Quick Guide
- Prioritize immediate food gathering from the abyssal pool using new survivors.
- Scavenge surface ruins for crucial blueprints to craft essential gear.
- Strictly avoid the deadly "Rain Touched" creatures; swim away fast.
- Manage survivors by assigning roles and upgrading your camp for deeper dives.
- Seek out idols and make offerings to appease the Rain Maker and stave off the flood.
Navigating the Deluge: Your First Steps in DIVE or DIE - Children of Rain
In the harrowing world of DIVE or DIE - Children of Rain, survival isn't just a goal; it's a daily struggle against a relentless, waterlogged apocalypse. The sky turned black, the rain brought agony, and now, the oceans have swallowed continents, leaving humanity clinging to mountain peaks. To outlive the flood, you must embrace the depths. If you're just starting your journey on Steam, understanding how to survive your first 10 days is paramount to establishing a foothold in this unforgiving underwater realm.
This guide will equip you with the knowledge to make critical early-game decisions, gather vital resources, and avoid the numerous threats lurking beneath the surface. Your initial days are a delicate balance of exploration, resource management, and risk assessment as you learn the ropes of DIVE or DIE.
Day 1-3: Immediate Survival and Resource Scavenging
The moment you find yourself in charge of a struggling camp, the priority shifts to immediate sustenance. Food stores are dry, and your survivors can't function on empty bellies.
Securing Food and Gear
Your first critical task is to send new arrivals, often referred to as "fresh meat," into the abyssal pool to fetch food. Equip them with a knife and direct them to "take a plunge in the pool." This initial dive is crucial for replenishing your camp's food supply.
While some survivors are gathering food, dispatch others to search nearby ruined buildings. Specifically, head to the east near the surface. Word has it there's a valuable blueprint to be found there. Blueprints are essential for crafting better gear and improving your chances of survival in DIVE or DIE.
Prioritize new recruits for initial dives.
Your "fresh meat" survivors are best suited for the immediate food runs and blueprint searches, as they need to "pull their weight" and contribute early on.
Avoiding the Rain Touched
From the very beginning, you'll hear warnings about the "Rain Touched." These blighted entities are extremely dangerous, and "ain't no coming back from that" if you encounter them. When venturing into the depths, instruct your divers to "steer clear of the rain touched." If one is spotted, the only advice is to "swim fast and don't look back." Their guts won't help you survive, so evasion is key.
Days 4-7: Expanding Your Camp and Managing Survivors
As the first few days pass, your focus should broaden from immediate survival to establishing a more stable foundation for your camp.
Crafting and Camp Upgrades
With blueprints in hand from your early scavenging, begin crafting essential tools and equipment. The official game summary highlights the importance of assigning vital roles to your survivors, improving their skillsets, and crafting new tools. Balancing your limited resources against time to upgrade essential structures is key. A stronger camp directly translates to deeper dives and better chances of surviving another day.
Strategic Expeditions
Expeditions are a core mechanic for long-term growth. Community reports suggest that expeditions are the exclusive way to obtain higher-tier survivors and certain unique traits. As your camp stabilizes, start planning these deeper ventures to strengthen your workforce and unlock advanced capabilities. Remember, managing your survivors effectively by assigning roles and improving their skills will be vital for these more ambitious undertakings.
Days 8-10: Facing Deeper Threats and Proving Your Faith
As you approach the end of your first 10 days, the true scale of the world's peril and the Rain Maker's influence becomes clearer. The "maker's gaze" is watching, and "just a few weeks now till the maker drowns us in his reckoning."
Seeking Idols and Making Offerings
To keep the flood at bay, you are tasked with proving your faith by seeking out the Rain Maker's idols and laying them at an altar. The first idol is located in a ruined building "claimed by the depths." Listen for heartbeats to locate it. Making "proper offerings to the altar" may grant you the Rain Maker's blessing. This religious aspect adds another layer of objective beyond simple resource gathering.
Navigating Hazardous Zones
As you seek more idols, you'll be directed to dive "far to the east," through "rags," "toxic wasteland," and a "house of slaughter." These descriptions hint at increasingly dangerous environments. Keep an ear out for the "rain serpent" – feeding it a "good old treat" might "fair you off yonder," suggesting a potential way to bypass or interact with this creature. However, the primary rule remains: avoid the Rain Touched at all costs.
Surviving these initial days in DIVE or DIE - Children of Rain means carefully balancing resource needs, managing your growing (or shrinking) group of survivors, and cautiously exploring the dangerous, waterlogged world.
Essential Survival Tips for DIVE or DIE Beginners
- Resource Management is Key: Food and crafting materials are always in demand. Plan your dives carefully to maximize yields.
- Prioritize Blueprints: Early blueprints unlock essential crafting options, making your camp and divers more effective.
- Know Your Threats: The "Rain Touched" are an immediate and lethal danger. Evasion is your best defense. Be aware of other environmental hazards like toxic wastelands.
- Survivor Specialization: Assigning roles and improving survivor skills will optimize your operations and improve expedition success rates.
- Camp Upgrades: Invest in your camp's infrastructure. A stronger base allows for deeper and safer dives.
- Heed the Lore: The game's narrative elements, such as seeking idols and making offerings, are tied to larger survival mechanics and objectives.
For more information on the game and its mechanics, visit the official DIVE or DIE - Children of Rain Steam page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get food in the early game of DIVE or DIE Steam?
In the first few days, send new survivors ("fresh meat") equipped with knives into the abyssal pool to gather food for your camp.
Where can I find blueprints to craft gear?
Search the ruined building located to the east near the surface. This is a crucial early-game task to help you survive your first 10 days.
What should I do if I encounter a "Rain Touched" creature?
The best strategy is to avoid them entirely. If you spot one, "swim fast and don't look back," as they are extremely dangerous and cannot be defeated easily.
Is there a long-term objective beyond just gathering resources?
Yes, you need to seek out the Rain Maker's idols and lay them at altars. Making proper offerings is believed to keep the flood at bay and is a critical part of the main objective in DIVE or DIE.