Field guide
01Use objectives to measure progress
The official game description ties new islands to quests and boss fights. That means a larger cash total alone is not proof that the next location should open. When a run feels stalled, begin by checking the current objective rather than repeating ordinary catches without a purpose.
This distinction helps separate two different loops. Catching and selling funds equipment, while objectives move the journey forward. Both matter, but mixing them up is how a player can spend a long time farming and still miss the hand-in that the island actually needs.
02Treat boss drops as possible hand-ins
The material repeatedly warns that quest givers may need a distinct boss trophy or another unusual hand-in instead of generic meat. After a boss dies, identify the item that looks different before clearing the rest of the drops. Keep it until the nearby quest response confirms that the step is complete.
This page deliberately uses trophy as a neutral description rather than assigning unsupported inventory names. Early item labels vary between skull, fin, tail and bone-like shapes, so their wording is not fully consistent. The reliable habit is to protect the unusual piece and test it at the quest giver first.
03Let each island give the next task
Talk to available quest characters when reaching a new area, then make the next trip solve a named problem. The supplied material presents bosses and local objectives as the route to later islands with more dangerous creatures and stronger equipment. A task-led plan reduces unnecessary return travel and keeps important catches connected to a purpose.
The material does not support a complete published island order or a list of exact unlock requirements. For that reason, this guide avoids inventing island names, timings or mandatory prices. It documents the confirmed relationship between objectives, hand-ins and exploration while later steps remain under review.
04Separate travel upgrades from route gates
A radar and boat engine are described in the collected material as tools that reduce travel friction. They can make repeated trips easier, but they do not replace a missing quest step. Buy or use travel help when movement is the current bottleneck, not as a substitute for checking the objective.
This is why a focused loadout is safer than purchasing every visible option. Equipment should answer a known problem: slow travel, a difficult fight or a lack of flexibility. A universal purchase order is not confirmed, so any broader ranking remains outside this page.
05Preserve the optional goals for later
Rare variants, drip creatures, trick shots, gambling and Steam achievements all add things to pursue around the main route. They are meaningful systems, but they do not override an unfinished objective when the goal is a new island. Leave room in the plan to collect, then return to the quest chain before the next gate is forgotten.
When playing with others, say who carries the key hand-in and who is following the current objective. Co-op can make travel and combat livelier, but a scattered crew can lose track of the important drop. Clear ownership protects progress without relying on unsupported route shortcuts.