Let's be honest. Nobody actually likes the hidden Cappy hunt the first time they do it. You've just arrived in Nuka-World, you're dodging automated turrets, and suddenly this colorful NPC named Sierra Petrovita—who fans might remember from the Girdershade quest in Fallout 3—hands you a pair of goofy glasses and tells you to go find some drawings. It sounds simple. It is not. Finding Cappy in a Haystack Fallout 4 is less of a quest and more of a test of your patience and your ability to squint at textures that were never meant to be stared at for this long.
Sierra is obsessed. She's the world’s biggest Nuka-Cola fan, and she wants access to the office of John-Caleb Bradberton, the creator of the drink. To get there, you need a code. To get the code, you have to find ten hidden Cappy illustrations scattered across the various themed parks of Nuka-World.
The catch? You have to wear the "Cappy Glasses." These things are hideous. They have a tinted filter that makes the already radioactive wasteland look even more washed out. If you don't wear them, you can't see the codes. If you do wear them, your armor rating probably drops because you've unequipped your high-tier helmet just to look at wall art. It’s a classic Bethesda design choice: slightly annoying, deeply immersive, and rewarding if you stick it out.
Why the Cappy Search is More Than Just a Fetch Quest
Most players treat this as a chore to get to the "real" rewards. They aren't wrong. The rewards at the end of the line are some of the most unique in the game, specifically the Nuka-World jumpsuit or a very special, very weird weapon. But there is a narrative weight here that people often miss. John-Caleb Bradberton wasn't just a businessman; he was a man terrified of death, and the lengths he went to for immortality are gruesome.
The quest forces you to see the park through the eyes of the marketing team. These Cappys aren't just randomly placed. They are usually tucked away in areas that highlight the "magic" of the pre-war corporate machine. It’s a cynical look at how much control Nuka-Cola had over people's lives.
Starting the Hunt in Galactic Zone
Most people head to the Galactic Zone first. It makes sense; it's shiny. The first Cappy is usually found near the Star Control center, specifically on a wall near the ramp leading up to the Starport. You have to get the angle right. If you’re standing too far back, the prompt to "record" the code won't pop up. It’s finicky.
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Another one in this zone is tucked away near the Spacewalk. You’ll find it on a wall near the entrance to the RobCo Battlezone. It’s easy to miss because there are sentry bots trying to turn you into a puddle of goo every five seconds. Take the bots out first. Trust me.
Navigating the Labyrinth of Safari Adventure
Safari Adventure is a nightmare of overgrown hedges and Gatorclaws. Finding the Cappy here feels particularly cruel because the greenery hides everything. You’ll find one hidden behind a giant gorilla statue near the entrance of the Primal Pass. It’s almost like the developers knew you’d be looking at the ground for loot instead of looking at the scenery.
There’s another one inside the hedge maze. Honestly, just stay to the right. If you keep your hand on the right-hand "wall" of the maze, you’ll eventually stumble upon the Cappy painted on a stone wall. If you get turned around, just jetpack out. Seriously, if you have a Power Armor jetpack, use it. It saves ten minutes of frustration.
The Dry Rock Gulch Dead Ends
Dry Rock Gulch is actually the easiest area for this quest, mostly because the sightlines are clearer. One Cappy is located on the back of a gravestone in the cemetery area. It’s a bit morbid for a cartoon mascot, but that’s Fallout for you. Another is on the wall of a building near Mad Mulligan’s Mine. It’s bright, it’s yellow, and it stands out against the dusty orange of the desert theme.
The World of Refreshment and Kiddie Kingdom
The World of Refreshment is basically a giant indoor river. You’ll find the Cappy here on a wall inside the plant, usually near the beginning of the "river" ride. It’s one of the few that doesn't require a lot of climbing.
Kiddie Kingdom, however, is a different story. Everything is covered in neon paint and radioactive fog. The first Cappy is in the Funhouse. If you hate the Funhouse—with its spinning floors and hall of mirrors—I have bad news. The Cappy is in the room with the moving walls. You have to time your "record" action between the walls shifting. It’s annoying. The second one is at the top of the clock tower. The view is great, but the climb is a slog.
The Final Push: Bradberton’s Secret
Once you have all ten, you head back to Sierra. She’s thrilled. You go to the office, you input the code, and you discover the horrifying truth. John-Caleb Bradberton is still alive. Sort of. He’s a head attached to a life-support machine. He’s been sitting in the dark for 200 years.
He wants you to kill him.
Sierra wants you to keep him alive so she can talk to him forever.
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This is where the quest gets actually difficult—not because of the search, but because of the choice. If you side with Bradberton and turn off the power, he dies, and you get access to his secret vault. Inside is the Project Cobalt schematics and the Nuka-Nuke Launcher. This thing hits like a freight train. It’s a Fat Man that shoots Nuka-Cola Quantum-infused mini-nukes. It’s arguably the most powerful weapon in the game.
If you side with Sierra, she gives you the Nuka-World Jumpsuit. It’s a unique outfit, sure, but it’s not a nuclear catapult. Most players kill the head. It feels like a mercy anyway.
Tips for a Faster Completion
Don't try to do this quest all at once. If you sit down and say, "I am going to find all ten Cappys right now," you will burn out on Fallout 4 within an hour. Integrate it into your exploration of the parks. When you’re clearing the Galactic Zone for the main quest, keep the Cappy Glasses in your favorites menu. Pop them on whenever you enter a new sub-area.
- Check the corners. Bethesda loves putting these things behind bushes or on the back of pillars.
- Listen for the hum. Some players swear there’s a specific ambient sound when you’re near a code, though it’s faint.
- Use the Jetpack. I cannot stress this enough. Half the frustration of Nuka-World is the verticality. A jetpack turns a five-minute climb into a five-second hop.
- The Glasses Bug. Sometimes the game doesn't register that you're wearing the glasses. If you're staring right at a Cappy and can't record it, unequip and re-equip them.
The Cappy in a Haystack Fallout 4 quest is a weird piece of content. It’s a callback to old-school "collect-a-thon" games, wrapped in a grim story about corporate greed and the fear of death. It forces you to look at the environment in a way the rest of the game doesn't require.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you're currently standing in Nuka-Town, USA, looking at Sierra and wondering if this is worth it, here is how you handle it efficiently:
- Grab the quest early. Don't wait until you've cleared the whole park. Get the glasses immediately so you can find codes while doing other missions.
- Clear the threats first. Don't try to find the Kiddie Kingdom Cappy while glowing ones are hitting you. Clear the zone, then do your "sweep."
- Think like a marketer. The codes are always in places where a kid in 2077 would have been looking. Near rides, near signs, near concessions.
- Prioritize the reward. If you want the biggest boom possible, prepare to side against Sierra. If you're a completionist who wants every unique clothing item, side with her, get the suit, and then—if you're feeling cruel—kill the head anyway for the loot.
Finding every Cappy is a rite of passage for Fallout 4 players. It’s tedious, it’s bright, and it’s a little bit silly. But when you finally launch that first Nuka-Nuke and see the blue mushroom cloud, you’ll realize the headache was probably worth it. Or at least, that’s what the Nuka-Cola Corporation wants you to think.
Go to the Galactic Zone first, get those two easy ones out of the way, and keep your eyes peeled for that creepy smiling bottle. It’s hidden better than you think.