Sunkenland is a post-apocalyptic survival game set in a waterworld where civilization has been submerged beneath the ocean. You build floating bases on the water's surface, dive into sunken cities for resources, defend against raider attacks, and trade with other survivors. The game distinguishes itself from other survival titles with its dual-layer gameplay — surface base building with deep underwater scavenging. Early Access since 2023, the game has received consistent updates adding new biomes, building pieces, and the trading system that gives purpose to excess resources.
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
underwater exploration
Diving into submerged buildings and streets is the primary method of gathering advanced resources. Underwater, you manage an oxygen meter that depletes faster with physical activity. Diving gear upgrades extend dive time from 2 minutes (basic) to over 8 minutes (advanced). Underwater enemies include sharks and hostile divers.
base building on water
All structures are built on water using foundations that snap to a grid. Foundations can be placed on shallow reef areas or connected to existing structures. Buildings include living quarters, crafting stations, storage, and defensive turrets. Structural integrity matters — overextended platforms can collapse.
raider defense
NPC raider groups periodically attack your base with boats and divers. Defense options include mounted turrets, spike walls, and armed NPCs. Raid frequency and difficulty scale with your base size and wealth. Pre-building chokepoints and turret coverage is essential for survival.
diving mechanics
Beyond basic oxygen management, diving involves water currents that push you off course, depth pressure that increases stamina drain, and underwater darkness requiring light sources. Deeper dives yield better resources but risk running out of oxygen far from the surface.
trading
Trading posts attract NPC merchants who exchange resources on set schedules. You can sell surplus food, materials, and scavenged items for rare components unavailable through diving. Building multiple trading posts enables resource chains where you buy low from one trader and sell high to another.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | S | Gather materials for building, design efficient and defensible base layouts, upgrade structures progressively. | Resource gathering, structural planning, turret placement |
| Diver | S | Plan dive routes through sunken buildings, manage oxygen carefully, prioritize high-value salvage. | Oxygen capacity, swim speed, underwater combat |
| Raider | A | Assault raider outposts for loot, use combat gear to overwhelm defenders, return with salvage. | Combat skills, weapon upgrades, boat armament |
| Trader | B | Build trading posts, track merchant schedules, stockpile resources when cheap and sell when expensive. | Trading post placement, resource knowledge, inventory management |
| Farmer | B | Build farm plots and water purifiers for food independence, trade surplus for crafting materials. | Food production, water purification, crop variety |
Builder (S-Tier): Focuses on base expansion and defense infrastructure. Builders create efficient layouts that maximize space while maintaining defensive coverage. The building system rewards planning — a well-designed base repels raids with minimal player intervention.
Diver (S-Tier): Specializes in underwater exploration with maximum dive time and efficiency. Divers bring back the rare components that drive progression. Without skilled diving, your base stagnates at basic technology levels.
Raider (A-Tier): Offensive playstyle that attacks NPC raider outposts for resources instead of diving. Raider outposts contain pre-built loot including weapons, armor, and crafting materials. Higher-tier outposts yield better loot but have more defenders.
Trader (B-Tier): Economic focus using multiple trading posts to generate income through buy-low-sell-high resource arbitrage. Requires initial investment in trading infrastructure but provides steady passive income once established.
Farmer (B-Tier): Self-sufficiency through crop growing and fishing. Farms provide food independence and surplus for trading. Less exciting than diving or raiding but eliminates the constant pressure of food scarcity that plagues other playstyles.
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Sunkenland builds guide.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Speargun | The primary underwater weapon, effective against sharks and hostile divers. | Diver |
| Crossbow | Silent ranged weapon effective for stealth approaches to raider outposts. | Raider (stealth approach) |
| Pistol | The first firearm available, crafted from scavenged parts. | All playstyles (backup) |
| Rifle | The strongest ranged weapon with high per-shot damage and decent range. | Raider |
| Machete | Primary melee weapon with fast swings and low stamina cost. | All playstyles (melee) |
Speargun: The primary underwater weapon, effective against sharks and hostile divers. Limited ammo that must be crafted from metal scraps. The upgraded speargun has faster reload and deals double damage, making deep-dive encounters manageable.
Crossbow: Silent ranged weapon effective for stealth approaches to raider outposts. Bolts are cheaper to craft than rifle ammunition. The crossbow's silence means you can pick off sentries without alerting the entire outpost.
Pistol: The first firearm available, crafted from scavenged parts. Low damage but fast fire rate and manageable recoil. Ammunition requires gunpowder (rare early game). Best used as a backup weapon when melee gets dangerous.
Rifle: The strongest ranged weapon with high per-shot damage and decent range. Ammunition is expensive to craft, requiring brass casings from deep dives. Reserved for raider outpost assaults and base defense.
Machete: Primary melee weapon with fast swings and low stamina cost. Effective against both human enemies and underwater threats in a pinch. The upgraded machete deals bleed damage that drains enemy health over time.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Raft | Day 1-3 | Basic materials, crafting station, first foundation |
| Sunken City | Day 3+ | Advanced materials, weapon components, crafting blueprints |
| Raider Outpost | Mid-game | Weapons, armor, pre-crafted items, building materials |
| Coral Reef | All levels | Food, coral materials, fishing catches, safe diving practice |
| Deep Trenches | Late game | Rare metals, advanced blueprints, unique crafting materials |
Starting Raft: Your initial platform — a small raft with basic tools. The starting area has shallow water with easy diving locations and no raider threats. Focus on gathering basic materials and building your first permanent foundation.
Sunken City: The primary diving destination with submerged buildings, shops, and infrastructure. Each building type contains thematically appropriate loot — hardware stores have tools, pharmacies have medical supplies. Navigation through flooded streets requires memorizing landmarks.
Raider Outpost: Hostile NPC bases that can be assaulted for loot. Outposts range from small camps (2-3 raiders) to fortified compounds (10+ raiders with turrets). Scouting before attacking reveals defender count and layout.
Coral Reef: Shallow water areas with rich marine life for fishing and foraging. Coral provides crafting materials for water filters and decorative building pieces. Less dangerous than deep water but lower-value loot.
Deep Trenches: The deepest diving zones with the best loot but highest danger. Pressure effects drain stamina faster, visibility is minimal, and large predators patrol the depths. Advanced diving gear is mandatory.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Build your first permanent foundation on shallow reef areas where the water floor is visible. Deep water foundations require more expensive materials.
- Craft a basic speargun before your first serious dive. Sharks will find you, and without a weapon, diving into the sunken city is suicidal.
- Water purifiers are your first critical building. Dehydration kills faster than hunger, and rain collectors are unreliable. One purifier per 2 players is the minimum.
- Turrets on your base should cover all approach angles. Raiders attack from random directions, and an undefended side means they breach directly into your storage.
- Diving at dawn gives maximum natural light underwater, extending how deep you can see without artificial light sources. Night dives are extremely dangerous.
- Mark dive routes with underwater markers (crafted from glow sticks). Getting lost underwater with low oxygen is the most common cause of death.
- Trading posts placed near shipping lanes attract merchants more frequently. Build them at the edge of your base facing open water.
- Raider outposts respawn after several in-game days. A nearby outpost becomes a renewable loot source if you can clear it efficiently.
- Store your best gear in a locked chest. Raiders who breach your base loot open storage containers but cannot open locked ones.
- Co-op diving is dramatically safer than solo. One player watches oxygen levels and covers threats while the other loots. Alternate roles between dives.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Building a massive base before establishing defenses. Raiders scale with base size — a large undefended base attracts raids you can't repel.
- Diving without checking oxygen before entering buildings. Entering a submerged building adds distance between you and the surface, and low oxygen inside means drowning.
- Ignoring food production and relying entirely on scavenging. Scavenged food is unreliable and runs out during extended base-building periods.
- Storing all resources in one location. A single successful raid can wipe your entire stockpile. Distribute storage across multiple containers.
- Fighting sharks in open water instead of retreating to shallow areas. Sharks are faster in deep water but can't follow you into shallow zones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sunkenland multiplayer?
Yes, co-op multiplayer for up to 8 players. All players share a single base and resources. More players means faster progression but also higher raid difficulty scaling.
Is Sunkenland like Raft?
Similar ocean survival concept but different execution. Sunkenland has fixed-location base building on water, underwater city exploration, and NPC raider combat. Raft focuses on drifting on the ocean current with crafting. Sunkenland is more combat and exploration focused.
How often do raiders attack in Sunkenland?
Raid frequency scales with your base value (total resources and structures). Early game, raids happen every 5-7 in-game days. Late game with a large base, expect raids every 2-3 days. Turrets and walls handle most raids automatically once properly set up.
What to Read Next
- Best Sunkenland Builds — Detailed breakdowns with gear, stats, and playstyle guides
- Sunkenland Tier List — Current meta rankings
- Sunkenland Walkthrough — Step-by-step progression from start to endgame
- Sunkenland Beginner's Guide — First session essentials
- Sunkenland Tips & Tricks — Advanced strategies and hidden mechanics
