Raft is Redbeet Interactive's oceanic survival game where you start on a tiny wooden raft in an endless ocean, collecting floating debris to expand and improve your floating home. The game features a story-driven progression through island stops, each revealing more about why the world is flooded. With a persistent shark enemy that attacks your raft, research-based crafting progression, and both survival and creative modes, Raft offers a unique take on the survival genre.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
raft building
Your raft starts as a 2x2 platform and grows as you add foundations, walls, pillars, and decorations. The shark attacks exposed foundations — reinforced foundations with Metal Ingots resist damage. Multi-story buildings, crop plots, and cooking stations all fit on your floating base. There's no size limit.
ocean exploration
The ocean generates islands, story locations, and floating debris procedurally. A Sail or Engine moves your raft between locations. Receiver and antennas track story locations via radio signals. Binoculars spot islands from distance. The ocean is infinite in all directions.
island stops
Story islands are major locations with puzzles, loot, and narrative progression. Each introduces new crafting recipes, characters, and challenges. Non-story islands provide resources like Metal Ore, Copper, and Clay. Some islands have underwater caves with treasure.
research table
New crafting recipes are unlocked by placing materials in the Research Table. Each material unlocks a set of related recipes. Research everything you find before using materials for crafting — discovering recipes doesn't consume materials.
shark management
Bruce the shark constantly circles your raft, periodically attacking foundations and players in the water. Feed him by letting him bite Foundation blocks (cheaper) rather than losing built structures. Shark Bait distracts him, and you can kill him (he respawns) for Shark Head trophy and materials.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | A | Expand the raft constantly, automate resources, create a floating city. | Plank collection > Net placement > Foundation reinforcement |
| Explorer | S | Follow radio signals, explore every island thoroughly, progress the story. | Receiver setup > Diving gear > Combat weapon |
| Farmer | A | Plant crops, raise animals, keep the team fed without fishing. | Crop Plot setup > Animal pens > Sprinkler automation |
| Fisher | B | Fish during raft travel time, cook catches, sell rare fish. | Fishing Rod > Bait supply > Cooking station |
| Diver | A | Deploy Shark Bait, dive for ores and clay, surface before oxygen runs out. | Oxygen capacity > Shark Bait supply > Underwater harvesting speed |
Builder (A-Tier): Focuses on raft expansion and aesthetics. Builders create massive multi-story rafts with dedicated rooms for storage, cooking, farming, and animal husbandry. The builder playstyle maximizes resource collection nets and automated water purifiers for self-sufficiency.
Explorer (S-Tier): Prioritizes story progression by following Receiver signals to story islands. Explorers dive deep for underwater loot, explore caves, and solve environmental puzzles. The most progression-focused playstyle.
Farmer (A-Tier): Focuses on food sustainability through crop farming and animal husbandry. Crop Plots grow food from seeds, and animals (Cluckers, Goats, Llamas) produce eggs, milk, and wool. Sprinklers automate watering. A well-set-up farm makes food infinite.
Fisher (B-Tier): Uses fishing rods and nets for primary food source and occasional rare items. Fishing provides Raw Fish (cook for food) and occasionally rare fish that sell for Trading Post currency. Early game, fishing is the most reliable food source.
Diver (A-Tier): Specializes in underwater resource gathering. Underwater nodes provide Metal Ore, Copper, Sand, and Clay — essential materials only available by diving. Shark management is critical — Shark Bait buys 1-2 minutes of safe diving time.
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Raft builds guide.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Spear | The upgraded melee weapon dealing more damage than the Wooden Spear. | All playstyles — primary weapon |
| Machete | A crafted melee weapon with faster attack speed than the Spear. | Explorer — island combat |
| Bow | Ranged weapon using Stone or Metal Arrows. | Explorer, Diver — ranged threat management |
| Net Launcher | Captures animals (Cluckers, Goats, Llamas) for transport to your raft. | Farmer — animal capture |
| Throwable Anchor | Anchors your raft at island locations so it doesn't drift away while exploring. | All playstyles — utility |
Metal Spear: The upgraded melee weapon dealing more damage than the Wooden Spear. Essential for fighting the shark, Screechers on islands, and other threats. Can be thrown for ranged damage (and retrieved). Your primary combat tool.
Machete: A crafted melee weapon with faster attack speed than the Spear. Better for fighting groups of enemies on islands. Requires Metal Ingots and Bolt to craft. The best sustained DPS melee option.
Bow: Ranged weapon using Stone or Metal Arrows. Essential for fighting Screechers (bird enemies) and Bears on certain islands. Arrows can be crafted in bulk. The only way to safely deal with some airborne threats.
Net Launcher: Captures animals (Cluckers, Goats, Llamas) for transport to your raft. Animals placed in Grass Plots produce resources indefinitely. The Net Launcher is a farming tool, not a weapon, but it's essential for setting up animal husbandry.
Throwable Anchor: Anchors your raft at island locations so it doesn't drift away while exploring. Not a weapon but absolutely essential — losing your raft means losing everything. Always anchor before leaving the raft.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Radio Tower | Early game | Story progression, 4-digit code for Vasagatan, basic loot |
| Balboa Island | Mid game | Machete blueprint, Biofuel Refiner, story documents, bear loot |
| Caravan Town | Mid game | Battery Charger, Electric components, trading post access, story progression |
| Tangaroa | Mid-late game | Electric Purifier, Sprinkler, advanced blueprints, major story revelations |
| Temperance | Late game | Advanced tech blueprints, story climax content, cold-weather gear |
Radio Tower: The first story location found via the Receiver. A partially submerged tower with codes for the next destination. Introduces the game's story about the flooding event. Contains loot and a note leading to Vasagatan.
Balboa Island: A large forested island with a ranger station, caves, and bear encounters. Introduces the Machete blueprint and Biofuel. The Balboa cave system requires a Head Light. Contains critical story information about the Eden Project.
Caravan Town: A settlement built on interconnected boats and shipping containers. Features trading posts, ziplines, and puzzle-locked areas. Introduces the Battery Charger and advanced electric components.
Tangaroa: A massive partially-sunken city with skyscraper exploration and underwater sections. One of the most atmospheric locations with advanced technology blueprints. Contains the Electric Purifier and Sprinkler blueprints.
Temperance: An Arctic research station requiring warm clothing. Features ice puzzles, thermal mechanics, and the game's most dramatic story revelations. Cold damage is constant without proper gear. The penultimate story location.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Build collection nets on all edges of your raft early. Nets automatically catch floating debris (planks, plastic, leaves, barrels) so you gather resources passively.
- Seaweed + Plank = Rope, your most-needed resource. You'll burn through rope constantly for nets, bows, and other crafting. Always gather Seaweed when diving.
- Shark Bait buys 1-2 minutes of safe diving time. Always throw bait before entering the water for extended underwater gathering sessions.
- Research everything at the Research Table before dismantling items. Researching doesn't consume the item, and you need to discover recipes to progress.
- Honey (from beehives on islands) has infinite durability as food — it never spoils. Stockpile honey as emergency food.
- Simple Purifiers turn salt water into drinkable water. Build 2-3 early and keep them fueled with planks. Dehydration kills faster than starvation.
- Reinforce exposed foundations with Metal Ingots. The shark can't destroy reinforced foundations, protecting your raft structure permanently.
- Paint your Sail (craft at Paint Mill) for aesthetics, but more importantly, the Engine is faster and direction-independent for reaching story islands.
- Cooking Pot recipes provide better food bonuses than grilling. Combine ingredients for Shark Dinner, Fish Stew, etc. for more hunger and bonus thirst restoration.
- Head-mounted Light frees your hand while exploring caves. Craft it as soon as you have the materials — it's a massive quality-of-life improvement.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not anchoring the raft before exploring islands — your raft drifts away, potentially losing everything you've built. Always deploy the anchor.
- Ignoring Collection Nets — manually collecting floating debris is slow and tedious. Nets on all raft edges provide passive resource income that adds up enormously.
- Building without reinforced foundations — the shark destroys regular foundations in 2-3 bites. Reinforce the outer edge foundations with Metal Ingots.
- Rushing story islands without proper equipment — each island has specific requirements (Head Light, flippers, weapons). Check wiki guides before visiting.
- Not researching items before using them — placing an item on the Research Table unlocks recipes without consuming it. Always research first, craft second.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you kill the shark in Raft permanently?
No, Bruce the shark respawns about 3 minutes after being killed. Killing him yields Shark Meat (food) and Raw Shark Head (trophy). In later areas, multiple sharks can spawn. Managing the shark is part of the core gameplay loop.
How many players can play Raft co-op?
Up to 8 players online co-op. All players share one raft. More players makes resource gathering faster but also increases food/water consumption. The game is designed for 1-4 players ideally.
How long is Raft's story?
The story takes 20-30 hours following all story locations from Radio Tower to the final destination Utopia. Completionists exploring every island and building an elaborate raft can spend 50+ hours.
Is there an ending to Raft?
Yes, the final chapter concludes the story at Utopia with a definitive ending. After the ending, you can continue playing in the same world, exploring and building.
What to Read Next
- Best Raft Builds — Detailed breakdowns with gear, stats, and playstyle guides
- Raft Tier List — Current meta rankings
- Raft Walkthrough — Step-by-step progression from start to endgame
- Raft Beginner's Guide — First session essentials
- Raft Tips & Tricks — Advanced strategies and hidden mechanics
