How to use this route

This is the main hand-in chain in Steam build 25604825, reviewed on 6 November 2026. It is not a damage chart. The beginner guide stops at the opening tutorial. Map reading stays on the islands and radar guide. Individual fight notes stay on the boss guide.

A new save sets the unlocked island count to 2. The radar draws one dot per unlocked island, so two islands are visible before you finish a later quest. The Islet update also added mini-islands, a bow, and the Crab Carcass bait. Those are extra. They are not steps in the five hand-ins below.

When a quest wants more than one item, the NPC shows your count over the required total. Sell shops are separate: handing them a catch pays you and does not advance the island count.

1. First island and the boat

  1. Talk to the keeper. The quest asset asks for one Beer.
  2. Bring that Beer. The reward bait is the Empty Beer Can, and the game selects it for you. Its catch table contains only the Spider Crab. The item text calls it the bait for the crustacean boss, and the achievement calls this "Who stole my beer."
  3. Catch and defeat the Spider Crab. You cannot respawn during a boss fight, and the game can tell you the boss is leaving.
  4. Turn in the Spider Crab Shell. That quest type unlocks the boat. This is the only UnlockBoat call in this build.
  5. The keeper's lines also tell you to use the radar while you are in the boat and while you look for islands. There is a separate Boat Radar purchase; it is not the same object as the handheld Radar.

2. Second island

The Steam achievement calls this dinner for the lady in the forest.

  1. Hand her three Leeches. The quest asset stores 3, and the counter appears because the total is greater than 1. Details are on the leech guide.
  2. She gives Leech Bait and selects it. That bait's table contains only the Giant Piranha. Her completed line says to have a gun, and that bare hands are dangerous for this fight.
  3. Turn in the Giant Piranha Skeleton. That raises the unlocked island count to 3, so the radar draws a third dot.

3. Third island

The achievement calls this helping the tourist swim.

  1. Hand in one of these seven items: Superdwarf Fish, Seahorse, Oarfish, Needlefish, Dripper, Bowlfish, or Bing Bong. The quest total is 1, so any one of them completes it. The NPC calls the request an endangered creature and says you will know it when you see it.
  2. The reward is the Carrot, selected as your bait. Its table contains only the Pufferfish.
  3. Turn in the Pufferfish Fin. That raises the unlocked island count to 4.

The grillmaster on this island wants either a Blue Shark or a Goblin Shark. That unlocks the grill. It does not change the island count.

4. Fourth island

  1. The Professional Boss Lure's table contains only Tuna. Catch one and do not sell it.
  2. Leave the Tuna inside the bird's trigger and do not hold it. The spawner starts the Albatross from that food item. The NPC says the bird smells tuna and to lay the fish on the grass, and the achievement calls this the terrorizing bird.
  3. Turn in the Albatross Head. That raises the unlocked island count to 5 and matches the flash-drive line about coordinates to another island.

5. Fifth island and the way home

  1. The scientist's bait quest wants five creatures. The asset allows any creature, and the reward is the Fish Bucket. Its table contains only the Bowhead Whale. The achievement calls this the military's big creature.
  2. Defeat the Bowhead Whale. While you are holding it, the volcano trigger will not take it.
  3. Put the dead whale into the volcano trigger. The trigger waits three seconds, then spawns the Mutated Bowhead Whale. Do this when no other boss is already active.
  4. Turn in the Whale Fin. That quest marks the final boss killed. The completed line says to take the keys if you want to head home.
  5. Look at the end-game boat. Before that flag is set, the prompt is "Can't Drive" and "No Keys." After the flag is set, and while no boss is active, the prompt is "Get Back." Using it starts the credits and the "We are so back" achievement, then sends you to the first island index.

If a hand-in does nothing

  • The next island count changes only when you take the reward for an unlock quest. Killing the boss is not the unlock by itself.
  • Keep the named turn-in: Shell, Skeleton, Fin, or Head. The quest item flag is on those objects.
  • A boss that leaves has to be started again. You also cannot respawn during the fight.
  • The home boat stays on "No Keys" until the Whale Fin quest has set the final-boss flag.