Find the Signal Before You Start Digging
A shovel alone does not tell you where treasure is buried. For Nomad Drive how to find treasure, the documented demo method is to locate the spot with a metal detector, dig out the chest, and use a key on its lock. Bringing all three tools saves a long walk back to your RV.
In a June Steam discussion, players explained that the detector's beeps speed up as you approach the target and change to a higher tone over the spot. One player who initially dug without finding anything later reported success after noticing that changing signal. These are demo player experiences, rather than a promise that every later build behaves identically.
Pack a Detector, Shovel, and Key
Before leaving your vehicle, check that you have:
- A metal detector to locate buried treasure.
- A shovel to uncover the chest.
- A chest key to open its lock after excavation.
The older demo footage shows players carrying these items separately. Park nearby when possible, then leave the detector at the strongest signal as a marker while you retrieve the shovel. That approach comes directly from the community discussion; it avoids losing the spot while juggling tools.
Keep the key accessible in your vehicle instead of burying it beneath other supplies. Finding a chest and finding the equipment to open it are separate parts of the task.
Follow the Beeps and Expose the Chest
Use this sequence from the documented demo reports:
- Carry the detector around the area you are searching.
- Compare the signal as you move. Narrow your search toward faster beeping, then the higher tone reported over the target.
- Mark that position by placing the detector there.
- Retrieve the shovel and dig at the marked spot until the chest is exposed.
- Bring the key to the chest and interact with the lock itself.
The lock matters. In a recorded co-op demo session, the players initially kept receiving a key warning before realizing they needed to target the actual lock. Their narrated session then describes opening the chest.
Do not treat a faint beep as proof that you are standing directly over the chest. The Steam thread includes a player who needed to adjust their position before the excavation worked. Another report describes a chest partially sticking out of the ground, showing that older demo behavior could be inconsistent.
Common Chests, Rare Chests, and Version Changes
Demo objectives distinguish common and rare chests. A separate demo playthrough describes finding a golden key before opening a rare chest, so keep different keys rather than assuming every key opens every lock. That single run does not establish a guaranteed rare-chest location or reward table.
The official Nomad Drive update history also records a June fix preventing buried chests, lids, and locks from being used before excavation was complete. If an older video appears to open a chest while it is still buried, that is not a reliable shortcut for an updated build.
The developer replaced the earlier demo before Early Access and warned that its old saves were incompatible. The search method here is grounded in the documented demo, without claiming personal testing of the replacement demo or a universal spawn pattern.
FAQ
Do I need a metal detector to find treasure?
The documented demo method uses one to locate the buried chest before digging. Searching only with a shovel gives you no comparable signal to follow.
What if the detector beeps but I cannot find a chest?
Recheck your position and the signal change. A player in the Steam discussion reported success after recognizing the faster beeps; a beep somewhere in the area was not enough for that attempt.
Why does the chest still say it needs a key?
Make sure the chest is fully exposed and target its lock. Demo footage shows confusion from interacting with the chest without targeting the lock. Different chest and key types also appear in demo material.
Does a rare chest guarantee valuable loot?
No guaranteed reward list is established by these sources. One demo player opened a rare chest and described a license plate inside; that is a single reported outcome.