You just crashed on Proteus. Your lifepod is your only safe spot. The water is full of things that want to eat you. And the game gives you almost nothing to start with.
These are the 10 most common frustrations players hit in their first session โ and the fixes that turn "I'm going to die" into "I know what I'm doing."
1. "I keep running out of oxygen"
The pain: You swim out to explore, the world is gorgeous, and suddenly โ gasp โ you're drowning 50 meters from the surface.
The fix: Craft a Standard Air Tank (needs Silver + Fiber Mesh). Silver is found in sandstone outcrops in the shallows. Also craft an Air Bladder for 20 emergency oxygen. Look for Oxygen Tunics (blue bulbous plants) for quick refills. Start heading up at 30% oxygen, not 10%.
2. "I'm starving and there's nothing to eat"
The fix: Water is easy โ collect Water Slugs. For food, you need an Angel Comb. Head 158m NE of the Lifepod to find it in a cave. Scanning it unlocks the Digestion Adaptation blueprint.
3. "Where do I build my first base?"
The fix: Build in the shallows near your Lifepod. Your first "base" is one corridor tube + a hatch + a solar panel. Build near a jetstream current for hydroelectric power later.
4. "I'm completely lost โ there's no map"
The fix: No built-in map is intentional. Craft Beacons and drop them everywhere. Build a Scanner Station. Follow NOA black box waypoints. Craft a compass early.
5. "What should I scan?"
Priority: Survival Multitool โ Scanner โ Habitat Builder (scan 2, at Welcome Center 85m SE) โ Flashlight โ Angel Comb โ Tadpole vehicle fragments.
6. "There's a locked door and I don't have the code"
The fix: The keycode for the Tadpole Pens locked door is found at 310m depth. See our full keycodes guide.
7. "How do I get the Seamoth Decoration?"
The fix: Bilibili livestream code from May 9. Valid until July 1. See our codes guide.
8. "Something keeps killing me"
The fix: Run from big threats early on. Use terrain to break line of sight. Watch for red stripe walls โ those mark the Early Access boundary.
9. "I don't know what to craft first"
Order: Multitool โ Scanner โ Fins โ Air Tank โ Air Bladder โ Habitat Builder โ Tadpole vehicle.
10. "How does co-op work?"
Use Beacons to mark your location. Resources and progression are shared. Each player starts separately โ find each other using named Beacons.