Windrose Beginner Guide — Your First 5 Hours
Skip the wikis that recap the trailer. This is what you actually do once the cutscene ends — written by players who finished Early Access opening week.
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Hour 1 — Shipwreck basics
You wake on a beach with a broken knife, a tinderbox and the tutorial compass. Three jobs, in this order:
- Punch driftwood from the wreck (~6 pieces) until you can craft a Stone Axe.
- Collect 4 flint and 6 stone from the rocky outcrop south of spawn.
- Eat any berry you can find — your stamina regen scales with hunger, not just food bar.
Why stamina matters
At low hunger your max stamina is silently capped at ~60%. New players think the stamina bar is broken — it isn’t, you’re just hungry.Hour 2 — First fire & tools
- Craft Stone Axe and Stone Pickaxe at the workbench (drag-craft from your wreck inventory).
- Build a Campfire — required for cooking and night warmth.
- Hunt 2 hares for Raw Meat; cook it. Raw meat gives food poisoning at 30% chance.
- Sleep at the campfire to set your respawn anchor. Without this, dying sends you to the wreck.
Hour 3 — Picking a base spot
Three things make a great early base: flat ground, access to fresh water, and a shoreline for the wharf.
| Region | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Driftwood Cove | ★★★★★ | Spawn area · river mouth · flat plateau |
| PT9 Foothills | ★★★★ | Stone & clay rich · slightly hostile |
| Salt Marsh | ★★ | Swamp Toad nearby, do not |
Hour 4 — The wharf & rowboat
The wharf is unlocked after you craft your first Hammer and place a Workbench Tier 2. Place the wharf foundation on a shoreline tile with at least 4 water tiles in front. Build a Rowboat — it costs 12 wood, 4 rope, 1 sailcloth — and you finally have transportation that isn’t walking.
Hour 5 — First voyage
- Sail east from Driftwood Cove until you see a buoy.
- The buoy marks Saltpeter Cave — first crafting ingredient for gunpowder.
- Bring at least 1 lamp. Caves are pitch black and the lamp is your only light source. See how to refill the lamp.
- Save before entering the cave — see how to save.
Common beginner mistakes
- Sprinting everywhere — stamina drains 3× faster while sprinting; walk for 90% of travel.
- Ignoring the lamp — many quests are inside caves and the lamp is required.
- Putting cannons on a rowboat — it cannot mount cannons. You need at least a Cutter hull. See cannon mounting guide.
- Fighting the Swamp Toad early — wait until level 10 and Iron tier weapons. See first boss tips.