You’re wandering through the decaying, Stardust-polluted ruins of Iron River when you stumble across a flickering shadow. It’s not an enemy. It’s not a chest. It’s a memory. Specifically, it's the start of the Once Human We Were Here quest, a side mission that has left more than a few players scratching their heads and staring blankly at their map markers. Honestly, it’s one of those tasks that reminds you why Starry Studio’s post-apocalyptic world is so compelling—and occasionally frustrating.
The game doesn't hold your hand.
💡 You might also like: FNAF at Chuck E. Cheese: Why Fans Can’t Stop Comparing Them
It expects you to pay attention to environmental cues that most modern RPGs would just highlight with a massive neon arrow. If you've been running circles around the Rippleby Market or the surrounding docks trying to figure out why the quest marker seems to be lying to you, you aren't alone. This isn't just a "go here, kill that" objective. It’s a puzzle of perspective.
The Frustration of the Rippleby Market
The quest kicks off in the Rippleby region. Most players trigger it while scavenging for crates or trying to clear the Rift Anchor in the area. You find a small, glowing trail—a ghostly echo of two children. This is the "We Were Here" part. It’s a bittersweet narrative beat in a world filled with body horror and eldritch nightmares. But sentimentality doesn't finish quests.
The immediate problem is the verticality. Rippleby is a mess of shipping containers, half-sunken boardwalks, and multi-story buildings. The quest tracker in Once Human can be notoriously finicky when it comes to elevation. It might tell you you’re standing right on top of the objective, but if you’re on the ground floor and the "memory" is on the roof, you’ll see nothing.
How to actually find the first shadow
You need to look for the swings. Near the residential area of Rippleby, there’s a small, dilapidated playground. You'll see the spectral forms of the children again. The game wants you to follow them, but they disappear quickly. This isn't a footrace. It’s a trail of breadcrumbs. If you lose the trail, look for the "Inspect" prompt on the ground. It usually appears as a small, golden glint.
One thing people get wrong? They think the quest is bugged because the children don't move. Often, you have to clear the immediate area of Rosetta soldiers or those annoying winged Deviants before the next script trigger activates. The game won't let the "memory" proceed if you're technically "in combat," even if the enemy is fifty yards away behind a wall.
Once Human We Were Here: The Map Location Mystery
After the initial interaction in Rippleby, the quest sends you toward a specific house. This is where the real confusion starts. The map marker points to a location that looks like a standard lootable house, but the entrance is often blocked or requires you to approach from a specific angle—usually the balcony.
👉 See also: Wordle Answer July 21: Why Today’s Solution Is Messing With Your Streak
Let’s talk about the photo.
During the quest, you’ll find a photograph. In Once Human, photographs are almost always a hint for a hidden treasure or a specific location you need to visit to trigger the next phase of a side story. The photo in "We Were Here" shows a view of the water and some red buildings.
- Go to the coordinates (roughly) 5732, -3194.
- Look for the house with the red roof.
- Don't just run inside; check the porch.
There’s a small doll. Picking up this doll is the actual trigger for the final stage. If you just run through the house looking for a boss or a chest, you’ll miss it. It’s tucked away in a corner that looks like decorative clutter.
Dealing with the Level Gap
A lot of players stumble into this quest around level 25. That’s fine, but the area around the final objective can sometimes spawn level 30+ mobs, especially if a public event is triggering nearby. If you’re under-leveled, don't try to fight your way through. Use your motorbike to kite the enemies away, then circle back. Stealth is actually viable here.
Why the "Echo" Mechanics Matter
Once Human uses these "echo" quests—like "We Were Here" and the "Boy Just Wanted To Play" chain—to world-build. They’re basically the game's version of audio logs, but visual. The "Once Human We Were Here" quest specifically highlights the tragedy of the Stardust catastrophe from the eyes of those who couldn't fight back.
From a gameplay perspective, finishing these is the fastest way to earn Energy Links and Stellar Planula. If you’re trying to max out your blueprints or buy specialized seeds from the vendors in Meyer’s Market, you need every bit of Planula you can get. This quest is a "low effort, high reward" task once you actually know where the triggers are.
Common Bugs and Fixes
Is the quest actually broken? Sometimes.
If the shadows aren't appearing at the playground in Rippleby, the most common fix is the oldest trick in the book: relogging. Because Once Human is a persistent world MMO, sometimes the "instance" of a quest trigger gets stuck if another player just completed it.
- Log out to the character select screen.
- Change your "World" at a Teleportation Tower. If you’re on World 1, jump to World 10. This refreshes the entity spawns in the area.
- Check your inventory for the quest item "Old Photo." If you have it, the shadows might not appear because you've already moved to the next step without realizing it.
The Actionable Path to Completion
Stop wandering aimlessly. If you want to clear this out of your quest log right now, follow these steps.
First, head to the Rippleby Market and locate the playground on the western side of the town. Look for the glowing gold sparkles on the ground near the swings. Interact with them.
Second, follow the trail toward the docks. You’ll see the children’s ghosts again near some shipping containers. You must stand exactly where they were standing for the "Investigate" prompt to appear.
Third, move to the residential house located on the outskirts (follow the quest marker now, it should be more accurate). Instead of clearing the whole house, go straight to the back bedroom on the second floor. Look for the small, interactable object on the floor next to the bed. It’s easy to miss against the rug texture.
Finally, return to the quest giver—or in some cases, the final "memory" spot—to witness the end of the story. You’ll get your XP, your Energy Links, and likely some furniture blueprints.
🔗 Read more: The Fortnite Battle Pass Leak That Actually Changed How We Play
The trick to Once Human We Were Here is realizing it’s a story quest disguised as a scavenger hunt. Slow down, look for the gold glints, and keep your eyes off the mini-map and on the actual world environment. That’s where the answers are hidden.
Check your "Missions" tab in the inventory. If the "We Were Here" item is there, read the description. It often gives a coordinate or a landmark name that isn't highlighted on the main map until you're within 50 meters of it. If you've finished this, head over to the Blackfell region; there's a similar quest chain there that offers even better rewards but requires a much higher Gear Score to survive the trek.