Forever Ago Pumpkins Location — Karl's Pump 'N' Mart

If you're stuck hunting for the forever ago pumpkins location, you're not alone — the gas station chapter sends you through a packed convenience store with three mandatory items, and the pumpkin display is easy to miss on a first pass. The good news: everything you need sits inside Karl's Pump 'N' Mart, the roadside stop early in Alfred's road trip in Forever Ago, the narrative adventure from developer Third Shift and publisher Annapurna Interactive.

This guide breaks down exactly where the forever ago pumpkins location sits in the store, what else you need to grab while you're there, and how the chapter's nightmare sequence and campsite stop play out afterward.

Check out beginner guide for more details.

What Happens at Karl's Pump 'N' Mart

Karl's Pump 'N' Mart is the second major stop in Forever Ago, following the Woolson Falls prologue where you learn the camera controls as young Audrey. Once the story jumps forward and Alfred begins his road trip north, the van pulls into this gas station so you can stock up on supplies.

The chapter is a short shopping sequence with a supernatural detour. You walk the aisles, grab three specific items, pay the clerk (Milton), and then get yanked into a nightmare flashback before the scene resolves. It's one of the game's gentler puzzle sections — there's no timer and nothing can be permanently missed — but the store layout isn't labeled, so players routinely wander the aisles looking for the last item on the list.

That's usually when the pumpkin question comes up. The store's branding leans heavily on autumn imagery, and the shelves are crowded with props you can zoom in on with Alfred's instant camera, so it's natural to assume the pumpkins are a required pickup. They aren't — but they're still worth knowing about.

Forever Ago Pumpkins Location: Where to Find Them

Here's the short answer: the pumpkins in Forever Ago are part of Karl's Pump 'N' Mart itself, not a separate collectible. The mart's signage and exterior branding use pumpkin imagery, and the store's shelves are stocked with seasonal goods you can inspect. The pumpkin motif shows up in the store's name and visual identity, which is why so many players search for a dedicated pumpkin location.

Where to Look Inside the Store

Based on the walkthrough documentation from Into Indie Games, the three mandatory purchases are the windshield wipers, the cookies, and the road atlas. The pumpkin display is scenery — you can point your camera at it and snap a photo, but it won't advance any objective.

If You're Looking for a Photo Op

Alfred's camera is the core mechanic of Forever Ago, and up to twelve photos can be held per chapter before you file them in the journal. If you're chasing the pumpkin display for a photo rather than an item, take the shot before you pay Milton — the cutscene triggers at the counter and moves the chapter forward.

Step-by-Step: Completing Karl's Pump 'N' Mart

Follow this order and you won't have to backtrack:

1. Enter the mart and talk to Milton at the counter. He explains what you're shopping for.
2. Grab a red basket from the stack on your left.
3. Head right and walk to the very end of the aisle for the windshield wipers.
4. Turn around and go straight to the opposite side of the store for the cookies.
5. Find the toilet paper section — the road atlas hangs nearby, along with an old photo you can inspect.
6. Return to the counter and pay Milton to trigger the cutscene.

That's the whole shopping list. The pumpkin display doesn't gate anything, so if you've been circling the store looking for a pumpkin pickup prompt, you can stop — it doesn't exist.

The Nightmare Sequence After Checkout

Paying Milton doesn't end the chapter. A cutscene drops you into a memory sequence, and when it finishes you're back inside the mart as your younger self — except the store has turned into a nightmare version of itself.

The path here is strictly linear:

• Walk straight ahead through the door
• Climb the stairs
• Keep moving until the nightmare ends

There's nothing to collect and no way to get lost. Once the sequence resolves, you return to the present, take out your wallet, and pay Milton for real.

Community reports describe this as one of the easier nightmare sections in the game — the later ones at the Buccaneers' Retreat and Williamina Peak are longer and more disorienting.

Campsite Stop: Filing Your Photos

After the mart, Alfred rests at a campsite. This is your first real opportunity to organize the album, and it's worth doing rather than hoarding shots.

If you skipped photographing things at Woolson Falls, you can still shoot freely here. The camera stays in your inventory for the entire road trip, and there's no penalty for taking extra pictures — only the twelve-per-chapter cap matters.

Common Mistakes at the Gas Station

A few things trip players up on their first visit:

• Assuming the pumpkins are a quest item. They're set dressing. The objective list is wipers, cookies, and atlas only.
• Leaving the store before paying. The chapter won't advance until you check out with Milton.
• Skipping the old photo near the toilet paper. It's optional, but it's one of the small environmental details the game rewards you for noticing.
• Rushing past the basket. You need the red basket before the items register as purchased.

None of these are game-breaking — Forever Ago is a forgiving narrative adventure with no fail states at this location — but they'll cost you time.

How This Chapter Fits the Bigger Road Trip

Karl's Pump 'N' Mart sets the rhythm for the rest of Forever Ago: arrive somewhere ordinary, complete a short task list from Audrey's journal, then slip into a memory sequence. The same loop repeats at the Highway Star Diner, Captain Marley's resort, Winslow Lighthouse, and Williamina Peak.

According to the review coverage at Hardcore Gamer, the game's interaction density is deliberately light — most stops revolve around finding a handful of objects and photographing scenery. That means if you're stuck at the mart, you're not missing a hidden mechanic; you're probably just overlooking one of the three items on the list.

Forever Ago released on October 8, 2026 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. You can find the official listing on the game's Steam page.

Quick Reference: Karl's Pump 'N' Mart Checklist