Last week I did a little preview of the game Sunkenland by indie developer Vector3 Game Studio. It’s a Waterworld-inspired survival game that has likely had more people play it than have watched the Kevin Costner movie. You can read more about our thoughts on the game so far which launched in Early Access back in August.
But for now, we’re here to help any newbies get to grips with the game and hopefully help you survive your first few nights in the wild. So, without further ado, here are our top 5 tips for beginners looking for Sunkenland survival tips:
Don’t be afraid to explore the Sunkenland
Sunkenland is an exploration game, we know, but quite often people can be a little hesitant to explore new worlds. But don’t be, you won’t find enemies sailing around, so you’re safe to explore anywhere underwater. However, do keep an eye out for sharks. You don’t want to be turning this game from a Waterworld-inspired title to one that replicates Jaws instead.
Where you will likely find enemies is when you try and board an island or a floating raft. Most of these places won’t be heavily inhabited and if you craft yourself a nice basic spear, you can easily dispatch people. But, if you see anyone with a crossbow or a gun, stay clear until you’ve maybe found yourself some better weaponry to defend yourself with.
Build decent storage for materials
It is so easy to fill up your backpack with materials you gather from the world around you, so it’s a good idea to have places to store them back at your base. We found that barrels seemed to offer the best value-to-space ratio, as you can store anything inside, and they offer some decent storage without taking up much space.
Don’t fall for the wood plank or scrap metal storage shelves, they hold barely anything compared to a barrel. So besides aesthetics, they hold little use because they take up the space of roughly three barrels while holding about 20x less (if my maths is correct).
In terms of storage, you can also build a backpack to extend your on-person storage. And if you build a research station, you can build better backpacks with more space. I’d say this is one of the better things to invest in so you can literally loot as much as possible.
There is no need to put off building a boat
Quite often you may want to save up resources to build something, and that can often mean you put off building other things. Don’t, because the pedal boat in Sunkenland is extremely handy and takes very little to build. Not only can it seat two people, but it also gets you moving around quicker than swimming, and it offers a storage space, allowing your dive sessions to go on a little longer.
The two-person motorboat can wait though. It doesn’t really go much faster than the pedal boat, plus it requires fuel to use. And if you’ve been busy exploring, then you likely have found a few valuable items which you could use to buy one of them nifty one-person handheld submarine machines which are available from the seller. Just make sure you have enough loot to buy a battery too.
Constantly keep food and drink stations working
Whether you’re working on your base, or you’re heading off on a sea-faring adventure, always put your stations to use. It takes a couple of seconds to fill up a water purifier with seawater, and less time to add a crab or something to the grill. These stations work away while you get on with other bits. You’ll be able to get lots done while you’re at your base, and worst-case scenario, there will at least be some grub for you when you get back from your trips.
Doing this will also eventually lead to a stockpile of food and water, and you can pile it up on your boats. This means you won’t have to return to your base as often and can instead focus on exploring the Sunkenlands.
Break down everything you can when exploring
With your trusty axe, you can break down bits of furniture when diving into the depths of the waters around you. You may want to focus more on scavenging crates and other storage containers, and yes, they do include good loot. Don’t overlook that chest of drawers or the sofa sitting in an abandoned building.
If you’re wondering why, think about how much stuff falls out of your pocket and down the side of the sofa. Or how you find random things you stored in a wardrobe years after they were put there. Well, people must’ve also done the same in Sunkenland before their homes went underwater of course. In addition to basic materials, you can also find valuables like diamond rings, mobile phones and watches. All are great for trading for high-value items with the seller.
And there you have it, five tips that should help you survive and prosper when starting out in Sunkenland. With the game in Early Access, there are sure to be many updates to this game soon and further down the line. So, as we continue to explore what Sunkenland has to offer, we’ll be sure to bring you more helpful tips as we uncover them in our playthroughs.
If you play the game as well, let us know what tips you have for new players in the comments below. We’d love to hear if there is anything we’ve been missing out on or if there are better ways of doing things that could save us time and effort. And if you are new, and you follow our tips, let us know which ones worked best for you.
You can purchase Sunkenland by clicking here. For even more guides to your favourite games, click right here.