Raft is a survival game that drops players into the middle of the ocean with nothing but a hook and a small floating platform. From there, you must gather resources, expand your raft, fend off threats like sharks, and eventually uncover the mysteries of a post-apocalyptic world. This guide walks you through the game’s systems and progression in ten structured sections—from your first plank to reaching Utopia—helping you survive and thrive in Raft’s evolving world.
- Starting Out: Surviving the First Days Your journey begins on a 2x2 raft with a plastic hook. Use it to collect floating debris like planks, plastic, and leaves. These are essential for crafting tools, expanding your raft, and building survival stations.
Craft a Building Hammer, Water Purifier, and Simple Grill as soon as possible. These will help you manage hunger and thirst. Keep an eye on barrels—they contain valuable resources like scrap and food.
Checklist:
- Craft Building Hammer, Purifier, and Grill
- Prioritize barrels and floating debris
- Avoid drinking saltwater
- Expanding Your Raft and Crafting Tools Once your basic needs are met, start expanding your raft. Use the Building Hammer to add foundations and reinforce them with nails and metal to prevent shark attacks. Craft a Spear to defend your raft from Bruce the Shark.
Unlock the Research Table to begin crafting advanced tools. Scan items to unlock blueprints for nets, storage, and weapons. Collection Nets are a game-changer—they passively gather debris while you sail.
Key Tools:
- Spear for defense
- Collection Nets for automation
- Research Table for progression
- Managing Hunger, Thirst, and Health Food and water are constant concerns. Cook fish on the grill and purify seawater using the Simple Purifier. Upgrade to the Advanced Grill and Purifier when possible—they’re more efficient and support larger groups.
Grow crops using planters and protect them from seagulls with Scarecrows. Fish using a Fishing Rod and store food in coolers. Always carry cooked food and water before exploring islands.
Survival Tips:
- Upgrade to Advanced Purifier and Grill
- Use Scarecrows to protect crops
- Fish regularly for protein
- Exploring Islands and Gathering Rare Resources Islands offer resources like metal ore, clay, sand, and seaweed. Anchor your raft and explore both land and underwater areas. Use a Hook to mine underwater nodes and collect seaweed for Vine Goo.
Craft Flippers and an Oxygen Bottle to extend underwater time. Look for crates and chests on islands—they often contain bolts, hinges, and blueprints. Don’t forget to chop trees for wood and fruit.
Island Checklist:
- Anchor raft before exploring
- Mine metal, clay, and sand underwater
- Chop trees and loot crates
- Building and Automating Your Raft As your raft grows, organization becomes key. Build walls, floors, and rooms to separate functions. Use Storage Boxes to organize materials and place signs for labeling. Add lighting and furniture for comfort.
Automation begins with Battery-powered devices. Use Sprinklers to water crops and connect Pipes for water flow. Craft Battery Chargers to maintain power. Keep your raft compact to reduce lag and improve navigation.
Automation Tips:
- Use Sprinklers and Pipes for farming
- Build Battery Chargers
- Organize storage with signs and rooms
- Navigating with the Receiver and Antennas To progress the story, you’ll need a Receiver and three Antennas. These require circuit boards, bolts, and hinges. Place all components on the same level and space them apart correctly.
Power the Receiver with a Simple Battery and tune into the first location: the Radio Tower. Use the coordinates to navigate using a Sail or Engine. The Receiver drains battery power, so use it sparingly.
Navigation Setup:
- Receiver + 3 Antennas on same level
- Power with Simple Battery
- Use coordinates to reach story islands
- Advancing Through Story Locations Raft’s story unfolds across eight chapters, each with unique islands and challenges. After the Radio Tower, visit Vasagatan, Balboa Island, Caravan Town, Tangaroa, Varuna Point, Temperance, and finally Utopia.
Each location offers lore, blueprints, and new mechanics. You’ll encounter puzzles, enemies, and environmental hazards. Prepare by stocking food, water, weapons, and tools before each journey.
Story Progression:
- Chapter 1: Radio Tower
- Chapter 2: Vasagatan
- Chapter 3: Balboa Island
- Chapter 8: Utopia
- Combat and Defense Strategies Bruce the Shark is a constant threat. Use a Spear or upgraded weapons to fend him off. Reinforce raft edges with metal to prevent damage. Seagulls attack crops—use Scarecrows and bows to defend.
Later enemies include bears, hyenas, and mutated creatures. Craft armor and weapons like the Metal Spear and Bow. Use stealth and ranged attacks to avoid damage. Always carry healing items.
Combat Tips:
- Reinforce raft edges
- Use bows for ranged defense
- Craft armor for tougher enemies
- Multiplayer and Co-op Tips Raft supports multiplayer, allowing friends to build and explore together. Assign roles—one player gathers, another crafts, another navigates. Communication is key for efficiency and survival.
Share resources and coordinate exploration. Multiplayer increases resource consumption, so upgrade purifiers and grills early. Use signs and storage boxes to keep things organized.
Co-op Strategies:
- Assign roles for efficiency
- Upgrade food and water systems
- Use signs to organize shared storage
- Preparing for Endgame and Utopia To reach Utopia, you must complete all story chapters and build the final raft upgrades. Craft Engines, Steering Wheel, and Advanced Battery systems. Stockpile resources for long journeys and combat.
Build a launch-ready raft with navigation tools, storage, and defenses. Utopia features the final puzzles and lore. Completing the story unlocks achievements and closes the narrative loop.
Endgame Checklist:
- Complete all story chapters
- Build Engines and Steering Wheel
- Prepare for final combat and puzzles
Conclusion Raft is a rich survival experience that evolves from a simple ocean drift to a complex story-driven adventure. By mastering crafting, exploration, automation, and combat, you’ll uncover the secrets of the flooded world and reach Utopia. Whether solo or with friends, this guide equips you to thrive in every chapter of Raft.
