Complete Progression Guide

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Phase 1: emergency survival

Hook surface debris, build a cup and purifier, then establish fishing/grilling and a few safe foundations. Craft a spear and Building Hammer so the shark cannot quietly remove your entire home. Begin using the Research Table and build at least basic storage.

Phase 2: sustainable raft

Gather reef materials and smelt ore and seaweed. Make better tools, upgrade water production, lay Collection Nets and establish crop plots. Research electronics components from copper, metal and Vine Goo. The goal is a raft that can survive an extended story trip without constant emergency harvesting.

Phase 3: first chapter

Build a Receiver and three Antennas, then complete Radio Tower, Vasagatan and Balboa Island in that order. Collect Tala, Engine and Steering Wheel, power up for currents and activate the three Balboa relays. Gather story blueprints and check the journal after each destination.

Phase 4: second chapter

Sail to Caravan Island to collect charger, zipline and engine-control technology, then Tangaroa for advanced water, storage and utility blueprints. Explore their puzzle chains systematically and recover the next coordinates. You may pause story progression to upgrade your raft and farm necessary resources.

Phase 5: Final Chapter

At Varuna Point, repair spotlights, defeat the Rhino Shark using explosive barrel pillars and retrieve the code to Temperance. At Temperance, solve power and research-facility puzzles to obtain Utopia's code. Finish Utopia by restoring power, solving Detto's clues and defeating Olof's Hyena boss Alpha.

Phase 6: optional completion

After the story, hunt Steam achievements, remaining notes, character unlocks, decorations, rare crafting resources and trading-post upgrades. Strong late-game food and water supply makes return visits far easier. The 104-achievement list is a separate long-term project from finishing the story.

Useful milestones

Pause before a new destination if your raft lacks steady water, meals, charged batteries, a working Receiver, spare weapons or storage room. A few minutes preparing prevents an expensive return journey after reaching a complex puzzle location.

Progression blockers

If no story code appears, revisit the last destination's journal and final room. If Balboa lies against the current, use engines unlocked at Vasagatan. If Caravan routes look unreachable, complete the zipline-parts objective. If Varuna's shark ignores weapon damage, switch to the pillar-and-barrel mechanic. If Selene is locked, finish the key and Blowtorch objectives first.

Step-by-step field checklist

1. Survive on basic drift debris, freshwater and fishing.
2. Research and smelt materials; automate collection with nets.
3. Complete Radio Tower, Vasagatan and Balboa in order.
4. Complete Caravan Island and Tangaroa for improved navigation and infrastructure.
5. Finish Varuna Point, Temperance and Utopia, then return for achievement and collectible cleanup.

What to do if progress stalls

A story code is a pointer to the next mission, not a generic number all players share. Once a chapter is complete, consider upgrading engines, water, weapons and storage before travelling to the next story site.

Preparation and practical takeaway

The full-release route consists of eight main locations across three chapters, so players can use those eight checkpoints to organise saves, blueprints and missed notes.