Troubleshooting / ReStory Atari joystick missing

ReStory Atari joystick missing: pre-release workaround

Where the second Atari joystick went in the ReStory playtest, how boxes worked, and the restart workaround players reported. Release status remains unverified.

Still being checked Checked August 7, 2026 Pre-release community workaround; release status unverified Reviewed by ReStory Game Guide editorial team
Short answer

In the pre-release build, a partly opened joystick moved into a box on the right shelf or beside the table. When neither the box nor untouched joystick existed, restarting restored it for multiple players. The same failure has not yet been verified in the release build.

Look for a box before restarting

Picking up the second Atari joystick can make the first one appear to vanish. If you removed at least one screw, the game stores that work in a device box. The usual location is the right shelf; if that space is occupied, check the right side of the table.

If you had not started disassembly, look for the untouched joystick on the shelf instead. The box system is easy to mistake for an inventory failure because the device no longer looks like a joystick.

  1. Close the active teardown view.
  2. Check the right shelf for a labeled or device box.
  3. Check the right side of the work table if the shelf is full.
  4. Open the box and confirm the joystick parts are inside.

When it is probably the bug

The pre-release poster checked those locations and still had no box or joystick. A game restart made the missing item appear, and another player reported the same workaround.

This comes from a pre-release thread. Restart only after checking storage, and do not treat the workaround as a confirmed release-build fix.

Bench questions

Quick answers

Where does ReStory put a partly disassembled device?

It becomes a box, normally on the right shelf or the right side of the table.

Evidence log

Sources checked for this page

  1. Community report
    I'm already stuck on the first day

    Pre-release box locations, screenshots, and the restart workaround.