How does the mysterious stranger and ballon shop work in The Survivalists?
Zack Palm 
Image via Team17 Digital Ltd
There is a mysterious stranger who visits the islands in a balloon shop in The Survivalists. They’re a helpful NPC who is more than willing to haggle with you and offer up a handful of items for you to use. However, after a few days, he does leave his location, and he wanders around to the various islands in the game. How often does he do that, and when does he return to an island you can safely visit?
The balloon shop and the mysterious stranger move around the islands every few days. They don’t stay there for long, though. You can expect the mysterious stranger to move to a different island every two to three days after initially stopping at a location. If you’re anxiously waiting for the balloon shop to return to your portion of the game, you’re better off working on various other tasks on your island before searching for them again. It takes several days for the balloon shop to rotate, and even then, it’s a random occurrence that they appear on your island.
Because the mysterious stranger rotates to each of the islands, you’re better off working on several tasks to expand your exploration potential and travel between the islands. When the balloon shop does appear, though, make sure to head there immediately to see what’s available. You don’t want to miss out.
About the author
