanic. As you take in the view, you will be prompted to take a photo of the sunset. This is a mandatory story action and cannot be missed, effectively serving as the game’s tutorial for the photography system.
Time Dojo: Festival Grounds
The bustling Time Dojo festival is your first major exploration zone. Collectibles here are easily overlooked amidst the crowd.
Jack-o’-Lantern Display
Immediately after gaining control upon entering the main festival area, turn left. A cluster of artistically carved pumpkins will be visible. Use your camera to capture the Jack-o’-Lanterns.
Lone Astronaut
From the entrance, walk forward toward the central area, then turn right to find a set of stairs. Ascend and look for a solitary astronaut figurine placed on a railing or crate. The astronaut photo is a classic piece of environmental storytelling.
Class Act: Campus Investigation
This section contains a cluster of five collectibles, several of which are highly missable if you proceed directly with your objectives.
1. The Artsy Student
Your first interaction here involves photographing a student creating art. This is mandatory for story progression and cannot be skipped.
2. Squirrels on the Bench
From your spawn point, take a few steps back and then go right, heading toward a port-a-potty. Check the second bench you see; a pair of squirrels will be present. Take their photo before engaging with any main characters nearby.
3. Chess Players
After the squirrels, turn left. You should spot two students engaged in a game of chess. Capture the chess players quickly, as approaching core NPCs can advance the scene.
4. Crows Near the Moai Statue
Continue moving forward past central characters. Look for a large, Moai-style statue on the grounds. On or around it, you will find a group of crows. The photo opportunity is easy to miss if you are dialogue-focused.
5. Animal Wall Art
Head toward the administration building. Before walking up the main stairs, take a left. Near a set of trash bins, you will find vibrant graffiti or stencil art of an animal on the wall. This is the final collectible in this zone.
Bar Break-In: Nighttime Exploration
During the nocturnal bar infiltration sequence, a unique collectible awaits. From the patio area, head toward the fire pit and then down a small path leading to an employee door. Search the contents of a nearby trash container to find a small skull. Crucially, you must first inspect the skull in your inventory, which will then unlock the ability to create a sketch of it, adding to your collection.
Fremont Street: Urban Exploration
As you approach a key building on Fremont Street, exercise restraint. Before triggering any story sequences, look up and to the right at the building’s windows. You will see a mannequin posed in a window. Take this photo immediately. Interacting with the door or a character first will lock you out of this collectible.
Lying and Waiting: The Diner Scene
In the quiet diner setting, direct your attention to the left of a beer glass on the counter. You will find a coaster. Pick it up and flip it over in your inventory to inspect the design. This inspection triggers the opportunity to complete a sketch of the coaster, a small moment of character reflection.
The Reunion: Emotional Core
At the very beginning of this emotionally charged scene, you will see Chloe sleeping. Approach her quietly, and you will receive a prompt to take her photo. This intimate moment is unmissable as part of the scene’s introduction.
Admin Sleuth: Office Investigation
This collectible requires specific story setup. You must first assist with the investigation and complete dialogue that prompts the character Vinh to leave his desk. Once he has stepped away, position yourself behind his office chair. This specific angle provides the correct perspective for the required photograph of his workstation.
Cat and Max: Suburban Moments
This scene offers two collectibles, blending the mundane with the meaningful.
1. Garden Gnome
After spawning, turn completely around and go left, moving toward some trash bins at the side of the property. A quirky garden gnome will be hiding here. Snap its picture before proceeding.
2. Vinh & Yasmin Conversation
As you progress the main story interaction in this scene, the game will automatically prompt you to take a photograph of Vinh and Yasmin talking. This is a mandatory story photo.
The Overlight: Serene Discovery
Upon reaching the upstairs area of this location, explore until you find a small, delicate cherry tree, likely in a pot or a small indoor space. Inspect the tree closely, which will unlock the option to create a beautiful, contemplative sketch of it.
Times in Turtle: Dual Perspectives
This section utilizes the series’ signature character-switching mechanic, with a collectible for each protagonist.
1. Boat (as Max)
When you first gain control as Max, you will see Safi. Do not speak to her yet. Instead, turn left and look out at the water, where a small boat is anchored. Take a photo of this peaceful scene.
2. Pumpkins (as Chloe)
After switching to Chloe, from your spawn point, look slightly to the right. You will find a pile of pumpkins. Inspect them to unlock a new sketch for your journal, reflecting Chloe’s more grounded, tactile perspective.
Mastering the Pace of Discovery
The ultimate secret to achieving 100% completion in Life is Strange: Reunion is not memorization, but adopting the correct mindset. The game is designed as a series of dioramas, each holding subtle narratives in their details. Treat every new environment as a space to be fully absorbed before advancing the plot. Listen to ambient dialogues, examine flyers on walls, and always, always check corners. This deliberate pace aligns with the series’ core themes of mindfulness and consequence. Fortunately, for those who inevitably miss a detail in the heat of an emotional moment, the game features a robust chapter select function, allowing for clean-up without replaying the entire story. The journey of Reunion is as much about the small, collected moments of quiet observation as it is about the grand narrative arc, proving that sometimes the most powerful stories are told not through words, but through the fragments of a world we choose to pause and see.
