Your first few days in 100 Days at Sea will decide whether you survive or end up starting over. The game throws you onto a tiny raft with only a few basic tools, and before long you’ll be dealing with food shortages, dangerous enemies, and increasingly difficult raid nights.
The good news is that progression becomes much easier once you know what to prioritize. I learned pretty quickly that wasting resources on random buildings only slows you down. Instead, focus on setting up a steady supply of wood, metal, and food first, and everything else becomes much more manageable.
Here’s everything beginners should know before setting sail.
Gather Wood Immediately
Wood is the resource you’ll use more than anything else during the early game.
At the beginning, use your Harpoon to collect floating wooden planks, furniture, and other debris drifting across the ocean.
Instead of stockpiling everything, keep depositing the wood into your crafting machine or use it to upgrade your Bonfire.
Your first major goal is reaching Bonfire Level 3, since it unlocks one of the most valuable buildings in the game.
Build a Sawmill as Soon as Possible
Once your Bonfire reaches Level 3, craft a Sawmill immediately.
This building gives you an unlimited source of wood, producing three wooden planks every time it’s used.
Instead of relying entirely on floating debris, you’ll have a consistent supply available whenever you need it.
If you’re playing with friends, building multiple Sawmills is even better since everyone can use them to speed up resource gathering.
Sawmill Crafting Cost
- 10 Wood
- 2 Metal
Start Farming Metal Early
Metal is much harder to obtain than wood.
Early on, your main sources are:
- Fishing metal from the ocean using your Harpoon.
- Collecting metal while exploring islands.
Eventually you’ll unlock a much easier method.
After upgrading your Bonfire to Level 4, you’ll gain access to the Magnet.
Like the Sawmill, it provides an unlimited resource source, automatically generating Metal over time.
Although it’s slower than gathering materials manually, it’s incredibly useful once your base starts expanding.
Magnet Crafting Cost
- 30 Metal
- 10 Wood
Collect Green Gum
Green Gum isn’t something you’ll need immediately, but it’s worth collecting whenever possible.
After defeating Ghost Pirates, don’t leave their bodies behind.
Place the defeated Ghost Pirate into the crafting machine to obtain Green Gum, which is used for several advanced crafting recipes later in the game.
It’s easy to ignore at first, but you’ll appreciate having a supply ready when you begin crafting higher-tier items.
Never Ignore Food
Running out of food is one of the fastest ways to lose progress.
Once your hunger bar becomes empty, your health stops regenerating and you’ll eventually die if you don’t eat.
Fortunately, there are several reliable ways to stay fed.
Fishing
You begin the game with a Fishing Rod, making fishing your easiest early-game food source.
Simply cast your line and reel in fish whenever prompted.
It’s enough to survive your first few days, although it becomes less efficient later on.
Use Your Harpoon for Extra Food
Your Harpoon isn’t just for gathering resources.
Keep an eye out for:
- Floating potatoes.
- Birds flying over your raft.
Successfully hitting a bird rewards Cooked Bird, which restores a large amount of hunger and is one of the better early food sources.
Build a Crab Trap
Once you’ve gathered enough resources, craft a Crab Trap.
This building automatically produces food over time with almost no effort from the player.
Because it works passively, it removes much of the pressure of constantly fishing.
Many experienced players consider it one of the best early buildings because it keeps your food supply stable while you focus on exploring or building.
Upgrade Your Bonfire First
If you’re unsure where to spend your early resources, the answer is simple:
Upgrade your Bonfire.
The Bonfire unlocks several important buildings as it levels up, including:
- Sawmill (Level 3)
- Magnet (Level 4)
Without upgrading it, your overall progression slows down significantly.
Build the Map Radar
After securing your basic resources, your next important structure should be the Map Radar.
This lets you locate:
- Islands
- Survivors
- Important exploration locations
Instead of sailing blindly across the ocean, you’ll know exactly where to head next, making exploration much more efficient.
Explore Islands Carefully
Islands provide many resources you won’t easily find while staying on your raft.
During exploration, look for:
- Metal
- Useful crafting materials
- Survivors
- Other valuable loot
Try not to stay away from your raft for too long, especially if dangerous enemies are active.
Watch Out for the Angler Fish
The Angler Fish is one of the most dangerous enemies you’ll encounter.
Fortunately, avoiding it is simple.
Always keep your Bonfire lit during the night.
If the Bonfire goes out, the Angler Fish can begin chasing your raft, making survival much more difficult.
A few pieces of fuel are much cheaper than losing your progress.
Defeat Ghost Pirates Whenever Possible
Ghost Pirates aren’t just another enemy.
Besides dropping useful loot, their defeated bodies can be turned into Green Gum, making them valuable targets whenever they appear.
Always collect their remains before continuing your journey.
Rescue Survivors
As you continue exploring, you’ll eventually discover stranded survivors.
Rescuing them gives you companions that can help improve your raft and make future progression easier.
Some companions provide much stronger bonuses than others, so don’t hesitate to replace weaker ones once better options become available.
Best Early Build Order
If you’re wondering exactly what to prioritize, follow this progression:
- Upgrade the Bonfire to Level 3.
- Build a Sawmill.
- Continue collecting Metal.
- Build a Crab Trap.
- Upgrade the Bonfire to Level 4.
- Craft a Magnet.
- Build the Map Radar.
- Expand your raft and continue exploring.
Following this order gives you a stable supply of every essential resource while preparing you for tougher enemies later in the game.
The key to surviving in 100 Days at Sea isn’t fighting stronger enemies—it’s building a reliable economy as early as possible. Focus on upgrading your Bonfire, unlock the Sawmill and Magnet for unlimited resources, keep a Crab Trap running for passive food, and never let your Bonfire go out at night if you want to avoid the Angler Fish. Once your basic survival needs are covered, you’ll be free to explore islands, rescue companions, and prepare for the increasingly difficult days ahead.