Getting Started

Welcome to the Subnautica Getting Started Guide

How to get access to the latest build

Subnautica is currently in an early access phase. To get access to the latest build (patched almost every workday) follow the procedure listed here: Steam Subnautica Game Guides: Dev Updates & Progress

Getting started guides around the web

Steam Subnautica Guides: Getting Started by Rimu

Getting started videos

A great video for new adventurers by MycroftCanadaNS, showing you the basics of survival in Subnautica.

File:Subnautica 10837 How To Get Started & Survive!

Getting started Guide

If you start playing the Survival mode of Subnautica, the main goal after being spawned into the world is to get Food and H2O (Water).

After you spawn you'll sit at a level of 49 Food and 89 H2O - so it's time to hurry up and get the supplies rolling.

Your best bet is to get yourself some Fins to increase Swimming Speed and a Knife for defense and harvesting some Life-Forms such as Corals. You will need Materials from them, for example Coral Chunks , to craft what you need, especially Filtered or Disinfected Water.

The game begins in a Biome called Safe Shallows, and it is shallow and safe indeed. It still provides you with all the things you need at this point so don't stray off too far. 

What you need

From the first time you dive you should be on the lookout for a few Materials to get access to necessary items and supplies. Here's two short lists for your focus:

Priority List in Order

• 1x Fins

• 1x Tank

• Food, especially Cooked Peeper
• 1x Knife
• H2O, like Filtered or Disinfected Water

To get these items here's what you should watch out for:

Required Materials Priority List in Order

• x6 Sand
• x3 Metal
• Salt (the more the better - up to 10)
• Peepers or other Food fish (about 3-4 for starters)
• x1 Emery
• Coral Chunks (a couple)

How to get the basic supplies

Sand & Fins

If everything was as simple as getting Sand. Just dive and grab the Sand from the ocean floor below. Take six with you so you can craft your first set of fins.

Metal & a Tank

Usually there are a couple pieces of Metal in the starter location. Watch your Oxygen as you look for Metal and get yourself three pieces for your first Tank and potentially a Knife.

Hint: as soon as you have the 6 Sand and 2 Metal you should craft the Fins and a Tank.

Salt

Salt is very important at this point. On all your dives be on the lookout for the small white crystals most commonly found on the rocky walls of cliffs. You will need one salt for every Food item you craft at this stage. So don't hesitate to get a few.

Peepers (or other food fish) & Food

In the list of Food items the Peeper makes for a great choice. It's easy to spot (big yellow eye) and can even be used as a lure to keep Stalkers away. But for now we want it as a food and at this it shines with +32 food points.

The downside: it's fast. But if you crafted your first pair of fins you should be able to catch a few.

If you cannot find or catch any peepers do not hesitate to catch any other smaller fish around you. Almost every fish in the Safe Shallows is edible.

Emery & your Knife

While you are looking for Metal try and see if you can spot a Limestone node. With some luck you'll find Emery within the first couple of nodes.

As soon as you get your emery you can craft a Knife.

Coral Chunks & Water

As you now got a knife it's time to get some Coral Chunks. Look out for a Coral and hit it with the knife. The Coral Chunks will have to be refined to Calcium first. After you've done that you'll need the Salt and Calcium to craft Bleach. Now you can craft Disinfected Water, which adds +20 to H2O.

If you can't make it and it's an emergency - just take your knife and go after some Airsacks - they will drop a Membrane which can be used to craft Filtered Water. Not as good as our initial plan but still a solid +10 to H2O.

You've made it

If you made it here you'll be able to survive your first days and nights on the alien world of Subnautica. Feel free to keep this Wiki open in case you get lost or need some information - but most importantly at this point - start exploring and enjoying the game. :)