Society has advanced so much in the last decades that nowadays it’s hard to properly function without things like coffee in the morning or a couple of beers at the end of a long week. However, one thing remains true since the beginning of time; humans can’t live without water or food.
This is a universal truth that Survival game’s developers know too well, and in hopes of making their games more realistic, they add stats like hunger, health, or thirst to your character, so you’ll have to work and find a way to replenish them.
This exact thing happens in Stranded Deep, a game that, at its core, is all about surviving as a castaway in the Pacific Ocean. And to do so, you’ll have to learn what you can cook and how to do so. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about Cooking in Stranded Deep.
What Can You Cook
There are plenty of animals you can catch, kill and cook in Stranded Deep. Depending on the creature’s size, it’ll give you a small, medium, or large piece of meat.
Small Meat
This one is the most common types of meat in the game. It will take a short amount of time to be cooked and smoked. You’ll obtain small meat from:
The Archer Fish: A type of fish you’ll find in shallow waters near islands. You can catch it using a fishing spear, fish trap, or a fishing rod. Although it is best to use the Fishing Spear with this one.
The Discus Fish: Just like the Archer Fish, Discus fish are found in shallow waters near islands. Using a fishing spear will be more than enough to get the job done.
Sardines: Since sardines are the most easily accessible food source, you’ll probably be eating lots of these when starting out in the game. This species can be found in shallow waters, and it is best to use a fishing spear with them.
Seagulls: If you look up to the sky, chances are you’ll see a seagull flying around. Since they can fly, the best way to catch one is to place a bird snare on the ground and wait until an unsuspecting Seagull lands on it.
Crabs: You’ll find these little guys walking around the island or in very shallow waters. Just like in real life, crabs are really easy to kill, just choose any weapon and go catch dinner!
Bats: You’ll see these ones flying during nighttime. Since bird snares won’t work on them, the best thing you can do is use any ranged weapon or throw spears at them when they’re hanging from palm trees.
Medium Meat
Once you’ve gotten the hang of catching and cooking small meat, test your skill by moving on to bigger animals to obtain medium meat. This type of meat requires 2/10 of a full campfire, while smoking requires 4/10 of a whole smoker. You’ll get medium meat from:
Boars: These creatures can be found on any island that’s big enough. Once killed, they’ll give you two rawhides as well as two medium meat. Any weapon will work to deal with them. Just keep in mind Boars are slightly faster than you, so hitting them first stealthily is a good idea.
Giant Crabs: Watch out; these guys are nothing like their smaller cousins. Giant crabs will deal a lot more damage to you, but they’ll never go into the water, which you can use to your advantage if you’re ever in danger when trying to catch them. You can use melee weapons to kill them and receive 2 medium meat.
Cods: This type of fish can be found in the deep sea or near the edges of any island. They’ll give you one medium meat, and it is best to use a fishing spear when fishing them.
Giant Grouper Fish: You’ll be able to see these big guys swimming in shallow waters; they are easy to spot due to how they look and how big they are. Any weapon is good to use when trying to catch the Giant Grouper Fish. Just keep in mind that, since they are so big, you won’t be able to store them in your inventory once killed and will need to be dragged around.
Large Meat
This one is the best type of meat you can gather since it’s the one that will give you the most food bars in the game. However, large meat will also take longer to cook and smoke. Cooking and smoking this type of meat will also require more fuel. You can get large meat from:
Sharks: The first thing you’ll need to know is that there are two categories of sharks in Stranded Deep, aggressive and non-hostile. Both can be killed for food, but the strategy you use will vary depending on the shark’s behavior.
Hogs: These ones are like the stronger and aggressive version of boars, they’ll be more of a challenge, but the rewards will make hunting them worth it. Since it’s possible to outrun these creatures, using ranged weapons is the way to go.
What You’ll Need To Cook
Cooking isn’t super complicated in this survival game, but you’ll need to craft and gather a couple of materials first before you can eat the delicious fauna you’ll find on the islands.
To cook something, you’ll have to have a Campfire, a craftable structure that can be made from four sticks. Once this item is crafted, you can refill the fire by using Wood Sticks, Palm Fronds, or Fibrous leaves.
- Keep in mind some items will be better than others for this purpose. For example, you only need four wood sticks to completely refill the fire, while you’ll need 12 Fibrous leaves to achieve the same thing.
And while Campfires certainly get the work done, the best thing you can do after crafting one is to upgrade it immediately with a Fire Pit. This upgrade will not only allow you to cook food for a longer time, but it will also unlock three further upgrades like:
- Fire Spit: This upgrade allows you to have to cook two things at the same time. The Smoker: With this upgrade, you’ll have up to six cooking slots. Not only that, but it can also smoke food if you leave it on the top part for a longer time. Once smoked, food won’t spoil. Just keep in mind that food needs to be cooked first before it can be smoked. The Hobo Stove: With this upgrade, you’ll get almost an infinite number of cooking slots since it can cook as much food as you can fit on its grate.
How To Cook Something
The first thing you’ll have to do is prepare the animal you want to cook by skinning them. To do so, you’ll have to craft and equip the Refined knife. Basically, this process transforms the animal corpse into a chunk of meat you can later cook.
Once you have your piece of meat, simply drag it to the fire to start the cooking process.
General Advice
When fishing, keep an eye out for sharks, unless you want to go from predator to prey. A good thing to do is use a shark repellent to keep them away, especially if you’re trying to catch fish in open waters.
Keep an eye out on the color of your meat; raw, cooked, smoked, and spoiled meat all have different colors that will give you a hint on the condition of said meat.
Shark meat will only spoil after you’ve skinned the animal’s carcass, so you can keep them as a long-lasting food source.
NEXT: Stranded Deep: How To Get Water
