Dreadmoor throws you straight into its mysterious world, but getting your journey started isn’t as simple as jumping into a boat and sailing away. You’ll need to explore the settlement, collect useful materials, repair old equipment, and figure out how to keep your boat running before you can travel further.
In this walkthrough, I’ll take you through everything from the opening area and your first Hook Gun to reaching the Trading Post, learning how to fish, repairing the moonshine still, and getting your boat ready for its next upgrades. I’ll also point out the important notes, recordings, and achievements you can pick up along the way.
Make sure you search rooms properly as you explore. Drawers, desks, cabinets, and barrels can contain useful items or collectible notes, so don’t rush past them. Let’s get started.
Dreadmoor Walkthrough Guide – Trading Post, Collectible
After the opening cutscene, follow the deck towards the building ahead. Enter the room and start collecting the available materials by pressing F. Check the drawers as well, since some items are easy to miss if you only search the obvious spots.
Before leaving, look for your first journal entry.
Collectible – Unfinished Journal: You’ll find it on the desk inside the Crab House, near the beginning of the game.
Continue around the corner and you’ll trigger a cutscene that introduces your first tool: the Hook Gun. This tool is important throughout Dreadmoor. You can use it to pull floating supplies out of the water and interact with certain objects during story puzzles.
Walk through the open doorway and look towards the crane on your left. Equip the Hook Gun and shoot the grapple at the crane using M1. Once you’re attached, repeatedly press M1 to rotate it.
<em>Achievement – Broken Heart</em>
Stop the heart of the Crab House. You unlock this achievement by using the Hook Gun to rotate the crane outside the Crab House.
After operating the crane, follow the path into the next building. Look for an Audio Flask on the cabinet beside the bed and pick it up.
Continue past this building and head upstairs towards the control panel. You’ll find another collectible nearby.
Collectible – Briefing: Look beside the boat control panel at the settlement.
Find Fuel and Start the Generator
The control panel needs power before you can use it, so your next job is to get the generator running.
Go back down the stairs and turn left around the corner. You’ll find the generator, but it needs fuel before it can operate.
Head down the path towards the building across the way. Search inside for useful materials and look for the fuel can at the end of the bed.
Collectible – About Fuel: This note is inside the same building as the generator fuel, on the table near the doorway.
Pick up the fuel can and return to the generator. Hold M1 to pour the fuel into it. Once you’ve filled it, interact with the generator again and move your mouse up and down until the meter reaches the green zone.
With the generator running, head back upstairs to the control panel. Press F to lower the boat into the water.
Before boarding, check the area beside the boat.
Collectible – Guardian: After lowering the boat, look for a barrel to the right, just before entering it.
Now take the path to the left of the building where you found the fuel can. This will lead you to the boat.
Prepare the Boat and Open the First River Gate
Once you’re aboard, enter the wheelhouse and interact with the radio. Hold M1 and move the dial on the right until you pick up Gill’s voice. Listen to the conversation to continue.
After speaking with Gill, leave the wheelhouse and equip your Hook Gun by pressing 2. Use M1 to grab the floating supplies around the boat. Keep collecting materials until you have enough to repair the engine.
Head to the back of the boat and interact with the engine. Press F to begin repairing it with Metal Plates. You’ll then need to press F when the indicator reaches the yellow zones at the bottom of your screen.
<em>Achievement – Captain of Your Own Ship</em>
Give the old boat a new life. This achievement unlocks when you repair the engine at the back of the boat.
With the engine repaired, you’re ready to leave the dock. Press X to undock and start sailing.
You’ll need to collect your chest from the water before going too far. Leave the steering wheel by pressing F, equip the Hook Gun, and pull the floating chest towards your boat. Once you’ve collected it, return to the wheelhouse and hold F to install it in the highlighted spot to the left of the steering wheel.
Continue sailing towards the river gates, following the marked location. When you reach the closed gate, press X to dock.
Before starting the puzzle, collect the nearby note.
Collectible – Puzzle: Dock at the river gate and look for a barrel on your left. The note is sitting on top of it.
Solve the First River Gate Puzzle
To continue, you’ll need to reconfigure the sluice gate using the control panel. The goal is to select the correct symbols so that all the lights turn green.
Use this combination:
- Select the Fork symbol.
- Select Three Circles.
Once the correct symbols are selected and all the lights turn green, the river gate will open.
<em>Achievement – Water Finds a Way</em>
Open the first river gate. You earn this achievement by solving the first sluice gate puzzle using the Fork and Three Circles symbols.
Return to your boat and sail through the newly opened gate.
Find the Axe at the Angler Brothers’ Cabin
After passing through the gate, steer to the right and continue towards the Angler Brothers’ cabin. Dock your boat when you arrive and head inside.
Here, you’ll find your second important tool: the Axe. Unlike the Hook Gun, which is mainly used for pulling objects and collecting supplies, the Axe can also be used as a weapon and to break larger objects into materials.
Pick up the Axe and look across from where you found it. You’ll see some wooden barricades blocking the way. Press 1 to equip the Axe, then use M1 to break through them.
Collectible – Younger Brother: After breaking through the barricades, check the cabinet inside the cabin.
Go through the cleared area and interact with the bed. You’ll need to move the clock’s hand to 10 AM to sleep.
Once you wake up, return to your boat and sail towards the Trading Post. Follow the yellow quest marker to find the correct location.
Reach the Trading Post and Set Up Your Room
When you arrive at the Trading Post, dock your boat and look to the left side of the pier. You’ll find a bell that controls Gill and Bozur’s shop. Ring it to lower the shop, then go inside and speak with them at the counter.
After the conversation, leave the shop and collect your chest from the pier, just past the boat docking area.
Now head up the stairs beside the chest. You’ll find the building where you’ll be staying. Unlock the entrance and go inside.
Place your chest in the green highlighted area. Before you can sleep, however, you’ll need to repair a hole in the building.
Collectible – To Be in Debt: Look in the front-right corner of the flophouse.
To repair the hole, collect the sheet metal from the left side of the building. Carry it over to the damaged area and press F to place it. Next, pick up the wooden boards and put them on top of the metal sheet.
Once the repair is complete, interact with the bed and move the clock hand to 10 AM again.
You’ve now reached the Trading Post and completed the initial journey. However, there’s still plenty of work ahead before your boat is ready for longer trips.
Learn How to Fish and Catch Your First Fish
After waking up in the flophouse, use the radio to speak with Gill. You’ll also find a fishing rod on the table beside the couch. Pick it up before heading outside through the back door.
Walk down the steps and speak with Gill and Bozur. They’ll introduce you to fishing and explain how to catch your first fish.
Look out towards the water from the pier and press F to interact with a fishing spot. The interface shows the fish available in that location, along with the bait and rod you’re currently using. Press F again to begin fishing.
Here’s how the fishing process works:
- Hold M1 to prepare your cast.
- Release M1 to cast your line towards the bite zone.
- Wait for a fish to bite.
- Once you get a bite, hold M1 to reel the fish in.
- Move your line in the opposite direction of the fish to tire it out.
- Watch the line tension carefully. Release M1 whenever the tension reaches the red zone, or you risk breaking your line.
Keep fishing until you’ve caught three Snappers.
<em>Achievement – Snap, Crackle, Catch!</em>
Catch your first fish. This achievement unlocks when you successfully catch your first fish.
Once you have three Snappers, speak with Gill and Bozur again. They’ll direct you towards the Engineer, who can be found near the building marked John’s Shop.
The Engineer won’t help until you repair his distiller, so you’ll need to gather a few more materials first.
Refuel Your Boat Using the Fish Grinder
Before heading out to collect materials, return to the central pier where your boat is docked. Speak with Gill and Bozur again to learn how to refuel it.
Look for the Grinder beside the fuel pump and the large larva creature. Place your three Snappers into the Grinder to process them into Fish Meat.
Take the resulting Fish Meat and feed it to the larva. You’ll need to give it three pieces to fill it up.
Once the larva has been fed, you can use the fuel pump to refill your boat. Hold M1 on the nozzle beside the engine until the refuelling process is complete.
<em>Achievement – Full Tank</em>
Refuel your boat, paying with lunch. You unlock this achievement by feeding the fuel larva with Snappers and refuelling your boat for the first time.
With fuel in the boat, you can now head out to collect the materials needed for the distiller repair.
Collect Coral Fiber and Beetles
Sail towards Anglers Island, which is located behind the Trading Post.
Once you reach the island, get out and look for the large coral formations. Equip your Axe and break the coral to collect Coral Fiber.
Collectible – A Naturalist’s Notes: Corals: You’ll find this note at the top of Anglers Island, behind the Trading Post.
After collecting enough Coral Fiber, return to your boat and sail around to the back of the Trading Post.
Look along the rocks for blue slugs. Use your Hook Gun to pull in the beetles attached to the rocks and collect them.
If you’re running low on Metal Plates, this is also a good opportunity to use your Hook Gun to retrieve more floating supplies from the nearby water.
Once you’ve collected everything needed, return to the Trading Post and dock your boat.
Repair the Moonshine Still
Head to the distiller beside John’s Shop. Hold F to repair the moonshine still using the materials you’ve collected.
<em>Achievement – A Matter of Distillation</em>
Return John the Fifth’s source of inspiration. You unlock this achievement by repairing the moonshine still beside John’s Shop.
After repairing it, speak with John the Fifth again. He’ll give you the key to the Dry Dock, which is your next destination.
Go up the stairs and turn right past the flophouse. You’ll find the Dry Dock building.
Restore Power to the Dry Dock
Enter the Dry Dock and look for the light switch on the far side of the building. Try interacting with it, and you’ll discover that the power isn’t working because the fuse box needs repairing.
Head upstairs to the second level. Find the fuse box and hold F to repair it.
You’ll need these materials:
- Cables x1
- Metal Plate x1
Before moving on, collect the two notes inside the Dry Dock.
Collectible – Purifier, Model No. 3: Look underneath the stairs on the far side of the Dry Dock.
Collectible – Anglers Wanted!: Check the desk in the front-right corner of the building.
Recording: Head to the second floor and look for a crate near a fan.
Once the fuse box is repaired, return downstairs and interact with the light switch again. The power should now be restored.
You can finally bring your boat inside and start working on its repairs.
Clean the Bottom of Your Boat
Get back into your boat and drive it into the Dry Dock. The doors will open automatically as you approach. Press X to dock inside.
Find the control panel and use the green button to raise your boat to the second floor.
With the boat raised, you’ll be able to access its underside. Your first task is to clean off the polyps covering the bottom.
Look for the Water Pump on the left side of the Dry Dock. Interact with it and pump until the pressure meter reaches the green zone.
Next, pick up the Water Cannon beside the pump. Hold M1 to spray water onto the bottom of your boat and remove the polyps.
You’ll need to clean the entire underside. If the water pressure runs out before you’re finished, simply return to the Water Pump and build the pressure back up.
Repair the Boat’s Sides with Bug Slime
After cleaning the boat, return to the control panel and lower it to floor 1 using the yellow button.
Now you need to repair the damaged sides using Bug Slime.
Go to the repair tool area on the left and insert the Bug Slime. Pick up the repair tool gun beside the dispenser.
Look at the sides of your boat and you’ll notice a white meter showing the condition of each section. Hold M1 to spray Bug Slime onto the damaged areas. Keep applying it until the meter increases.
Repeat this process for every side that needs repairing.
<em>Achievement – No Polyps, No Leaks</em>
Get your boat back in shape. This achievement unlocks when you clean the polyps and repair your boat for the first time inside the Dry Dock.
Once the cleaning and repairs are finished, return to John the Fifth and speak with him.
After that conversation, go back to Gill and Bozur. You’ll need their help to work out how to pay off your debt, and they’ll point you towards catching a different type of fish.
Craft Wind-Up Tin Bait and Catch Softgazers
Your next objective is to catch three Softgazers. However, you won’t be able to catch them with your regular setup, so you’ll need to craft the correct bait first.
Head to the Workbench inside the Dry Dock and craft Wind-Up Tin bait using these materials:
- Metal Plate x1
- Fish Meat x1
Once you’ve crafted the bait, get ready to head out fishing.
If your boat is still raised inside the Dry Dock, return to the control panel and lower it to level 0 using the red button.
Board your boat and sail towards the back of the Dry Dock. Look for the marked fishing spot where Softgazers can be found.
Use your newly crafted Wind-Up Tin bait and catch three of them.
After collecting the fish, return to the pier and put them into the Grinder. Processing the fish should give you Chromatic Scales.
Note: The supplied walkthrough refers to this fish as both Softgazer and Stargazer in different instructions. I’ve used Softgazer here, following the name given for the fishing objective.
Unlock Hull Protection and the Upgraded Engine
Once you’ve collected the Chromatic Scales, go to John the Fifth to discuss upgrading your boat.
Press T to open the Mastery menu. Here, you’ll need to unlock two upgrades:
- Hull Protection
- Upgraded Engine
Unlocking these gives you access to craft and install the upgrades on your boat.
Return to the Dry Dock if your boat isn’t already inside. Raise it to level 2 using the control panel, then head upstairs to the second floor.
Look for the Upgrade Bench on the left side. Interact with it and craft two Hull Protections.
After crafting them, install both upgrades on the highlighted spots on your boat. Hold F to place each one.
Your hull protection is now installed, bringing you one step closer to getting the boat ready for more demanding journeys.
Prepare to Catch the Harpooner
The next part of your boat upgrade requires a carburetor. Speak with John the Fifth about the remaining engine part, then return to Gill and Bozur to ask them about getting the carburetor.
You’ll learn that you need to catch a predatory fish called the Harpooner.
This fish requires a different bait, so head back to the Workbench inside the Dry Dock. Craft Rainbow Fin bait using the following materials:
- Fish Meat x1
- Metal Plate x1
- Chromatic Scale x1
Once the Rainbow Fin bait is ready, board your boat and head out towards the marked fishing spot to begin looking for the Harpooner.
The supplied walkthrough ends at this fishing objective, so the remaining Harpooner catch, carburetor collection, and engine installation steps are not included here.