Beginner manual / verified Aug 11, 2026

ReStory
Beginner Guide

Start fixing. Stop guessing.

A practical first-day guide to opening the shop, cleaning the first Pokia, rebuilding the Atari joystick, and finding devices that seem to have vanished.

Start the first day ↓11 min field guide

First-day quick answer

  1. 01Finish the shop-cleaning prompts.
  2. 02Turn right and use the switch beside the window.
  3. 03Disassemble the Pokia and move each dirty part to the workbench cleaning area.
  4. 04Use both broken joysticks to build one working joystick.
  5. 05Check the right shelf when a device seems to disappear.
01

How to open the shop

The switch is easy to miss because it may be outside your current view.

  1. Face the shop window.
  2. Turn your view to the right.
  3. Look beside the window for a switch.
  4. Click it to open the shop.

Verified answer A ReStory developer marked this solution as correct in Steam Discussions.

02

How to clean the Pokia phone

1

Open the phone

Place it on the workbench and remove the outer pieces until you can reach the components marked as dirty.

2

Check the dirty list

Use the checklist to identify the parts still marked as dirty.

3

Use the cleaning area

Move each dirty part to the workbench cleaning interaction and remove all visible dirt. Check the inside and edges where applicable.

4

Confirm and rebuild

Wait until the visible dirt and dirty checklist status are gone, then reinstall the parts in the displayed order.

ReStory brush not cleaning: what to check

  1. Make sure the part has been removed from the phone and moved into the workbench cleaning interaction.
  2. Remove the visible dirt, then inspect the inside, edges, or other surfaces if the dirty status remains.
  3. Use the checklist—not sound alone—to confirm that the part is clean.
  4. If sound plays but no dirt disappears, note that this was reported in an older Playtest; a current-release cause or universal fix has not been confirmed.

Several players reported this behavior in test or earlier versions. No cleaning-specific official fix has been confirmed, so do not assume every current failure is the same bug.

03

ReStory cleaning tools

The verified first-phone workflow is clear, but the current official names and complete list of cleaning tools are not yet documented well enough for a tool encyclopedia.

Need the complete first-phone steps?

Use the dedicated guide for the eight-step cleaning process, confirmed dirty parts, inside-panel checks, completion signals, version notes, and source timestamps.

Read the ReStory Cleaning Guide →

Naming note “Cleaning cup” is an older player term, “cleaning corner” is video narration, and “sonic bath” has not been verified as an official in-game label.

04

Complete the Atari joystick job

You do not need to repair both joysticks. Take both apart and use their working components to build one complete joystick.

  1. 01

    Accept the order

    Take one joystick to the workbench and rotate it until you can reach the screws.

  2. 02

    Inspect the first donor

    Remove its casing and check every component. In the footage reviewed, a cable and button were damaged; your device may differ.

  3. 03

    Bank the good parts

    Place usable individual components in the parts box. Damaged parts are not useful replacements.

  4. 04

    Open the second joystick

    If the first one leaves the bench, find its device box on the right shelf or beside the workbench.

  5. 05

    Build one complete device

    Use compatible working parts from either joystick, clean them when needed, then install the inner components before the outer case.

  6. 06

    Hand over one joystick

    The customer asked for one working joystick. After collection, the second joystick is left with you.

05

ReStory parts guide

DEVICE BOX

A repair in progress

It represents one partially disassembled device. When you pick up another device, this box may move to the right shelf or the right side of the workbench.

PARTS BOX

Individual reusable parts

Put working donor components here, then retrieve them while rebuilding the device you plan to complete.

Get replacement parts

Order individual replacements through Packuten. Marketplace devices can also be stripped for usable donor parts.

Read part condition

Players commonly report red for broken, yellow or orange for dirty, and green for usable. Treat these colors as community-observed until the current UI is visually confirmed.

Check compatibility

A replacement must meet the repair requirement, but public sources do not yet document the complete model-compatibility rules.

Handle unwanted parts

A shredder is available later. Current evidence does not confirm that it accepts every part or a non-removable donor-device core.

Where did my device box go in ReStory?

  1. Check the right shelf. A partially disassembled device normally becomes a box rather than being deleted.
  2. Check the right side of the workbench. The box may appear there when shelf space is occupied.
  3. If both places are empty, save if possible and reload the game. Some players reported that the missing box returned after restarting.

The first two locations describe the normal storage behavior. Restarting is a community-reported fallback from older or test-version reports, not a confirmed universal fix.

06

Use the repair checklist

The checklist records the repair sequence and helps guide reassembly in reverse order.

  1. Check the next required item in the repair checklist.
  2. Look for a white interaction outline on the device.
  3. Follow the recorded reassembly sequence instead of guessing.
  4. If a part cannot be installed, check for a missing earlier component or screw.
  5. Replace panels and screws last, then confirm the repair is complete.

The exact in-game name of this checklist or record board still needs current-release UI verification.

07

Why won’t the repair complete?

1

Read the order again

Confirm whether it asks for cleaning, repair, or another objective.

2

Check every relevant part

Continue disassembling if a dirty or damaged component may still be hidden.

3

Check your replacements

Make sure you did not reinstall a damaged part by mistake.

4

Check the parts box

A required component may still be sitting inside it.

5

Check the repair list

Look for an uninstalled part or screw before closing the device.

6

Confirm the device

Make sure you finished the customer’s joystick, not the donor device.

7

Check collection instructions

Some finished devices must be placed somewhere before the order advances.

8

Restart last

Only restart after checking the normal repair requirements.

KNOWN-ISSUE CHECK

If the order involves firmware, an IDM device, or a missing email notification, read the latest official updates. For cleaning that makes sound but removes no dirt, older Playtest players reported the behavior; no current-release cause or universal fix has been confirmed.

First-day FAQ

Where is the switch to open the shop?+

Face the shop window, turn your view to the right, and use the switch beside the window.

How do you clean parts in ReStory?+

Disassemble the device, use the checklist to identify parts marked dirty, and move each dirty part to the workbench cleaning area. Remove the visible dirt and confirm the dirty status disappears before reassembly.

Where is the cleaning area?+

It is a separate cleaning interaction on the workbench. Older players called it a cup and one video calls it the cleaning corner, but its current official UI name has not been verified.

Do I have to rotate every part while cleaning?+

Current sources do not confirm that every part must be rotated. Clean the visible dirt first, then inspect other surfaces if the part still shows a dirty condition.

Do I need to repair both Atari joysticks?+

No. Disassemble both and use their working components to produce at least one complete joystick.

Where did my device box go in ReStory?+

A partially disassembled device normally becomes a device box rather than being deleted. Check the right shelf first, then the right side of the workbench. If neither location contains it, save if possible and reload the game; some players reported that a missing box returned after restarting.

Where should donor parts go?+

Put usable individual components in the parts box, then retrieve them while rebuilding the joystick you want to complete.

Where can I get replacement parts?+

Order individual parts through Packuten, or buy Marketplace devices and keep their usable components as donor parts.

Can the shredder remove every unwanted part?+

A shredder is available later, but current sources do not confirm that it accepts every unwanted part or a non-removable donor-device core.

How do I know which parts are still missing?+

Use the repair checklist on the right side of the workbench and look for white interaction outlines on the device.

Why is the repair still incomplete?+

Check for a dirty component, damaged replacement, missing part, unfinished checklist item, wrong device, or collection instruction.

Sources & update policy

Official information

ReStory on Steam ↗Official news and updates ↗

First-day evidence

Open the shop ↗Clean the Pokia ↗Missing joystick and boxes ↗First-day gameplay ↗Current-release Pokia cleaning ↗Complete evidence-checked cleaning guide →