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
 * Ptk's Beginner's Guide to Subnautica

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

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 50% Food and 65% 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 coral. 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  Tank


 * Food, especially Cooked Peeper or Cooked Garryfish
 * 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
 * 1-2  Scrap Metal
 * Salt (the more the better - up to 10)
 * Peepers, Garryfish  or other Food fish (about 3-4 for starters)
 * 5x Quartz
 * Coral Chunks  ( a couple)

The Escape Pod
The Escape Pod is where the player spawns and where they will respawn if they happen to die. The escape pod will serve as a shelter for much of the early game. Important components in the escape pod are the Fabricator and the Fragment Analyzer. The fabricator serves as the main crafting machine in Subnautica and new recipes will be revealed when interacting with while possessing different items in your inventory. The fragment analyzer can be used to research new technologies after bring it Fragments, which are rectangular grey safes scattered through different biomes. Also of importance is the storage area behind the ladder where excess items can be stored. It will contain a random few items at the beginning of the game that maybe useful. Using the fabricator will slowly drain Energy from the three Power Cells on the bulkhead. While the player should have advanced past the escape pod by the time these deplete, new ones can be crafted.

Scrap Metal & Tanks
Usually there are a couple pieces of Scrap Metal scattered about but be careful not to take it when Stalkers are near. Watch your Oxygen as you look for Scrap Metal and get yourself at least three pieces for your first Tank and potentially a Knife. Then take the Scrap Metal to the fabricator and craft Titanium.

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 or Garryfish 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.

Hint: When you catch any fish I would recommend taking them to the fabricator to analyze the fish and cook it. If you just eat a normal Peeper you will lose 15 water.

Titanium & your Knife
While you are looking for scrap metal try and see if you can spot a Limestone node. With some luck you'll find Titanium within the first couple of nodes, looking in enclosed areas like in large tubes or caves may increase chances of finding Titanium.

As soon as you get your titanium and quartz 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. After you've done that you'll need to craft bleach with the coral chunks and Salt. Now you can craft disinfected water, which adds +30 to H2O.

If you can't make it and it's an emergency - just go after some Airsacks - they can be used to craft filtered water. Not as good as our initial plan but still a solid +15 to H2O.

Dealing with Radiation
Once the Aurora explodes harmful Radiation will spread into the waters surrounding it. In experimental mode this radiation will not reach the escape pod but it will in the current stable build. The radiation will keep you from exploring large areas near the Aurora but can be circumvented by crafting a Radiation Suit. While the radiation suit requires two silicone and two titanium which can be crafted from materials found near the escape pod it also requires two Lead. Each Lead requires three Copper Ore which can be found in nearby limestone chunks but also requires a Silver Ore. Silver Ore is only native to the Grassy Plateaus and that is where the player must travel to find it. The grassy plateaus' most identifiable characteristic is its bright red seagrass. The best way to find a grassy plateaus biome is to swim away from the Aurora. Beware that the Grassy Plateaus has many dangerous creatures such as the Sandshark, Bone Shark, and Spike Plant. Both silver and Gold can be found in Sandstone nodes hidden between the seagrass. Both materials are important crafting ingredients and it is recommended that the player takes a good amount. Once the radiation suit is crafted the suit, radiation helmet, and radiation gloves will be acquired. All three of these items must be worn to fully protect against radiation damage. The radiation can be stopped but that is up to the player to figure out how.

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. :)