Raft may only have been officially moved out of early access on Steam and properly released recently, but it has been in early access mode and in various stages of release for over four years now. Many players are already experts and have experienced (nearly) everything that this expansive survival game has to offer.
Whether players are looking to experience absolutely every aspect of this game possible or just find some new, strange things that are possible within the confines of the newly released version, open-world survival games always almost have something else that can be found or explored.
6 Max Out Ship Speed
It can seem like rafts never fully finish speeding up. From only using the power of the wind, which will always keep the raft moving at 1.5m/s unabated, to using paddles and even engines which speed things up considerably, it seems like there is no maximum potential for raft speed. There actually is, and it comes from using all the options simultaneously.
Sails add an extra 0.2m/s under the right wind conditions and an engine can tack on another 0.5m/s under the best of conditions. A paddle is actually more useful than either or both of these items, as steady paddling can add 0.8m/s to the overall raft speed. Using a paddle, sail, and two engines, players can find the maximum overall speed of 3.2m/s, which cannot effectively be exceeded in the game under current conditions.
5 Swim Under The Islands
Although players will probably know about swimming into the reefs around islands to find other materials not to be found above the surface of the ocean, there is another secret to be found beneath the waves. Players may assume that there is no way to go beneath the islands, however, as they appear to rest on the bottom of the ocean floor at a cursory glance.
However, it is possible if players swim outwards from the islands to find a gap beneath the sand that allows them to effectively exit the map and swim directly underneath the island object. Players can even swim inside the islands, as the objects making them up are actually hollow. This makes for a fun view of the map and is a bit of a surprising game-breaking feature.
4 Have A Pet Rock
Generally, if a rock falls or lands on the player’s raft then it will smash on impact and no longer be an item. However, there are certain circumstances under which a rock can land on the raft without smashing and can be saved for some time.
Eventually, even these rocks will disappear. But they can be kept as a unique trophy and there are multiple ways to do it. Occasionally, a treasure pile can produce a screecher’s rock which will not smash, and these can be pushed around and even rolled down a ramp. This enables them to reach the raft where they will remain until the island they came from despawns.
3 Find The Scrap Duck
The Scrap Mechanic Duck is a reference to another game by Axolot Games, called Scrap Mechanic. It is a miscellaneous item in Raft and an Easter Egg which can be quite difficult to find. It can be fished up using either a wooden or metal fishing rod. However, the drop rate for the duck is incredibly low, making it a rare and difficult find.
Players using either type of rod will only have a 0.67% drop rate in-game. This makes it one of the rarest items in the game. It is a reference to the Scrap Mechanic series from AnthonyCSN of NeebsGaming, who did a well-known series that was recognized by Axolot Games, during which he often talked about his love for ducks.
2 Build A Castle Raft
Obviously building a really cool raft is an obvious thing for players, particularly creative ones who love building in similar survival games, to try out. However, attempting to build a castle raft complete with battlements and walls. While this is easier to achieve in creative mode, it can also be built using survival with some planning and effort.
To create a castle, players should focus on using old foundations because of the reduced cost. Building one in survival would definitely be a frustrating, near-impossible experience even, but it would be a great achievement if players can manage it.
1 Have A Raft Forest
Yes, it is even possible to grow trees on a raft in-game. When players chop down a large or small palm tree on an island, they will receive five wooden planks and two palm leaves. But it is also possible to receive coconuts or palm seeds when this happens. If players get a palm seed, they can plant a new palm tree in any large crop plot on their raft.
It is unlikely that players will manage to build an entire forest because of the low drop rate of palm seeds (11.8%) but it can be managed and creates a great atmosphere for any raft. It is also possible to destroy red flowers and gather red seeds as a dropped item to grow new red flowers in any crop plot on the raft.