How to Get Companions, CGs, and Key Items in The Adventures of HILLS
Hills grows her circle through daily visits, story flags, and tactical victories — not experience levels. This guide lists the most important acquisitions in order, from opening-week companions in the Slums to Micoco's reunion scenes and crisis-era key items required for the true ending.
Early Companions and Lodging Registration
Your first days in Gadola center on survival and trust. After the tutorial in Day 1–5, Hills gains access to shared lodging where companions must be formally registered before their routes advance. Visit the lodging manager each time a new character joins; unregistered companions still appear in scenes but cannot contribute passive abilities in tactical fights or unlock their CG chains.
Prioritize companions tied to the Market District and Slums before spending action points on optional nobles. Market companions often grant trade discounts and puzzle hints; Slums companions improve bad-event recovery and expose hidden job boards. Do not leave the Slums unvisited for three consecutive days early on — several introduction events expire quietly and require reloads from Save Points documented in our walkthrough.
On your first playthrough, aim for at least three registered companions before the mid-game conspiracy chapter. That count unlocks the group strategy table in tactical combat and opens combo abilities referenced on Companion Abilities.
Micoco, Returning Faces, and Sequel Bonuses
Micoco returns as a standalone sequel callback — not a mandatory escort. Her scenes unlock through a mix of main-story progress and optional exploration in Hidden Locations tied to MICOCO landmarks reimagined in Gadola. You do not need prequel save data; Steam does not gate content behind franchise ownership. See Micoco Connection for tone and timeline notes without spoilers.
Micoco's companion route grants tactical support abilities strong against crowd-control enemies and puzzle shortcuts in tentacle-adjacent hazard rooms — a deliberate nod to the prequel's memorable set pieces. Her CG gallery entries split between story-mandatory scenes and high-trust optional evenings. Missing an optional evening does not block the main ending, but it does block specific achievements listed on Missables.
Deluxe edition purchasers receive digital artbook content documented on Deluxe Edition Items. The artbook does not unlock in-game scenes by itself, but it labels several CG unlock conditions that the base game never spells out.
Key Items for Endings and Crisis Events
True ending preparation begins mid-game, not at the finale. Key items include forged market permits, smuggled ledger pages from the Noble Quarter, and companion-specific tokens earned only after tactical victories with that companion present. Our Key Items index lists every story-critical object; this guide focuses on acquisition order.
Obtain the market permit before the first Noble Quarter banquet scene. Without it, Hills can still attend but loses a dialogue branch that later saves action points during the crisis countdown. Smuggled ledger pages come from a three-step clue chain in the Slums — start the chain as soon as the night market unlocks, not after Micoco's reunion.
Crisis-era items appear only after the countdown begins. Do not consume or trade quest-flagged consumables during the late game; the game warns for some, but not all. Check Requirements Checklist before selling inventory at market stalls.
CG Gallery and Achievement-Linked Scenes
The Adventures of HILLS tracks CG unlocks in a gallery separate from Steam achievements, but the two lists overlap heavily. Positive companion endings, bad-event recovery scenes, and true-ending epilogues each map to one or more achievements on All 25 Achievements. Neutral story scenes do not.
Gallery completion requires viewing both good and bad outcomes for certain risky NPCs — a design choice that rewards cautious players but punishes perfectionists who never trigger a bad event. Use a dedicated save slot before risky Noble Quarter appointments if you want the gallery entry without risking run failure. Details in How to Protect.
Some CGs require winning specific tactical encounters without losing a companion's morale. Morale is hidden until mid-game; our Boss Strategies page notes which fights affect it.
Shopping, Consumables, and Daily Rewards
Gadola's economy runs on daily income from jobs Hills accepts on the city board. Early consumables — antidotes, smoke bombs for escape, and morale snacks — should be bought before cosmetic items. The Market District shop inventory rotates; check back after main-story milestones for new tactical items referenced in All Items.
Job rewards scale with registered companion count. Register companions early even if you do not use them in combat that day. Free exploration days with no story marker are ideal for grinding job income to afford deluxe tactical gear before the crisis chapter doubles encounter difficulty.
This guide was last updated in June 2026 following launch-week confirmation of companion registration rules and deluxe edition SKU contents on Steam.
District-Specific Companion Introductions
Companions cluster by district affinity. Market companions excel at economic events — trade discounts, extra job payouts, and puzzle hints tied to ledger mechanics. Slums companions excel at survival events — exposure recovery, escort strength, and night-market access shortcuts. Noble Quarter companions arrive later and gate high-society scenes rather than early tactical power.
When a companion introduction scene fires, complete their registration the same day if lodging access is available. Delayed registration does not always block story, but it delays passive ability activation by one or more days, which cascades into missed evening windows during Early Game's tight schedule.
Cross-district companions exist — characters met in the Market who later appear in Slums night scenes. Track journal relationship tabs; a companion marked "unavailable today" is often scheduled in another district during a different time block rather than truly unreachable.
Income Scaling and Spend Priorities
Money in Gadola funds consumables first, tactical gear second, and cosmetic lodging upgrades last during a first playthrough. Job board payouts scale with registered companion count and story chapter. Accepting every job is unnecessary; accepting zero jobs starves you of clue items tied to delivery chains.
Spend thresholds worth memorizing: maintain enough cash for two smoke bombs and three antidotes entering mid-game banquets; maintain enough for lodging recovery fees if a bad event occurs; avoid zero-balance nights before crisis week when shop access narrows. Full item prices and names live on All Items.
Repeat job types after chapter transitions sometimes grant new clue drops — revisit job board after Micoco reunion and again before crisis countdown activation even if earlier jobs feel redundant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many companions can I register?
The roster expands through story progress. Register every joiner at lodging immediately to avoid silent route blocks.
Is Micoco mandatory for the true ending?
Micoco is important for optimal tactics and several CGs, but the true ending checklist focuses on key items and companion trust totals, not a single character.
Can I miss companions permanently?
Some optional introductions expire if ignored for too many days. Reload from an earlier save or use the save point guide to recover.
Do bad event CGs count for 100%?
Yes. The gallery and several achievements require seeing both safe and risky outcomes.
What does the deluxe edition add in-game?
Primarily artbook and bonus digital content. See Deluxe Edition Items for any launch promotional consumables.
When should I start the true ending item hunt?
Begin at mid-game when the Noble Quarter opens. Waiting until the countdown leaves insufficient action points.