Subnautica Beginners Guide
Subnautica drops you into an alien ocean with nothing but your wits and a malfunctioning lifepod. The planet is beautiful, terrifying, and full of resources. This guide covers everything from your first gasping breaths to piloting the Cyclops through the Lost River.
First Day: Escape the Lifepod
- Escape the burning lifepod — The fire spreads. Exit immediately.
- Surface for air — Swim straight up. You can survive 45 seconds without oxygen.
- Look around — You're in the Safe Shallows. Bright blue water, coral, sandy bottom. This is the safest biome.
- Swim back to lifepod — It's a visible orange beacon. Approach from below to avoid fire damage.
First 10 Minutes: Resource Rush
| Resource | Where to Find | Gather Method |
| Titanium | Limestone Outcrops (round brown rocks), Metal Salvage (wrecks) | Pick up or punch |
| Copper | Limestone Outcrops | Punch open |
| Quartz | Seafloor, caves (white crystals) | Pick up |
| Creepvine Sample | Creepvines (tall green kelp) | Cut with knife |
| Salt | Sandstone Outcrops, seafloor | Pick up |
| Acid Mushroom | Jellyshroom Caves (early entrance near lifepod) | Pick up |
| Lubricant | Crafted from Creepvine Seed Clusters | Knife → Creepvine clusters |
First Crafting Order
| Step | Item | Materials | Why |
| 1 | Survival Knife | 5 Titanium | Harvest resources, defend against small predators |
| 2 | Scanner | 5 Titanium, 1 Copper, 1 Quartz | Scan fragments to unlock blueprints |
| 3 | Fins | 2 Rubber (from Creepvine), 1 Titanium | Swim 30% faster |
| 4 | Fabricator | 5 Titanium, 1 Copper, 1 Quartz | Craft all items (install in lifepod) |
| 5 | Standard O2 Tank | 2 Titanium, 1 Quartz | +30 seconds oxygen (45s → 75s) |
| 6 | Radiation Suit | 1 Fiber Mesh, 2 Lead, 1 Rubber | Required to explore Aurora wreckage |
| 7 | Habitat Builder | 5 Titanium, 2 Copper, 1 Quartz | Build your first base |
Tip: Build the Fabricator first. Without it, you can't craft most essential items. Place it inside your lifepod.
Day 1 Checklist
| Task | Priority | Time Estimate |
| Craft Survival Knife | Critical | 2 min |
| Craft Scanner | Critical | 3 min |
| Scan 2 Seaglider fragments | Critical | 10 min |
| Craft Fins | High | 2 min |
| Build Fabricator | Critical | 3 min |
| Craft Standard O2 Tank | High | 2 min |
| Find and scan 3 Mobile Vehicle Bay fragments | Medium | 15 min |
| Find 3+ Creepvine Seed Clusters | Medium | 5 min |
| Scan 3 Habitat Builder fragments | High | 10 min |
| Build 1-room base in Safe Shallows | High | 15 min |
Seaglide Fragment Locations
Seaglide fragments are found in 3 places, all in Safe Shallows/Kelp Forest:
| Location | Biome | Number of Fragments |
| Lifepod 4 wreck | Safe Shallows edge | 2–3 |
| Kelp Forest wrecks | Kelp Forest | 1–2 |
| Loose boxes on seafloor | Safe Shallows | 1 |
You need 2 Seaglide fragments to unlock the blueprint. It costs 1 Battery, 1 Lubricant, 1 Titanium, 1 Copper to craft.
Base Building Essentials
Base Location Selection
| Location | Pros | Cons |
| Safe Shallows | Central, safe, zero predators | Basic resources only, boring |
| Kelp Forest edge | Creepvine + Metal Salvage nearby | Stalkers (annoying, low damage) |
| Grassy Plateaus | Red grass, sandstone, near deeper biomes | Sand sharks (20 damage, can be avoided) |
| Mushroom Forest | Beautiful, safe, late-game resources | Far from Aurora |
Best beginner location: Safe Shallows, near the border with Kelp Forest. You get safety + access to Creepvines and Metal Salvage.
Essential Base Modules
| Module | Materials | Purpose | Priority |
| 1-room Multipurpose Room | 3 Titanium (via Habitat Builder) | Your first room | Critical |
| Solar Panel x2 | 1 Quartz, 1 Copper each | Power your base | Critical |
| Fabricator (re-build in base) | 5 Titanium, 1 Copper, 1 Quartz | Crafting station | Critical |
| Storage Locker x4 | 1 Titanium each | Organize resources | High |
| Water Filtration Machine | 1 Lubricant, 1 Titanium, 1 Copper, 2 Quartz | Infinite water | High |
| Biodome | 2 Titanium, 2 Enameled Glass, 1 Lubricant | Grow food | Medium |
| Moonpool | 2 Titanium, 1 Lubricant, 1 Enameled Glass, 1 Power Cell | Vehicle docking + charging | High (post-Seamoth) |
| Scanner Room | 2 Titanium, 1 Quartz, 1 Copper | Locate resources | Medium |
Base Power Management
| Power Source | Output | Best For |
| Solar Panel | 75 energy (day), 0 (night) | Shallow bases (0–50m deep) |
| Thermal Reactor | 100+ energy (constant) | Deep bases near heat vents |
| Bioreactor | 250 energy (runs on organic matter) | Mid-depth bases |
| Nuclear Reactor | 2,500 energy (uranium lasts 12+ hours) | Endgame deep bases |
Tip: Build 3+ Solar Panels for your starting base. One keeps Fabricator running. Two charges things. Three runs a Water Filtration Machine.
Vehicle Progression
Vehicle Comparison
| Vehicle | Depth Limit | Speed | Storage | Crafting Materials | Purpose |
| Seaglide | N/A (handheld) | Fast (8 m/s) | None | 1 Battery, 1 Lubricant, 1 Ti, 1 Cu | Day 1: personal transport |
| Seamoth | 200m (→ 900m upgraded) | Fastest (12 m/s) | 4 slots | 1 Power Cell, 1 Lubricant, 2 Titanium, 1 Lead, 1 Glass | Days 3–10: primary sub |
| Prawn Suit | Indefinite (→ 1700m) | Slow (walking) | 8 slots | 2 Plasteel, 1 Enameled Glass, 2 Titanium, 1 Power Cell | Day 10+: deep mining, combat |
| Cyclops | 500m (→ 1700m) | Slow (7 m/s) | 48+ slots | 3 Plasteel, 1 Enameled Glass, 3 Lead, 2 Lubricant, 1 Power Cell | Endgame: mobile base |
Seamoth Upgrade Path
| Upgrade Module | Depth | Materials | Purpose |
| Hull Reinforcement | N/A | 3 Plasteel, 1 Lithium | +50 HP (upgrade 4 times for +200) |
| Depth Module MK1 | 300m | 1 Magnetite, 1 Titanium | Unlock deeper biomes |
| Depth Module MK2 | 500m | 1 Ruby, 1 Plasteel, 1 Magnetite | Access Grand Reef, Lost River |
| Depth Module MK3 | 900m | 1 Kyanite, 1 Plasteel, 1 Ruby | Maximum Seamoth depth |
| Perimeter Defense System | N/A | 1 Battery, 1 Copper Wire, 1 Magnetite | Electric shock repels leviathans |
Cyclops Upgrade Path
| Upgrade Module | Depth | Materials |
| Depth Module MK1 | 900m | 3 Plasteel, 1 Enameled Glass |
| Depth Module MK2 | 1300m | 1 Ruby, 1 Plasteel, 1 Kyanite |
| Depth Module MK3 | 1700m | 2 Kyanite, 1 Plasteel, 1 Enameled Glass |
| Engine Efficiency | N/A | 1 Aerogel, 1 Lubricant, 1 Power Cell |
| Shield Generator | N/A | 2 Plasteel, 1 Aerogel, 1 Polyaniline |
| Fire Suppression | N/A | 1 Plasteel, 1 Titanium, 1 Aerogel |
| Sonar | N/A | 1 Copper Wire, 1 Magnetite, 1 Lubricant |
Biome Progression Path
Route to Endgame
| Step | Biome | Vehicle Required | Objective |
| 1 | Safe Shallows | None | Build base, craft Seamoth |
| 2 | Kelp Forest → Grassy Plateaus | Seamoth | Find Silver/Gold, scan Moonpool |
| 3 | Jellyshroom Cave | Seamoth (200m) | Magnetite, Deep Shrooms |
| 4 | Floating Island | Seamoth | Find Purple Pineapple, Island Base |
| 5 | Grand Reef | Seamoth (300m+) | Ruby, Deep Grand Reef entrance |
| 6 | Lost River | Cyclops/Prawn (900m) | Nickel, Crystalline Sulfur |
| 7 | Lava Lakes | Prawn/Cyclops (1300m+) | Kyanite, endgame resources |
| 8 | Primary Containment | Prawn (1700m) | Final Sea Emperor encounter |
Survival Tips & Mechanics
Oxygen Management
| Gear | Oxygen Time |
| Bare (no tank) | 45 seconds |
| Standard O2 Tank | 75 seconds |
| High Capacity Tank | 90 seconds |
| Ultra High Capacity Tank | 120 seconds |
| Seamoth (seated) | Unlimited (vehicle oxygen) |
| Cyclops (inside) | Unlimited |
| Seamoth bubble | 60 seconds per pod (3 bubbles) |
| Pipes (early oxygen extension) | 30 seconds per pipe segment |
Oxygen Tip: Build 2 O2 tanks. Swim down with one, swap to the spare when low, swim up. This effectively doubles your dive time.
Food & Water
| Item | Hunger | Water | How to Get |
| Nutrient Block | +75 | -5 | Crafted (2 Cured Fish + 1 Fiber Mesh) |
| Cured Fish | +25 | 0 | Salt + Cooked Fish |
| Marblemelon | +14 | +12 | Grown in base |
| Bulbo Tree Sample | +8 | +7 | Grown in base |
| Potato | +8 | 0 | Grown in base |
| Lantern Fruit | +10 | +5 | Grown in base |
Best food source: Marblemelon. Gives both hunger and water. Grow 4 in a planter and you never need to hunt.
Predator Avoidance
| Creature | Biome | Danger | Defense |
| Stalker | Kelp Forest | Low (20 dmg) | Swim away, knife works |
| Sand Shark | Grassy Plateaus | Low (20 dmg) | Swim above, they stay near floor |
| Boneshark | Underwater Islands | Medium (30 dmg) | Avoid at night, use Seamoth shield |
| Crabsquid | Deep Grand Reef | Medium (EMP blast) | Don't use electric tools near them |
| Warper | Blood Kelp, Lost River | High (teleports you) | Cyclops silent running |
| Reaper Leviathan | Dunes, Mountains | Extreme (instant kill) | Avoid zones entirely, use Seamoth shield |
| Ghost Leviathan | Lost River, Void | Extreme (HP drain) | Cyclops silent running + shield |
| Sea Dragon Leviathan | Lava Zone | Extreme (fire breath) | Prawn Suit grappling hook + drill |
Rule of thumb: If you hear a loud roar, you're in a leviathan zone. Turn around immediately unless you have a Cyclops with shield and silent running.
10 Beginner Mistakes
- Exploring at night — Night reduces visibility by 80%, and aggressive creatures spawn more. Day lasts 20 minutes. Craft a bed and sleep.
- Entering the Aurora without radiation suit — The Aurora leak deals 5 HP/s radiation damage. You'll die before reaching the bridge.
- Not building a base — The lifepod has no storage and limited fabricator space. Build a base by Day 3.
- Forgetting food and water — Carry 3+ cured fish and 2+ big water bottles on every expedition.
- Going too deep without upgrades — Every 100m increases water pressure. Seamoth takes hull damage below its depth limit.
- Ignoring beacons — Place beacons at every biome entrance, cave entrance, and wreck. Guessing your position underwater is devastating.
- Not scanning everything — Every fragment you scan unlocks blueprints. If you see scan icons, scan them. 8.Using a Seaglide in reaper territory — Seaglide noise attracts reapers. Swim silently or use Seamoth.
- Running out of power — Building multiple Solar Panels early prevents night-time blackouts.
- Not crafting a rebreather — Crafted from Fiber Mesh + Titanium, the rebreather extends dive time by reducing oxygen consumption.