It is a unique open-world survival game developed by Redbeet Interactive and published by Axolot Games. Set on the vast and endless ocean, the game drops players on a small wooden raft equipped with only a hook and their wits.
What starts as a fight for survival turns into an epic adventure across mysterious islands, underwater caverns, and sunken ruins.
Combining exploration, crafting, and survival mechanics, Raft delivers a relaxing yet challenging experience as players try to stay alive in an ever-changing seascape filled with danger and discovery.
Development and Release of Raft
Originally released as a free prototype on Itch.io in 2016, Raft quickly gained popularity for its innovative concept and was later expanded into a full game. It officially launched into early access on Steam in May 2018 and saw its full 1.0 release in June 2022.
Developers Redbeet Interactive continued to improve the game with major updates, community feedback, and content expansions, making it one of the most beloved titles in the survival genre.
If Raft captured your attention, you’ll find subnautica: below zero offers a similarly intense yet beautiful survival challenge on the ocean’s edge.
Storyline and Setting of Game
Set in a flooded world where civilization has been overtaken by rising waters, players find themselves adrift on a small wooden raft with minimal resources.
Using a plastic hook, you must gather floating debris to survive. However, as the game unfolds, players uncover a deeper story through abandoned facilities, radio signals, and journal entries scattered across the ocean.
Exploration eventually reveals massive islands, mysterious buildings, and secrets about what caused the world to become submerged. The game’s setting shifts from calming waves to eerie research stations, offering both tranquility and tension throughout your journey.
Game Modes of Raft
Raft provides flexible game modes for all playstyles:
- Single-Player Mode: Play solo, build your floating empire, and uncover the world’s secrets at your own pace.
- Multiplayer Co-Op: Team up with friends to collect resources, construct elaborate rafts, and explore together. Teamwork becomes crucial during shark attacks and island explorations.
- Creative Mode: Focus on building without survival stress. This mode removes hunger, thirst, and threats, allowing pure creativity.
- Hard Mode: For seasoned players, this mode increases difficulty by adding permanent death and more aggressive enemies.
Gameplay Mechanics of Raft
The gameplay loop in Raft revolves around resource gathering, crafting, and base building:
- Resource Hooking: Use your hook to gather debris like planks, plastic, leaves, and barrels from the ocean. These are essential for crafting tools, building your raft, and cooking food.
- Building and Crafting: Construct foundations, walls, floors, and even multi-story structures. Craft water purifiers, grills, sails, and research tables to progress.
- Shark Encounters: A hostile shark constantly circles your raft, attacking it at intervals. Players must defend and repair their base to survive.
- Exploration: Sail toward random islands or major story locations. Collect rare resources, discover blueprints, and progress the game’s narrative.
- Health and Survival: Players must monitor thirst and hunger by crafting food and water supplies. Weather and time of day also affect survival.
Beginner Tips and Tricks
If you’re just starting out in Raft, these tips will help you stay afloat:
- Prioritize a Spear and Purifier: The wooden spear is essential for fending off the shark. Craft a water purifier and grill early to avoid dehydration and hunger.
- Use Nets for Passive Gathering: Build collection nets along the front of your raft to automatically gather resources while you sail.
- Anchor Before Exploring Islands: Always drop an anchor before leaving your raft. The ocean current will carry it away if left unattended.
- Research Everything: The research table allows you to unlock advanced tools, building parts, and survival gear.
- Watch for Seagulls and Sharks: Seagulls will attack your crops, and sharks attack your raft. Always be alert and ready to repair or defend.
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Few Important Features of Raft Game
Some of Raft’s most defining features make it stand out from other survival games in both setting and mechanics.
1) Expansive Ocean World
Raft trades forests and mountains for a vast, open sea, offering a unique survival environment. The ocean is filled with drifting debris, sunken treasures, mysterious islands, and narrative-rich locations.
This endless water world gives players a constant sense of discovery and danger. Whether you’re scavenging barrels or sailing toward a silhouette on the horizon, exploration feels limitless.
2) Customizable Raft Building
Building your floating base is not just functional—it’s a creative outlet. From modest rafts with a sail and grill to towering, multi-deck fortresses, the design possibilities are nearly endless.
Every platform, wall, and decorative piece is up to you, allowing for both practical layouts and ambitious architectural experiments. Your raft grows with your journey.
3) Co-op Focused Gameplay
Raft shines brightest when played with friends. Multiplayer is smooth and allows others to join or leave freely, enabling shared tasks like fishing, steering, or defending against the shark.
Cooperation becomes key when exploring islands or navigating large story zones. Together, survival becomes not only easier but far more enjoyable.
4) Immersive Environmental Storytelling
The game’s narrative is subtly woven into the world through visual cues, discovered notes, and abandoned locations. Instead of cutscenes, players piece together the story by exploring and paying attention.
This approach makes storytelling feel organic and encourages curiosity, rewarding those who take time to dig deeper into the game’s mystery.
5) Dynamic Day-Night Cycle and Weather
Raft features shifting weather conditions and a full day-night cycle that influences gameplay. Nightfall reduces visibility, storms can make navigation tougher, and sunny days help with solar-powered devices.
These environmental changes create immersion while subtly impacting how you plan each day at sea.
Advanced Survival Techniques
Once you’ve mastered the basics, use these strategies to thrive:
- Create a Farm Area: Plant crops like potatoes and beets. Later, raise animals like goats and llamas for wool and milk.
- Expand Vertically: Build up rather than out. This protects your items from shark attacks and helps organize space efficiently.
- Install Navigational Tools: Use a receiver and antennae to locate story islands and treasure-rich zones on the ocean.
- Stockpile Before Long Journeys: Gather ample food, water, tools, and building materials before heading into story-heavy locations.
- Combine Defensive Structures: Place scarecrows near crops and reinforce raft edges with stronger materials to prevent damage.
Why Raft Game Stands Out
Raft carves its own niche in the survival genre by delivering a serene yet suspenseful world where players drift through beauty and danger. Its unique premise, where the sea is both your home and biggest threat, creates a refreshing twist on traditional survival formulas.
The blend of storytelling, construction, and survival mechanics—combined with the calm of ocean travel and the tension of predator attacks—keeps players engaged for hours. Whether you’re crafting, exploring, or fighting off sharks, every moment in Raft feels meaningful and rewarding.
System Requirements
To run Raft smoothly on PC, make sure your setup meets these minimum specs:
- OS: Windows 7 or later (64-bit)
- Processor: 2.6 GHz Dual Core
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 500 / Radeon HD 7000
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 10 GB available space
Whether you’re drifting alone or surviving with friends, Raft is a journey of discovery, creativity, and oceanic survival. Its evolving gameplay and open-ended adventure ensure there’s always something new waiting just beyond the horizon.
