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If you’re unsure what to do next in Spiritfarer, start with your spirits’ requests. Their goals point you toward new islands, materials, and boat upgrades. Explore to find what you need, process raw materials at the right stations, and use the boat improvements that open routes to further areas. Some progress also depends on advancing spirit stories, including eventually saying goodbye to certain passengers.
What should you do next?
Use your active requests as a guide rather than trying to uncover every location or collect every item at once. Thunder Lotus’s support guidance is to keep exploring and fulfilling spirit requests to find new resources. When a request calls for something you do not have, check whether it is gathered from an island, produced at a boat station, or locked behind a new route or story step.
- Review your active spirit requests. Note the named item, place, or building each one requires.
- Check the boat’s upgrade requirements. If an upgrade names a missing material, use that as a concrete target.
- Explore an accessible destination or activity that can supply the next item. If you cannot reach the relevant area, investigate whether a boat improvement or story progression is needed.
- Process materials at the appropriate station. Many items require a production step rather than being collected in finished form.
- Return to the request or upgrade once you have the item. Completing it may point you toward the next place or task.
Not every obstacle has the same solution. A blocked route may call for a boat improvement; a missing material may be found by exploring or processing something you already gathered; and some access depends on fulfilling requests or progressing a spirit’s story.
How do boat upgrades work?
Albert’s Shipyard is the hub for improving the boat. Keep ship-size upgrades separate from functional improvements: a larger boat gives you more room, while functional upgrades can open access or make travel more convenient. The cited Guide Strats upgrade guide describes ship-size purchases as costing Glims and functional improvements and blueprint station upgrades as requiring materials. Use the requirements shown in your own shipyard menu as the authority for your save and game version.
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Choose upgrades by what they solve
Rather than treating one upgrade as universally best, compare the options against your current bottleneck:
- Access: Does the upgrade clear a barrier to a region or resource required by an active request?
- Space: Would a larger boat make room for a building or passenger you currently need?
- Time and processing: Would an improvement reduce travel time or help you produce required materials?
- Progression: Is the upgrade actually available now, or does a request or spirit story need to advance first?
The secondary Guide Strats guide describes improvements for crossing ice, breaking rocks, and clearing mist, as well as upgrades that increase speed. Barrier improvements matter when they unlock a route you need; speed can make repeated journeys less time-consuming. The game’s own current upgrade menu shows the materials and prerequisites for each option.
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Ship-size costs listed by a secondary guide
Guide Strats lists the following ship-size sequence and Glim costs. These are that guide’s figures, not a substitute for checking the live in-game menu:
| Ship size | Listed cost |
|---|---|
| Exploring Krill | Free |
| Intrepid Otter | 1,200 Glims |
| Adventurous Manatee | 4,000 Glims |
| Dauntless Dolphin | 8,000 Glims |
| Brawlish Narwhal | 16,000 Glims |
| Flawless Beluga | 30,000 Glims |
| Silent Orca | 45,000 Glims |
| Fearless Whale | 80,000 Glims |
Where do materials come from?
When a request or upgrade asks for an unfamiliar item, think in terms of a chain: gather a raw material, then use the station that turns it into the required product. For example, logs become planks in the Sawmill, ore becomes ingots in the Foundry, and fibers are woven at the Loom. Some advanced sheets require the Smithy, according to the Guide Strats resource and upgrade guide.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →There is no need to memorize every recipe before you play. Check the item and upgrade requirements in your current game, then identify the missing step. If the station itself is not available or the source material is out of reach, return to requests and exploration: they can lead to the resources, locations, or progression needed to continue.
Stuck or missing a resource?
- You know the item but cannot find it: Keep exploring and working through spirit requests. Thunder Lotus’s official support article says new resources are found by continuing to explore and fulfill requests: Thunder Lotus Support.
- You have the raw material but not the finished item: Check which boat station processes it, such as the Sawmill, Foundry, Loom, or Smithy.
- The relevant island is unreachable: Check Albert’s Shipyard for a functional improvement that addresses the barrier, and check whether story progression is also required.
- You cannot buy or build the upgrade yet: Read its listed requirements and pursue the missing material or prerequisite instead of assuming that every barrier is solved by spending Glims.
Thunder Lotus also notes that some areas require releasing one or more spirits. That is a story progression gate, not evidence that you have failed to care for that passenger.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you think about spirit departures?
Spiritfarer is built around caring for spirit friends and eventually releasing them into the afterlife. Some progression requires saying goodbye to one or more spirits, so a departure can be part of moving the journey forward. The available guidance supports that general mechanic, not a single best release order; follow the story and the requests in your own save rather than treating departures as an optimization checklist.
Spoiler note: Releasing spirits is central to the story, and knowing that it can unlock new areas is itself a progression spoiler. If you prefer to discover those gates naturally, follow requests and explore before seeking a release order.
How can you keep the boat manageable?
As the boat gains buildings and passengers, think about what you need to access regularly and what your current requests require. A larger boat can make room for needed structures, while functional improvements address travel and access. Avoid building around a universal layout recommendation: the useful arrangement depends on what is aboard and what you are working on now. The Lily Update post also describes quality-of-life changes including station item counts and island names during fast travel, which can help with orientation.
Which edition is this guide about?
This guide concerns Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition. Thunder Lotus describes it as bringing together the base game and three major content updates, adding four spirit friends; Nintendo’s listing says it includes the base game and all additional content released to date. Thunder Lotus also identifies a physical edition. Store availability and formats can vary by platform and region, so check the relevant official store listing before buying. Official pages describe more than one million players; that wording should not be confused with a unit-sales figure.
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