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Stranded Deep tips can help to keep you alive, while many of the things around you on your new island home are trying to end you as quickly as possible. There are plenty of threats out there beyond the obvious, and avoiding drowning yourself isn't going to be much help in the long run if you're already poisoned and dying a slow and painful death. There's a steep learning curve to survival, which is why these Stranded Deep tips are here to give you a good grounding in the basics. Get yourself set up, know what dangers to look out for, and you'll have a solid foundation to build on without having to take lessons from being repeatedly killed by the elements.
1. Follow the tutorial and take it slow
This isn’t a fast game. Between the time it takes to collect things, craft stuff and just progress generally, you won’t be advancing in huge steps. If you try to rush you’ll likely back yourself into a corner and end up in trouble. Either from using up slow to replenish resources at the wrong time, running out of food and water, poisoning, diarrhea - the list goes on. Basically be patient and settle in before you try anything fancy. Following the tutorial will get you everything you need initially, and set you up for what’s to come.
2. Save a lot (not just sleep)
Once you have he the shelter you’ll be able to sleep and save. The two aren’t the same thing though so don’t forget to both. Also get into the habit of saving a lot, preferably before and after you try or achieve anything significant. It can take a while to gather resources and make stuff so you don’t want loads of work between saves you’ll need to repeat.
3. Craft a Water Still ASAP
Food, in the form of fish and crabs, are plentiful, while water to drink is harder. There’s initially plenty of coconuts you can get by climbing palm trees but these won’t last forever so you need a renewable water source. The Coconut flask, Palm fronds, Lashings and Rocks needed to build it will be easy to get. The tarp is the only thing you can’t make or harvest but there should be at least one washed up on the island somewhere. Look for a distinctive blue square on the sand and bear in mind it could be partially under a rock. Once the still is built you can fill it with Fibrous Leaves and Palm Fronds to make a steady and persistent water supply.
4. Young Palm Trees and Yukka plants grow back
You’ll be needing a lot of Fibrous Leaves for lashings, water and other things. Don’t worry about running out as the Yukka plants and Young Palm Trees you can harvest them from will grow back. You might have to wait (so maybe do other things in the meantime) but the’ll always regrow. If you try and only take what you need each time you can hopefully overlap the regrowth so there’s always some, somewhere on your starter island.
5. Check for Crown of Thorns Starfish
It’s easy to get poisoned in Stranded Deep and it’s a debilitating condition to survive. While you can style it out by staying well fed and watered for a day or two. While there are snakes and Lion Fish to worry about later the only thing you really need to avoid on your starter island are the spikey looking Crown of Thorns starfish. It’s easy to tread on these without realising so make a point of circling the island a few times to see if there are any near the shore that pose a risk. If there are, make a note and stay out of the way. If you do get poisoned you'll have to find a pipi plant in Stranded Deep to craft a cure which isn't easy so avoid the situation altogether.
6. Don’t eat more than two coconuts in a row
Once you’ve used coconuts as a drink you can crack them open to eat the flesh inside. Just don’t eat more than two in a row. You’ll get diarrhoea which will see you dehydrate incredibly quickly and cause real trouble if you don’t have plenty to drink. Coconuts are useful in a pinch but rely on cooked small meat where you can to start with which you can get from skinning crabs you’ve killed with a tool, or sardines you’ve caught with a spear. Skin them with a knife and attach to the fire to cook it.
7. Examine a crafting recipe if you’re not sure what’s in it
If you can quite tell what the different components of a crafting recipe are you can hit Square to examine it and cycle through all the things you need to check.
8. Pinning a recipe will show the amount of items in the world, as well as your inventory
If you pin a recipe to help you find the ingredients it’s worth noting that the item count, showing how many you’ve of something you have in your inventory will also count anything nearby in the world around you. Sometimes it can help make you aware of a dropped item that’s fallen out of site, or even something you missed altogether.
9. Don’t explore overseas until you have a good base and plenty of supplies
While it’s tempting to head out to the nearest island or shipwreck the first chance you get, don’t. Unless you have plenty of supplies it’s easy to find yourself in an unfamiliar place, running out of food and water, and struggling to stay alive all over again. Get your starter island kitted out well, so you have plenty to explore with before you risk it.
