Subnautica: 5 Best Tips for Beginners

If you thought the ocean was a cool, calm, and collected sort of place, then clearly you’ve never been to the depths of the big ol’ fish tank known as Planet 4546B. Beautiful, yes. But calm? No. In fact, the worlds of Subnautica and its ice-drizzled sequel Subnautica: Below Zero can actually come across as rather threatening. They’re threatening simply because, well, alien waters don’t tend to have the same home comforts as, say, the local stream at the end of your block. But with the right guidance, those waters can actually wind up being relatively harmless, and actually quite good fun to bathe in, all things considered.

So, how exactly do you survive the brisk waters of Subnautica? Is there a way to make ends meet in a world where everything has sunken to the pits of an uncharted abyss? If you’re curious to learn more about the adventures ahead and the tips you’ll need to onboard in order to survive the tides, then be sure to read on. Here are five things you should know before jumping into the deep end without a paddle.

5. Know Your Purpose

Granted, Subnautica doesn’t do the best job of telling you what to do from the moment you begin your isolated journey. In fact, it does everything in its power to leave you clueless, and above all, afraid of what lurks beneath the one place you have left on the surface. Don’t sweat it, though, as a good old root around in your local waters will quickly get you up to speed and gradually moving towards the next objective.

Speaking of which — what is your objective in Subnautica, if not to survive the day-to-day and live long enough to see a whale in mating season? Well, to put it short — the primary objective in Subnautica is—if you can believe it—escape the planet that you’ve found yourself unwillingly thrown into. To do this, you’ll need to rebuild the Neptune Rocket, a life-saving vessel that just so happens to be missing five crucial components: the Neptune Launch Platform, Neptune Gantry, Neptune Ion Boosters, Neptune Fuel Reserve, and Neptune Cockpit.

It is worth pounting out at this moment in time that rebuilding the Neptune Rocket, although the main objective in the game, won’t be your concern for a short while. Truth is, with your basic survival needs also in need of consideration, chances are you won’t be getting around to salvaging the components for the rocket for a fair few in-game days yet.

4. Learn the Ropes

For the duration of your stay on Planet 4546B, you’ll be required to stay on top of your hunger and hydration levels, which can be achieved by both hunting fish, and you know — drinking water. Fortunately, there’s a certain species of fish—the Bladderfish—that can satisfy both of these needs in one fell swoop. If possible, aim to harvest these fish as often as possible, and then bring them back to your Fabricator aboard your life pod to cook and consume them. Note that you can pause your hunger and hydration levels by simply sitting down. Don’t ask.

Once you’ve managed to learn how to keep your basic needs leveled out, you’ll need to work on upgrading your Oxygen Tank, as this will allow you to dive for longer periods of time, and as a result, collect rarer materials from the darker depths that idle below your life pod. To upgrade your Oxygen Tank, you’ll need to visit your Fabricator and deposit the necessary blueprint or materials. Note that you can also craft additional Oxygen Tanks, which you can alternate between when out exploring the depths.

3. Explore, But Never Too Far

There comes a point in every diver’s life where foraging for underwater flora just doesn’t cut it the same way it used to. More often than not, such divers attempt to spice up their careers by going out of their comfort zone — away to new depths, where undocumented species roam free and dangers loom around ever cluster of coral. Such a place exists in Subnautica, believe it or not — and it’s called The Dead Zone. Sounds intriguing, no? Well, don’t be fooled by its alluring title, as it’s actually the one place you’ll want to avoid.

While there isn’t a map in Subnautica, there is this so-called Dead Zone, which basically serves as your preliminary warning that things are about to take a turn for the worst. So, while exploring new depths is often encouraged, it’s best to steer clear of hazardous locations. In other words, if you see The Dead Zone — just turn back and retreat to safety. You’ll thank us later.

2. Don’t…Die

Easier said than done, for sure, but the harsh true is, dying isn’t encouraged, as doing so will not only whittle all your progress down to a nub, but also strip you of all your resources and items. And what makes this worse is the fact that Subnautica doesn’t employ an auto-save feature, which means you’ll have to manually save your progress whenever you remember to do so. In most cases, you’ll want to do this before each new dive.

If you do happen to die, then don’t sweat it — you can retrieve your items from the same place you bit the bullet. To save yourself the trouble, try not to load up on too many materials — at least until you’ve managed to upgrade your loadout and familiarize yourself with the lay of the land. Or, sea floor, in this instance.

1. Employ Stalkers to Help You

Believe it or not, there is actually a way to reduce the burden on your shoulders and increase productivity at the same time — and it’s thanks to the fish. Well, the Stalker fish, to be precise. If you can tame a number of these fish on a daily basis, then they’ll not only refrain from chewing your ears off, but also aid you on your quests by bringing you metals and other useful items.

If you can bring a smaller catchable fish or piece of metal to a Stalker, it’ll return the favor by setting out to forage for additional items for you. The only downside to this is that, well, they tend to suffer from short-term memory, which means you’ll have to win their affection every…single…day. Worth it, though.

So, what’s your take? Do you have any useful tips for Subnautica newcomers? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.