First run: establish the loop
- Explore close to safety and learn how movement, carrying and selling work.
- Take dependable catches rather than the most dangerous target you can see.
- Return before greed turns a profitable run into a total loss.
- Spend only on an upgrade that improves the next several runs.
Best first upgrades
Radar or information tools: knowing where a target or objective is cuts wasted travel and helps the whole team plan.
A dependable weapon: consistency matters more than a flashy tool you cannot sustain. Damage and control protect both players and cargo.
Capacity and recovery: after you can survive, improve how much value you can bring home and how quickly the next trip starts.
Island progression
The game advances through five islands. Treat each new island as a new economy: scout threats, find the reliable catch, locate the seller and learn the route home before committing expensive gear.
How to make money
- Favor repeatable routes over one lucky catch.
- Protect valuable cargo and boss trophies on the return trip.
- Use cooking or processing when the value gain beats the time and risk.
- In co-op, assign one player to navigation and one to cargo or defense.
- Keep enough money for recovery; do not leave yourself unable to start the next run.
Boss preparation
Before a boss, bring a weapon you understand, enough food or recovery, and a clear exit plan. Empty unnecessary cargo first. In co-op, decide who draws pressure, who deals damage and who protects the trophy after the fight.
Once the boss drops something important, the objective changes: extraction is now more valuable than another optional encounter.
Common early mistakes
Buying novelty gear too soon, carrying every catch, pushing an unfamiliar island without reserve cash and losing a boss reward to greed are all avoidable. The game rewards repeatable profit more than a single chaotic success.