Welcome to the treacherous, poetic darkness of Sunless Sea. Whether you discovered this guide while diving into the game for the first time or came here after seeing a strong recommendation elsewhere, this article is designed to help you gain your sea legs. With its mix of exploration, resource management, story-driven choices, and punishing consequences, Sunless Sea is more than just a survival game—it’s a living novel, and you’re its protagonist.

Choosing Your Past – And Your Path

Your journey begins by selecting your background—your story before you took the helm. While it’s tempting to pick what sounds cool, each option gives a bonus to a specific stat: Iron, Pages, Mirrors, or Hearts. These aren’t just flavor choices. They’re foundational.

Iron boosts your combat damage. Simple and direct. Mirrors helps with detection and perception, which can seem subtle at first but is crucial for survival and success in later encounters. Hearts improves survivability and your chance of passing skill checks involving your crew and morale. Pages, which increases your ability to understand and decipher secrets, is perhaps the hardest to level later in the game—making it a wise pick if you plan to specialize.

You can also choose the mysterious background of having no past, which provides no immediate stat bonuses. But keep in mind: if you complete a certain mission later, all future captains will gain a permanent bonus—so the risk may be worth the reward.

Officers, Stats, and Secrets

Leveling up in Sunless Sea isn’t about grinding enemies. Stats grow primarily through your officers and secrets. Officers are crew members with specific roles—surgeon, gunner, cook, etc.—and each brings their own story and stat bonuses. Only one officer can fill each role, so pay attention to their stats and don’t double up on roles you already have covered.

Once aboard, officers aren’t just passive bonuses. You can engage in conversations with them, trade secrets to increase your stats, and even develop romantic relationships. These interactions often unlock side quests, deepen lore, and flesh out your journey with unexpected twists.

Secrets are one of the game’s most valuable currencies. They’re primarily spent upgrading your core stats through officer interactions. Save and use them wisely.

First Steps in London

When docked in London, you’ll receive your first mission—an opportunity to transport someone, kickstarting your voyage. Early-game advice? Head to Venderbight. (Or Vanderbright, depending on your pronunciation mood.) While much of the map is procedurally generated, the zones near London remain relatively consistent.

Pro tip: buy as much Mushroom Wine as you can carry. When sold at Venderbight, it gives a small but safe profit. Keep fuel and supplies balanced to avoid being stranded—or worse, forced to eat your crew.

Port Reports and Admiralty Favors

Each port offers a report. Gather them, then return to London and turn them in to the Admiralty for echoes (currency) and Admiralty Favors. These favors are more than just reputation—they’re spendable for fuel, quests, and even advancing storyline options.

Revisit ports to get updated reports and sometimes free supplies. The more unique or distant the location, the better your reward. As your Hearts stat increases, you’ll gain better fuel returns when cashing in favors. Even a failed attempt gives you some fuel, so it’s always worth doing.

Building a Legacy: Love, Family, and Succession

Beyond stats and strategy, Sunless Sea offers a strangely heartwarming feature: you can start a family. Build romances, receive gifts, and eventually father a child. To raise your child and create an heir, you’ll need to purchase a townhouse for 1000 echoes and make a will (100-200 echoes).

The benefits? When your captain inevitably dies, you can pass certain bonuses and items to your next character. It adds meaning to your voyages—your legacy isn’t just about wealth but continuity.

Keep in mind: once your child heads to zee (a decision influenced by items you gift them), you can no longer spend time at home to reduce stress. So use those moments of peace wisely before they sail away.

Trading, Earning, and the Salt Lions Run

While there are many trading opportunities, few are consistent. However, one reliable early-game method is the Salt Lions run. You’ll need:

• 200 echoes
• 20 empty cargo space

Haul stone from the Salt Lions to London, netting a 300-echo profit per trip. The final trip offers a story quest. Though the Salt Lions aren’t always in the exact same spot, they’re generally east of London’s region. Use your zubmariner tools to search safely and stop when scanning to ensure accurate readings.

Ship Upgrades and Avoiding Mistakes

Ships are costly, and so are upgrades. Before purchasing any equipment, check your ship’s available slots. The starter ship lacks a forward slot—buying a forward gun, as many mistakenly do, results in wasted money.

Each ship offers different slots (forward, aft, deck, etc.). The 4,000-echo ship upgrade provides better flexibility. Weapons vary in type, including torpedo launchers, which require torpedo components. Consider each weapon’s usefulness—some are better against sea beasts, others against ships. And while damaging crew is possible, destroying ships is usually more efficient.

Supplies, Fuel, Repairs, and Fear

Fuel burns faster than supplies. Keep your cargo balanced, especially if running the Salt Lions loop. Most outposts charge much higher prices for resupply, if they offer it at all.

You can repair at sea if your hull is above 50%, but it’s slow and eats supplies. London repairs are cheaper and faster.

As for fear—don’t let it creep too high. At 100, you may suffer terrible consequences. Visiting your family and spending time at your lodgings reduces it. Anything that brings you home safely is a tool against madness.

Final Advice: It’s a Story First

Sunless Sea is a text adventure cloaked in survival gameplay. Combat, trading, and stats are tools—but not the point. The real treasure is the world’s stories, the prose-rich descriptions, and the bittersweet decisions that shape your journey.

Maneuver wisely in battle (staying behind enemies helps), use your light tactically, and always keep a secret or two in your back pocket. But most importantly, sail with curiosity. Whether you return in triumph or not, there’s glory in the journey itself.

Bon voyage, captain.