Don't Sleep With The Fishes Walkthrough
A spoiler-aware survival route from ship evacuation to rescue. This walkthrough is being built with in-game verification. Core survival principles below are based on official game mechanics.
Quick Answer
This walkthrough gives you a safe route through the opening ship evacuation, early survival days, mid-game night events, and late-game rescue conditions. Spoiler-heavy ending routes are linked separately so you can choose how much you want to reveal.
Spoiler-Aware Mode
This walkthrough focuses on survival principles rather than spoiling specific story outcomes. For ending-specific routes, see the Endings Guide.
Ship Evacuation — First Scavenge
You have limited time before the ship sinks. Your goal: grab essential items and throw them into your lifeboat.
- Prioritize: Fishing Rod, Bait, Flare Gun, Anchor, Duct Tape, Flashlight
- Food and water items are secondary — you can fish for food later
- Medical supplies are valuable for dangerous events
- You can only bring ONE crew member — see the Beginner Guide for shipmate choices
- Don't waste time on decorative or unknown items unless you have space
Days 1–3 — Establish Survival
Your first three days are about stabilizing food, health, and boat condition.
- Day actions: Fish (if you have Bait + Rod), Eat, Repair boat if damaged
- Chat with your shipmate — they provide morale and may offer support actions
- In v1.1.2, Bait is only consumed when you actually catch a fish (was: always consumed)
- Duct Tape repair is now optional in v1.1.2 — save it for Leak/Eerie Melody events if boat is in good condition
- If you don't have Bait, prioritize finding or trading for it
Days 4–10 — Mid-Game & Events
Night events become more frequent and dangerous. Conserve your best items for critical encounters.
- Save Flare Gun and Flashlight for Hope / Other People events (rescue route)
- Keep Anchor ready for Giant Squid and Whirlpool — these can destroy your boat
- Duct Tape counters Leak and Eerie Melody — don't waste it on minor repairs
- If you hear eerie melody, use Duct Tape, Bucket, or Umbrella — NOT Spyglass or Flashlight (community report)
- Track your food supply — starvation is a common death cause
Late Game — Rescue Conditions
Once stable, focus on meeting rescue conditions. In v1.1.2, rescue ending chance was slightly increased.
- Use Flare Gun during Hope events to signal for rescue
- Flashlight can also work for signaling — save it as a backup
- If pursuing True Ending, investigate Heart of the Sea and Giant Squid interactions
- Keep your boat repaired and morale up — both may affect ending eligibility
Verification Status
This walkthrough is being verified in-game for v1.1.2. The survival principles above are based on official game mechanics (itch page + v1.1.2 devlog). Specific event counters and optimal item pairings are being tested. See the Events Guide and Items Guide for detailed counter tables with source confidence labels.
Common Failure Points
- Starving because you forgot Bait or a Fishing Rod
- Boat destroyed by Giant Squid or Whirlpool — always keep Anchor
- Shipmate killed during Eyes event — stay awake
- Missing rescue because you used Flare Gun on non-Hope events
- Wasting Duct Tape on minor repairs instead of saving for Eerie Melody
- Not tracking health — some events deal hidden damage