Escape the Lifepod
Your lifepod is sinking. Immediately swim outside and surface for air. Look around — you're in the Safe Shallows biome. The water is clear, the reef is colorful, and nothing wants to eat you yet. Collect nearby Titanium and Quartz from the seafloor.
Craft the Fabricator
Enter your lifepod and use the panel to build the Fabricator (Titanium x2). This is your most important tool. Once built, craft a Scanner (Titanium x1, Quartz x1) — you'll need it to scan fragments for new blueprints.
Scan Everything
Swim around the Safe Shallows and scan all fragments you find. Priority targets: Habitat Builder fragments (near crashed escape pod wreckage), Fins fragments (reef edges), and High Capacity Tank fragments (inside small caves).
Build Your First Base
Once you have the Habitat Builder blueprint, craft it (Titanium x2, Computer Chip x1). Find a flat spot on the seafloor near your lifepod and build a compartment. Add a Solar Panel on top for power. Place a Fabricator and Storage Locker inside.
Build your base at 10-20 meters depth. Shallow enough for sunlight (solar panels work best above 30m), but deep enough to hide from creatures later.
Secure Food and Water
Catch Boomerang Fish and Bladderfish with your hands. Cook fish at the Fabricator. Bladderfish can be turned into filtered water. Plant Creepvine Fruit near your base for a renewable food source.
Repair the Radio
Your lifepod has a damaged radio that receives distress signals. Repair it with the Repair Tool (Titanium x1, Quartz x1). Once fixed, you'll receive your first signal — a nearby distress beacon that kicks off the story.
Some distress signals expire if you wait too long. Always check the radio when you return to your base.