An in-depth guide on how to find and collect basic resources in Sunkenland
Sunkenland is a game about collecting and using resources left behind after the world sank. Each of these resources has its specific uses, and some are much more difficult to come by than others. Whether you’re building up your base, crafting a new piece of equipment, or saving up for a brand-new boat, you’ll need a lot of resources throughout your time on the open seas.
This guide will walk you through the process behind gathering each of the game’s standard resources, explain how they can be used, and offer advice on the best places to find them.
How to Get Wood Planks
Wood is a pretty basic resource in Sunkenland, used to build structures and furniture, fuel fires, and craft basic equipment. But without swaths of land flush with trees, gathering wood can be a challenge. First things first, you’ll likely need an axe of any type. With your tool in hand, there are four main sources of wood you can seek out:
- Loose Branches — which can sometimes be found on the ground around wooded islands and can be collected by hand.
- Bushes — which grow on grassy islands and occasionally drop seeds that can be replanted in a planter box.
- Trees — Though they don’t drop seeds, they do produce far more wood than any other source.
- Furniture — Furniture of any kind that shows an axe icon when you approach it can be broken down for wood and other resources. Furniture can be found underwater at dive sites or inside enemy bases.
How to Get Scrap Metal
Next to wood, Scrap Metal is the second most commonly used resource in the game. A sturdier material overall, these rusted scraps are used in everything from construction to ammunition, weapons, and much more. :
- Scrap Piles — Scrap piles are commonly occurring resource nodes that can be found around islands, at underwater dive sites, and in enemy bases.
- Rusted Vehicles — Oftentimes, vehicles such as cars, vans, and even tractors can be found around dive sites. These vehicles can be scavenged as a reliable source of scrap metal, among other resources.
- Barrels and Metal Trash — Certain metal resource nodes, such as trash cans or fuel and chemical barrels, can yield scrap metal in addition to other resources when scavenged.
- Loot Containers — Sometimes low-value loot containers, such as toolboxes and dumpsters, will contain a handful of scrap metal you can collect.
How to Get Cloth
Cloth is a less common material in Sunkenland, used to craft rope, armor, bags, planters, bandages, smokeless powder, and furniture. Cloth doesn’t have its own resource node, but it can be gathered from a couple of different sources:
- Rusted Vehicles — The simplest way to gather cloth is to scavenge rusted vehicles found around islands and dive sites.
- Cotton — After locating cotton plants or seeds, you can create a renewable source of cloth by growing cotton and using it to craft cloth.
- Furniture — Furniture found in enemy bases and dive sites can be broken down with an axe for resources such as wood and cloth. Furniture with visible fabric, such as couches, armchairs, and beds, are much more likely to yield cloth than other variants.
How to Get Glass
Glass is a non-renewable resource used to craft bottles, components, and certain structures. There aren’t many ways to source glass, so it is important to know where to look:
- Rusted Vehicles — Scavenging rusted cars, vans, and other vehicles is a great way to source glass and other materials.
- Trash — Trash cans, recycling bins, and similar resource nodes contain a grab-bag of resources that can include glass.
- Loot Containers — Low-value loot containers, such as toolboxes and dumpsters, occasionally contain quantities of glass you can collect.
How to Get Rubber
Rubber is another non-renewable but surprisingly useful resource in Sunkenland. This vital insulator is used in crafting armor and equipment, simple defenses, and for building and wiring electronics. There are a couple of ways to gather rubber:
- Tires — Piles of old tires will regularly spawn in dive sites and enemy bases and can be scavenged for a good haul of rubber.
- Rusted Vehicles — Scavenging rusted cars, vans, and other vehicles is a great way to source rubber and other materials.
- Trash — Trash cans, recycling bins, and similar resource nodes contain a grab-bag of resources that can include rubber.
How to Get Components
Components are an extremely valuable but somewhat rare resource that is used in lots of low to mid-quality guns, equipment, devices, vehicles, and more. There are only a few ways to gather Components:
- Loot Containers — The best way to get your hands on components is to search loot containers such as crate piles, dumpsters, safes, and especially toolboxes. These containers are almost guaranteed to carry some amount of components.
- Rusted Vehicles — Rusted vehicles found around islands and dive sites can occasionally be scavenged for small amounts of components.
- Crafting — After reaching tier 2 at the Research Table, players can research and craft their own components using iron ingots, glass, and rubber.
How to Get Duct Tape
Duct Tape is a rare material used for crafting new equipment at early to mid-game. Duct tape can only be found inside specialized loot containers such as toolboxes, safes, lockers, chests, and occasionally crates or dumpsters.
How to Get Marlin Fish Skin
Marlin Fish Skin is an uncommon material used for crafting flippers, armor, and bags. This material is, unsurprisingly, sourced from Marlins, which can typically be found swimming in schools of 3 in the water above dive sites. These fish are non-hostile and will only react to taking damage by attempting to swim away from the player. Each marlin killed and looted will yield a single piece of skin.
How to Get Shark Skin
Much like Marlin Skin, Shark Skin is a rare textile in Sunkenland, used for crafting mid-level armor, bags, and equipment. Shark Skin, however, is sourced from sharks and may be looted from a dead shark of any species. These predatory fish will attack the player on sight but are relatively slow and easily outpaced if the player is wearing flippers. Each shark slain and looted will yield a single unit of shark skin.
How to Get Leather
Leather is a tough and durable textile in Sunkenland, used both in advanced armor and luxury furniture. This material can be difficult to source, and since there is no way to get hide currently, there are only a couple of resource nodes to collect it from:
- Leather Furniture — The best way to get your hands on leather at present is to chop up leather couches and chairs found in enemy bases or at dive sites with an axe. The School contains a particularly high concentration of these items.
- Loot Containers — Occasionally, high-value loot containers such as safes will contain leather alongside other materials.
How to Get Charcoal
Charcoal is a resource that becomes useful once the player begins crafting their own firearm ammunition and is only really used to make black powder or to fuel the steel furnace. There are two ways to collect charcoal:
- Cooking and Smelting — When retrieving cooked food or smelted materials from grills, kitchens, or furnaces, the player will also pick up an amount of charcoal based on how much wood was burned. This is the fastest and easiest method of securing this resource.
- Food Containers — Certain loot containers focused on food, such as fridges, will sometimes contain charcoal in addition to food and other resources.
How to Get Sulfur
Sulfur is a volatile mineral in Sunkenland, used in combination with Charcoal to create black powder. Sulfur can only be gathered by mining sulfur veins found on certain rocky islands or at dive sites with a Pickaxe. When searching for sulfur, look for yellowish boulders near large outcroppings of rock or employ an Ore Detector to locate deposits faster.
How to Get Iron Ingots
Iron Ingots are a sturdy and valuable resource used in the crafting of advanced equipment (including guns and armor) as well as for manufacturing Components and constructing reinforced structures and workstations. Iron Ingots can be produced by smelting Iron Ore in a furnace. Iron Ore can only be mined from iron deposits found on rocky islands and around dive sites using a pickaxe. These deposits often form near rocky outcrops and can be located more easily using an Ore Detector.
How to Get Copper Ingots
Copper Ingots are an uncommon and valuable material in Sunkenland, useful for crafting advanced machinery and electronic devices. This metal can be smelted from Copper Ore in a furnace. Copper ore can be found on rocky islands or underwater at certain dive sites and must be mined with a Pickaxe. Copper deposits are rarer than iron or sulfur, and we recommend heading away from the starting island or employing an Ore Detector if available.
How to Get Electronic Parts
Electronic parts are specialized components used exclusively for crafting electronics. This material is quite rare and can only be looted from one of two types of containers:
- Electrical Boxes — Electrical boxes and transformers can sometimes be found around underwater dive sites. These resource nodes are quite uncommon but typically spawn at locations like the Highway Passes and the Amuzement Park dive sites. Scavenging these objects is the quickest way to collect electronic parts.
- Loot Containers — Certain high-value loot containers, such as safes and chests, will sometimes contain a few electronic parts alongside their standard contents.
How to Get Gasoline
Gasoline is a flammable chemical used in Sunkenland as fuel for boat engines and electrical generators. The farther you get into the game, the more you’ll have to rely on this resource, so it is important to know how to get it:
- Fuel Barrels — Fuel barrels are uncommon scavenge nodes that appear near areas littered with machinery and sunken ships. These barrels are dark green or brown in color and also yield scrap metal. You can find lots of these barrels at the Refinery dive site.
- Crafting — After researching and crafting a Biofuel Lab, the player can craft their gasoline using chemical substance.
- Rusted Vehicles — Rusted vehicles found around islands and dive sites can occasionally be scavenged for small amounts of gasoline.
How to Get Chemical Substance
Chemical Substance is a rare and valuable material used for creating gasoline, explosives, paint, and smokeless powder for modern ammunition. As useful as this material is, there are pretty much only 3 ways to get it:
- Chemical Barrels — Chemical barrels are uncommon scavenge nodes that appear inside large buildings and sunken ships. These barrels are different from fuel barrels and can be differentiated by their red coloration. You can find lots of these barrels at the Refinery dive site.
- High-value Loot Containers — Certain high-value loot containers, such as reinforced chests and roll-top desks, can contain bundles of chemical substances.
- Trading — The trader located at the Trade Outpost pretty much always has chemical substance on hand for trade, though she won’t part with it for cheap.
How to Get Gun Parts
Gun parts are components specific to firearms and are, therefore, used in the crafting of quality guns. These parts are on the rarer side, but there are a few different ways to collect them:
- Weapon Crates — Your best bet for locating weapon parts is to search green weapon crates found hidden in dive sites and enemy bases. These containers often also contain ammunition and broken firearms you can restore.
- Police Cars — In addition to ammo and scrap, scavenging police cars found on islands or underwater will occasionally yield a couple of weapon parts. This method relies on random chance, though.
- Crafting — After researching them at the research table, it is possible for players to craft their own gun parts using advanced materials, including iron ingots.
How to Get Fine Wood Planks
Fine Wood Planks are refined, polished pieces of wood in Sunkenland, used in fancy furniture and advanced weapons. Fine Wood Planks can be produced from 5 Wood Planks at a powered Sawmill.
How to Get Steel Ingots
Steel Ingots are hardened and refined metal plates used in high-end vehicles, weapons, armor, and machines. Steel Ingots can be manufactured from 5 Iron Ingots in a Steel Furnace fueled with Charcoal.
How to Get Advanced Parts
Advanced Parts are extremely rare, highly valuable components used in late-game research and vital machines such as the Steel Furnace. These parts cannot be crafted and are only found inside the rarest and most valuable loot container: the workbench.
Workbenches look similar to a rolling tool chest but appear to be filled with books. These loot containers can only be found at dive sites and enemy bases a fair distance away from the starting island, so make sure you’re well-prepared before seeking them out
Everything you need to make…everything you need in Sunkenland
In Sunkenland, everything can be repurposed for use in something else. The ocean designed by Vector3 is filled with troves of trash for players to turn into their treasures. Knowing where to find it is half the battle regardless of what you’re looking for. With that covered, it’s time to go and conquer the seas.
