The most critical doppelganger signs in Not A Customer are physical distortions like misplaced features or extra fingers, illogical shopping items that defy physics or common sense, and repetitive behavioral loops, such as getting stuck on a single animation. Mastering these tells is the only way to survive your shift. This guide breaks down every single anomaly reported by the Anomaly Detection Department (ADD) so you can spot the fakes and avoid a penalty—or worse.
Your job at the unnamed grocery store is simple: watch the customers and report any that aren't quite right. The challenge is that the doppelgangers are masters of mimicry. They look, sound, and act almost human. Almost. Success hinges on observing the minute details that betray their facade. One wrong call brings you closer to termination.
The Telltale Behavioral Quirks
Before you even get close enough to check for physical flaws, a doppelganger's behavior will often give it away. These entities are imperfect mimics, and their programming can fray at the edges, resulting in strange, unsettling patterns of movement and interaction.
Looping and Pathing Errors
The most common behavioral red flag is looping. A doppelganger might walk the same ten-foot stretch of an aisle for minutes on end, picking up and putting down the same can of beans. Or they might get stuck on a corner, walking into it repeatedly without changing direction. This is a classic pathing AI error.
Another sign is a sudden, jarring change in speed. A customer might be walking at a normal pace and then suddenly snap into a dead sprint for three feet before resuming their leisurely stroll. Real customers have smooth acceleration and deceleration; doppelgangers often don't. They might also clip through objects momentarily, their foot sinking into the floor for a split second.
Unnatural Speech and Sound
If you get close enough to a suspected doppelganger, listen carefully. Many of them are completely silent, never uttering a word or making a sound. Others might emit garbled, nonsensical speech that sounds like a radio tuned between stations. Sometimes they will perfectly mimic a phrase they heard from another customer, but repeat it out of context, like whispering "Price check on aisle three" in the middle of the freezer section.
Pay attention to their footsteps. Some of the more dangerous variants have mismatched or absent footstep sounds. A heavy-set character might make no noise at all, gliding silently across the linoleum, while a smaller one might have booming, echoing steps. If what you hear doesn't match what you see, be prepared to call it in.
Aversion to Specific Objects and Areas
Doppelgangers have strange aversions. The most well-known is their inability to properly look at their own reflection. This is the basis for the Aisle 4 Mirror Test. They will actively avoid walking past reflective surfaces or will turn their head away at the last second. Some are also repelled by specific brands or items, often religious symbols left by previous employees or items with strong emotional resonance. The most common is the "Brand X" detergent in Aisle 7; doppelgangers will often maintain a wide berth, sometimes by a comical margin, refusing to enter the aisle if a bottle is visible.
Not A Customer in-game screenshot
Physical Red Flags You Can't Ignore
Once you've flagged a customer for suspicious behavior, a closer inspection is required to spot the physical anomalies that confirm their identity. These range from the subtle to the grotesquely obvious.
Subtle Facial and Limb Distortions
This is where most new employees slip up. You aren't looking for monsters; you're looking for mistakes. Common physical tells include:
- Asymmetrical Features: One eye slightly larger than the other, an ear placed too low, a nostril that's just a smooth patch of skin.
- Incorrect Proportions: Fingers that are too long or too short, a neck that is unnaturally elongated, limbs that bend at the wrong angle.
- Extra or Missing Parts: The infamous six-fingered hand is a dead giveaway. Also look for missing ears, noses, or even entire limbs that the doppelganger's glamour fails to conceal.
- Unstable Features: Sometimes, their appearance isn't static. An eye might drift across their face, or their mouth might momentarily disappear. These "glitches" are definitive proof.
The "Too Perfect" Appearance
Paradoxically, sometimes the anomaly is perfection. A doppelganger might have perfectly symmetrical features, skin with no pores or blemishes, and clothes that have no wrinkles or folds. They look less like a person and more like a 3D model that hasn't been fully rendered with textures. This unnatural smoothness is just as much a red flag as a grotesque distortion. Humans are flawed and messy; doppelgangers can be unnervingly clean.
Not A Customer in-game screenshot
Eye and Reflection Anomalies
Eyes are the windows to the soul, or in this case, the lack thereof. A doppelganger's eyes are often a major tell. They might be a solid, unnatural color with no pupil, or their pupils might be shaped incorrectly (slits, squares). A key sign is a lack of blinking. They will stare, unblinking, for an uncomfortable length of time.
Most importantly, their eyes sometimes have a strange, internal glow, like a cat's eye in the dark, even under the bright fluorescent lights of the store. This is especially noticeable on the security cameras. If you see a customer whose eyes shine back at the camera, you've found one.
Analyzing the Shopping Cart for Clues
A doppelganger's flawed understanding of humanity extends to its shopping habits. Their carts are often a treasure trove of evidence, filled with items that no sane person would ever buy together.
Illogical Item Combinations
This is the most common cart-based anomaly. A real customer might buy milk, bread, and eggs. A doppelganger might buy ten kilograms of raw coffee beans, a single left shoe, and a car battery. Look for combinations that have no logical purpose. Why would someone buy three dozen lightbulbs and a single jar of mayonnaise? They wouldn't. This isn't just eccentric shopping; it's a sign of a non-human entity trying to follow a flawed script of "how to be a customer."
Impossible Quantities or Glitched Items
Sometimes the items themselves are the anomaly. A doppelganger's cart might contain objects that don't actually exist in the store's inventory, like a can of "Brandless Meat Substance" or a milk carton with glitched, unreadable text. They might also have impossible quantities of an item, like 50 watermelons crammed into a standard shopping cart. The physics just don't add up. If you see a cart that seems to defy gravity or contains items you've never seen before, you're dealing with a doppelganger.
Not A Customer in-game screenshot
How to Confirm Your Suspicions
Once you have a strong suspicion, you need to confirm it before making the call. Reporting a real human has serious consequences. Use the tools at your disposal to gather undeniable proof.
Step 1: The Aisle 4 Mirror Test
The most reliable tool is the large, convex security mirror at the end of Aisle 4. As mentioned, doppelgangers are averse to their own reflections. Lure or follow the suspect towards this mirror. A human will either ignore it or glance at it normally. A doppelganger will exhibit one of three behaviors:
- Aversion: They will physically recoil or change their path to avoid seeing their reflection.
- Distortion: Their reflection in the mirror will be monstrously distorted or completely different from their physical appearance.
- Absence: They will have no reflection at all. This is the rarest but most definitive sign.
Step 2: The Security Room Playback
Head to the security office in the back. Pull up the camera feeds and rewind the footage to watch the suspect's entrance. Doppelgangers often spawn inside the store rather than walking in through the front doors. If you can prove they appeared from thin air between camera zones, your case is closed. The playback might also reveal micro-expressions or glitches in their form that are too fast to see in real-time. Look for moments where their face flickers or their body briefly contorts.
Step 3: Triggering a Response with Banned Items
As a last resort, you can use a "banned" item to force a reaction. These are items left behind by the ADD that are known to disrupt a doppelganger's facade. The most common is the small, silver bell kept under the register at checkout lane 3. Ringing it near a suspect can cause them to freeze, glitch violently, or even become hostile. This is a high-risk, high-reward maneuver. Only attempt it when you are absolutely certain and ready to make the call immediately after.
Not A Customer in-game screenshot
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I report a real customer by mistake? Reporting a real human results in a formal penalty. Your pay is docked for the shift, and your employee record is marked. Three penalties, and you are terminated. This is why confirmation is so important.
Do all doppelgangers look the same? No. There are several documented types. Some are crude mimics with obvious flaws ("Glitches"), while others are nearly perfect copies of real people ("Echoes"). The signs in this guide apply to all known variants, but the subtlety varies.
Can doppelgangers use coupons or have loyalty cards? Yes, and this is a common trap. A doppelganger might present a flawless-looking loyalty card or a valid coupon to appear normal. However, when scanned, these items will almost always produce a system error or register as "NULL_DATA" on your screen. This is a late-stage sign you can catch at the checkout.
Are doppelgangers always hostile? Not always. Most are passive and will simply continue their loop until caught. However, certain types, especially those exposed by a banned item or confronted directly, can become aggressive. Never corner a suspect. Observe from a distance, confirm, and report.
Final Checkout
Surviving your shift in Not A Customer is a game of meticulous observation. The doppelgangers are designed to prey on your inattention. By memorizing these signs—behavioral, physical, and contextual—you can turn the tables. Trust your gut, but always verify your suspicions with the tools provided. Check the reflections, review the tapes, and analyze the carts. The details will save your life. Stay sharp.