The first few runs in Don’t Sleep With The Fishes can feel pretty brutal. You rush to grab supplies, survive a couple of nights, then suddenly a strange event appears and you’re left wondering, “Was I supposed to use that item… or just ignore it?”
That’s part of what makes the game so enjoyable. Every run teaches you something new, and before long you start recognizing which events are dangerous, which ones are worth the risk, and what items are actually worth bringing onto the lifeboat.
This guide covers everything you need to know, from choosing the right difficulty and understanding the game’s three gameplay phases to item priorities, night event counters, every ending, and all achievements currently available.
Spoiler Warning: This guide contains information about every ending and hidden achievement.
Don’t Sleep With The Fishes Guide – Endings, Achievements
After your very first playthrough, additional difficulty options become available.
Adventure
This is the default experience and the only difficulty available for your first run.
If you’re new to the game, this is the best place to learn the mechanics.
Calm
Calm mode is much more forgiving.
Benefits include:
- Hunger drains more slowly.
- Your health naturally regenerates over time.
If you’re trying to unlock endings or experiment with different strategies, Calm is a great choice.
Drowning
This is currently the hardest difficulty.
Expect:
- Hunger to increase much faster.
- Double damage from attacks.
Only attempt Drowning once you’re comfortable with the game’s events and resource management.
Understanding the Three Gameplay Phases
Every run follows the same basic structure.
1. Scouting Phase
Duration: 20 seconds
This is your planning stage.
Walk around the ship and quickly memorize:
- Valuable items
- Crewmate locations
- The shortest path to the escape boat
You won’t have enough time to grab everything later, so planning ahead makes a huge difference.
2. Scavenging Phase
Duration: 45 seconds
Now it’s time to collect supplies.
You’ll carry everything to the escape boat before abandoning the main ship.
Keep in mind:
- Your inventory only has 3 slots.
- Larger items occupy multiple slots.
- The fuller your inventory becomes, the slower you move.
- Once something is picked up, you can only remove it by throwing it into the escape boat.
Choosing what not to bring is often more important than grabbing everything.
3. Survival Phase
This is where the actual game begins.
Each day you’ll spend Energy performing actions like:
- Fishing
- Diving
- Repairing the boat
- Exploring
Every night, random events occur that force you to make decisions using the resources you’ve collected.
The game automatically saves every morning, so you can safely quit and continue later.
Controls
Scouting & Scavenging
| Action | Control |
|---|---|
| Move | WASD |
| Pick up / Throw Items | E or Right Mouse Button |
| Pause | Esc |
Survival
Almost everything uses the Left Mouse Button.
You can also enable an option in Settings that lets you skip part of night event animations by pressing F, making repeated runs much faster.
Understanding Energy
Energy is one of your most valuable resources.
You normally begin each day with 3 Energy.
Different actions consume different amounts.
Examples include:
- Fishing — 1 Energy
- Repairing the boat — 1 to 3 Energy
- Scuba Diving — 3 Energy
Some night events can also reduce the amount of Energy you’ll have available the following day.
Managing Energy efficiently is often the difference between surviving another week and sinking.
All Items Explained
Here’s every item you’ll encounter while scavenging.
| Item | Inventory Size |
|---|---|
| Anchor | 3 Slots |
| Bait | 1 Slot |
| Bottled Paper | 1 Slot |
| Bucket | 2 Slots |
| Compass | 1 Slot |
| Duct Tape | 1 Slot |
| First Aid Kit | 2 Slots |
| Fishing Net | 2 Slots |
| Flare Gun | 1 Slot |
| Flashlight | 1 Slot |
| Food Can | 1 Slot |
| Harpoon Gun | 3 Slots |
| Map | 1 Slot |
| Scuba Set | 3 Slots |
| Swim Ring | 2 Slots |
| Telescope | 1 Slot |
| Umbrella | 2 Slots |
Your lifeboat always starts with:
- Fishing Rod
- Repair Kit
Which Items Are Worth Prioritizing?
If you aren’t sure what to grab during scavenging, these items consistently provide the most value.
Flare Gun
Essential for several endings and rescue-related events.
One inventory slot can completely change your run.
Flashlight
Useful during multiple night events and another important rescue tool.
Always worth considering if you have room.
Bucket
One of the most versatile defensive items.
It can solve several different night encounters while also helping unlock specific ending requirements.
Harpoon Gun
Large and expensive in terms of inventory space, but incredibly reliable against dangerous sea creatures.
Food
Never underestimate food.
Running out is one of the easiest ways to lose an otherwise successful run.
Every Crewmate Explained
You can only rescue one crew member, although Captain Whiskers can accompany anyone.
Each normal crew member occupies 3 inventory slots.
Captain Whiskers only requires 1 slot.
Laurel
Support Skill:
Food restores significantly more hunger that day.
Perfect if you’re struggling with food management.
Frederik
Support Skill:
Fishing only catches fish.
Useful for building a reliable food supply.
Row
Support Skill:
Repairing the boat costs less Energy after speaking with them.
Excellent during longer survival runs.
Captain Whiskers
Passive Ability:
Increases your chance of catching fish.
Unlike other crew members, this bonus is always active.
Taking Care of Your Crew
Crewmates aren’t passive passengers.
Remember to:
- Talk to them regularly.
- Feed them whenever the red Starving icon appears.
- Heal them if they become critically ill.
They’ll also bring a starting item with them, so always speak to them on Day 1.
Later in the game you can send them to investigate islands or collect floating containers, saving valuable Energy.
Night Events & Best Counters
One thing you’ll quickly notice is that every night brings a different problem. Some are harmless, others can end an otherwise perfect run. Here’s how to deal with the most common encounters.
Something in the Back
Usually worth checking.
Most of the time you’ll find a free fish that can be used as food later.
Very rarely, you’ll encounter a mysterious face instead.
Floating Chest
You can choose to retrieve the chest or leave it alone.
Possible outcomes:
- Real chest with useful loot.
- Mimic that damages you.
Opening a real chest costs 3 Energy, so make sure it’s worth the investment.
Floating Body
Mostly a lore event.
Inspecting it doesn’t provide meaningful gameplay rewards.
Trader
A mysterious reaper-like merchant offers a single trade.
You can either accept or refuse.
No negotiation is possible.
Hand Emerging From the Ocean
Despite looking similar to the Trader, this one is much less friendly.
Never touch the hand directly.
Safe trades include:
| Give | Receive |
|---|---|
| Telescope | Fish Can |
| Scuba Gear | First Aid Kit |
Siren
Recommended items:
- Telescope
- Bucket
- Umbrella
Having one of these usually makes the encounter much safer.
Rain
Useful items:
- Bucket
- Anchor
- Umbrella
The Bucket is generally the safest option if available.
Island
You can investigate personally or send your crew member.
Sending your companion costs no Energy, making it the better option in most situations.
Possible rewards include:
- Chests
- Bait
Ghosts
Useful items:
- Flare Gun
- Flashlight
These are your safest defensive options.
Angler Fish
One of the most dangerous encounters.
Best counters:
Harpoon Gun
Safest choice.
Instantly scares the creature away.
Flashlight
Usually works but has a chance to be lost during the encounter.
Fish Can
May distract it…
…or encourage it to attack.
Use at your own risk.
Umbrella
Can also drive it away.
Many players report consistently surviving with this option.
Ghost Ship
The safest items appear to be:
- Flare Gun
- Flashlight
These choices are also connected to several endings.
Passing Ship / Plane
Using rescue equipment is crucial.
Best options:
- Flare Gun
- Flashlight
The Flare Gun has an extremely high success rate compared to the Flashlight.
Heavy Waves
Repair supplies and defensive equipment become especially valuable here.
Keeping your boat in good condition before this event appears makes survival much easier.
“I Can’t Sleep Well”
Recommended counters:
- Bucket
- Flashlight
Both prevent losing Energy for the following day.
Big Guy in the Fog
Little is currently known about every interaction, but defensive items generally provide the safest outcomes.
Smiling Moon
This mysterious event still has limited documented information.
If you’re experimenting, make sure your run isn’t depending on rare ending requirements.
Seagull
Your decision here affects an entire ending.
If you’re pursuing the Seagull Ending:
Feed it using:
- Fish Can
- Bait
If you simply want to avoid problems:
- Flashlight
- Fishing Net
both scare it away.
Kraken
This event is required for the game’s True Ending.
If you don’t already possess all three Heart Pieces, you’ll miss the opportunity.
Every Ending
Sleeping With The Fishes
The basic failure ending.
Simply die.
This includes:
- Starvation
- Health reaching zero
- Any fatal event
Rescue Ending
Successfully signal both rescue events and survive long enough afterward.
Sleeping With Ghosts
Triggered through the Ghost Ship event.
Seagull Ending
Become friends with the visiting seagull.
Eventually three additional seagulls arrive.
Important: Never click the seagull during daytime or it permanently leaves.
True Ending
Collect all 3 Heart Pieces.
Later survive until the Kraken event appears.
Successfully completing the encounter unlocks the game’s true conclusion.
All Achievements
Sleeping With The Fishes
Die from any cause.
Eating With The Fishes
Die from starvation.
Sleeping With Scraps
Sink together with Dorothy.
Sleeping With Feathers
Requires the Seagull event.
Feed the bird.
Eventually four seagulls gather together, triggering the ending and achievement.
A Long Sail
Reach Day 50.
Three for One!
Catch a Swordfish while fishing.
It’s a rare random catch that provides three food.
Sailing to Safety
Successfully board another vessel.
This appears to be connected to using a Flare Gun during Ghost Ship-related events.
By Your Own Means
Survive long enough to eventually reach land.
Back to the Company
Successfully get rescued.
You’ll need to signal both the passing ship and airplane events.
Success Rates
Flashlight
- 40% success
- 60% failure
Flare Gun
- 99% success
- 1% failure
If possible, always save your Flare Gun for these encounters.
Sleeping With Ghosts
Become kidnapped during the Ghost Ship event.
Again, the Flare Gun or Flashlight appears to influence the outcome.
True End
Unlock the True Ending.
You’ll need:
- All three Heart Pieces.
- The Kraken event.
Heart Pieces can currently be found from:
- Using a Bucket during the Blood Moon/Blood Sea event.
- Fishing.
- Looting chests.
- Speaking with Row (rare dialogue option).
Still Standing
Complete a run on Drowning difficulty.
This is considered the game’s toughest achievement, so don’t worry if it takes several attempts.
Your first instinct might be to grab the biggest or rarest items during the scavenging phase, but utility almost always wins. A single Flare Gun can secure a rescue ending, while a Bucket or Flashlight can solve multiple night events that would otherwise cost health or Energy.
Try to think a few days ahead instead of focusing only on immediate survival. Keep enough food in reserve, don’t ignore your crew, and save key items for the encounters that matter most. Once you learn which events are worth preparing for, surviving in Don’t Sleep With The Fishes becomes far more consistent—and chasing every ending and achievement becomes a lot more enjoyable.