Black Friday Janitor Color Sorting Guide

Patch v1.0.4 changed how affected product color variants are generated in Black Friday Janitor. The important phrase is new runs: existing saves keep the colors that were already assigned when that run was generated.

That means color advice has to be version-aware. A shelf that looks uneven in an older save may still be completely valid.

What changed in v1.0.4?

The developer’s example used a 12-item group.

Before the update, a group might have generated as:

• 5 red;
• 4 green;
• 3 blue.

In a newly created v1.0.4-or-later run, the same size group can generate evenly:

• 4 red;
• 4 green;
• 4 blue.

The intent is visual consistency for items that come in multiple colors.

The patch note does not say that every product has multiple color variants or that every shelf uses the same total count.

Does the change modify an old save?

No.

Existing saves keep their original generated colors. Updating the game does not reshuffle an established run.

This creates two valid experiences:

Do not restart a long completion file only because an older shelf cannot form perfectly even color rows.

How v1.0.5 changes shelf placement

Patch v1.0.5 adds another version-sensitive detail: items are now placed back-to-front on shelves unless the item has multiple colors.

That means old videos and screenshots may show a different normal placement order from the current build.

For multi-color items, the exception matters because arranging colors can require a different placement pattern.

The wiki therefore separates:

• product destination — where the item belongs;
• placement order — how the game fills the shelf;
• color arrangement — how you choose to group variants visually.

Those are related, but they are not the same rule.

Does color prove where an item belongs?

No.

Color can help organize variants after the product family is known. It should not be used as the primary evidence for:

• which store owns an unknown item;
• which shelf family is correct;
• whether two visually similar products are the same item;
• whether a product belongs to a neighboring store.

Use store context, shelf labels and reproducible placement evidence first.

The organization guide explains the local uncertainty queue for ambiguous products.

What about shared items between stores?

v1.0.4 says there are a few items shared across stores. The same patch makes Gather much less likely to pull from another store.

That tells us store context is useful but not absolute.

If two stores can share an item, color cannot reliably identify the store either. Keep the product near the area where it was found until shelf context resolves the ambiguity.

Should you make a new save for even colors?

Use your goal, not aesthetics alone.

Keep the existing save if:

• you are far into a completion run;
• achievements/progress matter more than perfectly even shelves;
• the current color distribution is only a visual issue;
• you do not want to repeat thousands of tasks.

Start a new run if:

• you specifically want even color generation from the beginning;
• you are testing v1.0.4 behavior;
• you want to compare old/new generation rules;
• you are near the beginning anyway.

The update does not make old saves invalid.

How to test a color group properly

For a useful comparison, record:

One screenshot of a neat shelf is not enough to prove a generation rule across the game.

Common color-sorting mistakes

Assuming symmetry means correctness

A perfectly balanced shelf can still contain the wrong product.

Assuming asymmetry means an old save is broken

Pre-v1.0.4 assignments can legitimately remain uneven.

Restarting without checking save age

The even-color change only affects new generation.

Using color to solve store identity

Shared items make that unreliable.

Copying an old video’s placement order

v1.0.5 changed normal shelf placement behavior.

Evidence and limitations

Developer-confirmed: v1.0.4 even color distribution for affected items in new runs; old saves retain original colors; a few items are shared across stores; Gather cross-store selection was reduced. Developer-confirmed in v1.0.5: normal shelf placement is back-to-front unless the item has multiple colors. Not established: a universal shelf count for every product, a complete list of affected multi-color items or a color rule that identifies store ownership.

Sources: official Steam Community updates, patch history and the organization guide.