Raft Beginners Guide
Raft drops you on a 2x2 wooden platform in the middle of an endless ocean. With nothing but a plastic hook, you must gather debris, expand your raft, and survive sharks, hunger, and thirst. This guide covers everything from your first 10 minutes to reaching the final story island.
First 10 Minutes: From 2x2 to 4x4
- Hook everything — Use your default plastic hook to grab every piece of floating debris. Nothing is useless.
- Prioritize these resources first:
| Resource | Minimum Needed | Used For |
| Plastic | 15 | Hook upgrade, purifier, collection nets |
| Wood | 20 | Foundation, walls, tools, cooking |
| Palm Leaf | 10 | Roof, sails, bed |
| Scrap | 5 | Hook upgrade, tools, smelter |
| Rope | 3 (craft from Palm Leaf) | Tools, anchor |
First Crafting Order
| Step | Item | Materials | Why |
| 1 | Plastic Hook | 10 Plastic, 2 Rope | Catch debris 3x faster |
| 2 | Simple Purifier | 5 Plastic, 2 Scrap, 1 Rope | Boil seawater into drinking water |
| 3 | Research Table | 8 Plastic, 4 Scrap, 2 Rope | Unlocks advanced recipes |
| 4 | Collection Net | 8 Plastic, 4 Rope, 2 Scrap | Auto-collects floating debris |
| 5 | Fishing Rod | 5 Wood, 3 Rope | Reliable food source |
| 6 | Grill | 4 Scrap, 4 Wood | Cook fish and potatoes |
| 7 | Smelter | 4 Scrap, 4 Dry Brick, 6 Wood | Smelt metal ore |
Raft Expansion Priority
| Raft Size | Materials | Benefit |
| 2x2 (starter) | None | Barely functional |
| 4x4 | 12 Foundation, 12 Collection Nets | Room for all basics |
| 5x6 | 30 Foundation + nets | Dedicated rooms for crafting, cooking, storage |
| 7x8 | 56 Foundation | Full base with sails, anchor, engine room |
| 10x10+ | 100+ Foundation | Mega-raft with multiple floors |
Tip: Always expand your raft in the direction of the wind (the direction debris floats toward you). Collection nets on the windward side catch everything automatically.
Resource Management
Food & Water Systems
| Need | Depletion Rate | Danger Level |
| Water | Drops ~5% per 3 minutes | Death in ~60 minutes at 0% |
| Food | Drops ~4% per 3 minutes | Death in ~75 minutes at 0% |
| Health | Regens 1 HP/min if fed and hydrated | Full regen in ~7 minutes |
Water Sources
| Source | Water Yield | How to Get |
| Simple Purifier | 1 Cup (~25%) | 3x Seawater + 1 Plank fuel |
| Advanced Purifier | 2 Cups (~40%) | 5x Seawater + 1 Scrap fuel (better efficiency) |
| Coconuts | ~8% water + food | Found on tropical islands |
| Rain (with cup equipped) | Passive | Stand in rain with cup, fills slowly |
Water Tip: Build 2+ Simple Purifiers early. Running out of water is the #1 cause of death for new players.
Food Sources
| Food | Hunger Restored | Water Restored | Preparation |
| Raw Potato | 8 | 0 | Eat raw (inefficient) |
| Baked Potato | 18 | 0 | Cook on grill |
| Raw Beet | 5 | 0 | Eat raw |
| Cooked Beet | 14 | 0 | Cook on grill |
| Raw Fish | 5 | 0 | Eat raw |
| Cooked Fish | 25 | 0 | Cook on grill |
| Raw Shark Meat | 10 | 0 | Can't eat raw (food poisoning) |
| Cooked Shark Meat | 35 | 0 | Cook on grill |
| Coconut (drank + ate) | 5 | ~8 | Consume both parts |
| Drumstick (from birds) | 7 | 0 | Cook on grill |
| Cooked Drumstick | 20 | 0 | Cook on grill |
| Pot of Soup | 50+ | 20+ | Cooking pot + vegetables |
Tip: Cooked fish is your best early food source. A fishing rod catches fish in 5–15 seconds. Cooked fish restores 25 hunger — 3 fish keep you fed for a whole day.
Essential Upgrades in Order
Phase 1: Survival (Day 1–3)
| Upgrade | Why It's Essential |
| Plastic Hook | 3x faster debris collection |
| Simple Purifier x2 | Infinite water supply |
| Collection Net x4 | Auto-collect while you build |
| Research Table | Unlocks all recipes |
| Grill + Smelter | Food and metal processing |
Phase 2: Navigation (Day 3–7)
| Upgrade | Materials | Purpose |
| Receiver | 2 Circuit Board, 5 Metal Ingot, 1 Hinge | Find story islands |
| Antenna x3 | 1 Circuit Board, 4 Scrap, 1 Metal Ingot each | Required for Receiver to work |
| Steering Wheel | 1 Circuit Board, 1 Hinge, 8 Plank | Steer the raft |
| Engine | 6 Metal Ingot, 2 Hinge, 3 Circuit Board | Move against wind |
| Fuel Tank | 4 Metal Ingot, 6 Plank, 1 Hinge | Store engine fuel |
| Large Storage x4 | 12 Plank, 12 Rope | Organize resources |
Receiver Setup: Place the Receiver on the second floor or higher. Place 3 Antennas on the same floor, spaced 4+ blocks apart and with direct sky access (no roof over them).
Phase 3: Fortification (Day 7+)
| Upgrade | Purpose |
| Reinforced Foundation | Prevents Bruce (shark) from breaking your raft |
| Metal Walls + Roof | Protection from birds and waves |
| Paint + Flags | Personalization, landmark visibility |
| Zipline | Quick travel across mega-rafts |
Bruce: The Shark
Bruce is your constant companion — a great white shark that circles your raft and attacks foundations.
Shark Behavior
| Trigger | Response |
| Player in water | Bites for 40 damage in 2 seconds |
| Foundation hit | Destroys 4 hits on wood (1 hit per attack) |
| Metal foundation | Ignores (can't damage) |
| Shark bait in water | Attacks bait for 30 seconds |
Dealing with Bruce
| Strategy | Difficulty | Effectiveness |
| Ignore | Trivial | Low — he'll destroy all wooden foundations |
| Repair | Easy | Medium — repair with hammer between attacks |
| Reinforced foundations | Medium | Very High — Bruce can't damage them |
| Kill Bruce | Medium | High — respawns in 2 minutes, gives 2 Shark Meat |
| Shark bait | Easy | Low — only distracts for 30 seconds |
Pro Tip: Once you have scrap and metal, upgrade all outer foundations to Reinforced. Bruce will never break them, saving you endless repairs.
Island Exploration
Tropical Small Islands
| Resource | Where to Find |
| Palm Tree | Beach (chop for wood + palm leaves) |
| Pineapple | Ground level, tropical plants |
| Watermelon | Ground level, tropical plants |
| Beet Seeds | Underground (shovel required) |
| Potato Seeds | Underground (shovel required) |
| Clay | Beach, underwater |
| Sand | Beach |
| Metal Ore | Underground, rocks |
| Copper Ore | Underground, deeper caves |
| Scrap | Beach, underwater wrecks |
| Rope (nests) | Treetops, bird nests |
Exploration Checklist: - [ ] Bring water (2+ cups) - [ ] Bring food (3+ cooked fish) - [ ] Bring a spear (for boar defense) - [ ] Bring a shovel (dig seeds and clay) - [ ] Bring a hook (grab underwater scrap) - [ ] Loot all crates (maps, notes, headpieces) - [ ] Check all 4 sides of the island
Danger: Boars on large tropical islands charge you. They deal 30 damage. Use the spear and keep distance.
Story Island Locations
1. Radio Tower (First Story Island)
Requirements: Receiver + 3 Antennas Receiving Frequency: Default (start of game) Objective: Climb radio tower, find notes, learn about the world
| Room | Loot | Danger |
| Ground floor | Food, water, notes | None |
| Mid floors | Scrap, metal ore | Looters (hostile NPCs) |
| Top floor | Blueprint: Headpiece, Journal pages | None (climb with care) |
| Rooftop | Zip line to the top | Missing platform (jump required) |
2. Vasagatan (Ship Wreck)
Receiving Frequency: 4141 Objective: Navigate the ship, solve puzzles, reach the bridge
| Floor | Puzzle/Challenge | Loot |
| Hull | Locked doors (crowbar required) | Food, scrap |
| Lower deck | Rats, poisonous water | Blueprint: Metal Detector |
| Mid deck | Hostile NPCs | Ammo, weapons |
| Bridge | Final puzzle | Blueprint: Engine, Fuel Tank |
3. Caravan Island
Receiving Frequency: 5252 Objective: Explore the mountain village, find the zipline network
| Area | Challenge | Loot |
| Lower village | Looters with guns | Ammo, food |
| Mid mountain | Climbing puzzle (ropes) | Blueprint: Zipline |
| Summit | Secret cave | Rare items, notes |
4. Balboa Island
Receiving Frequency: 6363 Objective: Survive the bear-infested island, find lore about the research station
| Area | Danger | Loot |
| Forest | Bears (highest damage enemy) | Honey, berries |
| Cave | Poison spiders | Blueprint: Headlight, fur |
| Research station | Puzzles | Blueprint: Advanced Purifier |
5. Tangaroa (Underwater City)
Receiving Frequency: 7474 Objective: Explore the flooded city, solve water puzzles, collect lore
| Area | Challenge | Loot |
| Streets | Flooded, oxygen timer | Scrap, food |
| Buildings | Locked doors, keycards | Blueprint: Fuel Pipe |
| Control room | Water level puzzle | Final story reveal |
6. Utopia (Final Destination)
Receiving Frequency: Complete all previous islands Objective: Endgame area, final confrontation
Crafting Progression Table
| Milestone | New Unlocks | Materials Needed |
| Research Table placed | All basic recipes | 8 Plastic, 4 Scrap, 2 Rope |
| Smelter built | Metal Ingot, Glass, Nails | 4 Scrap, 4 Dry Brick, 6 Wood |
| Receiver built | Navigation interface | 2 Circuit Board, 5 Metal Ingot, 1 Hinge |
| Engine built | Powered movement | 6 Metal Ingot, 2 Hinge, 3 Circuit Board |
| Biofuel Refiner built | Engine fuel from food | 8 Plastic, 6 Scrap, 2 Circuit Board |
| Electric Purifier built | Efficient water | 4 Circuit Board, 6 Metal Ingot, 2 Glass |
| Advanced Smelter built | Titanium refining | 3 Circuit Board, 4 Titanium |
10 Beginner Tips
- Always anchor when exploring — Without an anchor, your raft drifts away while you're on an island. Craft an anchor immediately.
- Aim for the shark's nose — When Bruce attacks, wait until he opens his mouth (the lunge animation), then swing. This parries the attack.
- Build a water tank — Rain fills water tanks. One full tank holds 10 cups of water (enough for 30 minutes).
- Use the cooking pot — A pot of soup feeds you for 5+ servings. Much more efficient than grilling individual fish.
- Collect every scrap — Scrap is the bottleneck resource for mid-game upgrades. Never leave floating scrap.
- Head pieces mark story progression — Each story island gives a head piece (cosmetic hat). Collect all 6 for the achievement.
- Grow crops on your raft — Potatoes and beets can be planted in crop plots. 6 crop plots sustain 1 player indefinitely.
- Birds drop feathers — Shooting seagulls gives feathers for arrows. Arrows are infinite (recoverable from bodies).
- Paint your raft — Paint helps you spot your raft from a distance. Also lets you color-code storage.
- Save before story islands — Story islands have no return teleport. If you die on an island, your items are there until you go back. Bring a backup raft.