Getting Started
Getting Started with Sea of Thieves: The Ultimate New Player Guide
Welcome to the world of Sea of Thieves! This guide is designed to get you from the title screen to your first successful pirate adventure as quickly and painlessly as possible. Whether you're playing on PC, Xbox, or PlayStation 5, we'll cover everything you need for a smooth first hour—and beyond.
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1. Character Creation: Picking Your Pirate
Sea of Thieves does not have a traditional character creator with sliders. Instead, you choose from a constantly rotating selection of pre-generated pirates (each with unique appearance, body type, hair, scars, and clothes).
- Process: At the main menu, select "Play" > "Pirate Selection" > "Customize." You'll see a set of 5–10 pirates. You can cycle through selections (it refreshes periodically).
- Tip: If you don't like any, close the game and reopen—the lineup changes. Your choice is permanent (no re-customization later, except for cosmetics unlocked via shop), so pick one that looks cool to you.
- No stats: Appearance is purely cosmetic; all pirates have equal abilities.
- Learn to move (WASD on PC, left stick on consoles).
- Pick up a lantern, find a camp, and use the ferry of the damned (death mechanics).
- Sail a single-masted sloop, raise/lower sails, steer, drop anchor, and use a compass.
- Dig up a treasure chest and sell it to a Gold Hoarder.
- Learn about supplies (cannonballs, wood, food) at the ship's barrels.
- Understand the map table and voyage table.
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2. First Hour Walkthrough: The Maiden Voyage
Step 1: Launch the game and select "Maiden Voyage". This is the tutorial—don't skip it! It teaches core mechanics safely.
Step 2: Complete the tutorial. You'll:
Step 3: Finish the Maiden Voyage. You'll earn a small gold reward and a set of starter cosmetics. The game will prompt you to enter the Sea of Thieves proper.
Step 4: Open the main map (press M on PC, View button on Xbox, Touchpad on PS5). You'll spawn at an Outpost. Listen to the Pirate Lord's intro speech.
Step 5: Purchase your first voyage. Go to the Gold Hoarder tent (marked with a skull-and-crossbones flag) and buy a "Voyage" (e.g., "Bounty of the Gold Hoarder").
Step 6: Vote to start the voyage at your ship's voyage table (below deck on the sloop). Set sail using the ship's wheel and map.
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3. Controls Overview (All Platforms)
Below are the essential controls. Note: you can remap in Settings.
| Action | PC (Keyboard & Mouse) | Xbox Controller | PlayStation Controller |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move | W/A/S/D | Left stick | Left stick |
| Look / Aim | Mouse | Right stick | Right stick |
| Interact / Use | E | A | X |
| Jump | Space | A (hold) | X (hold) |
| Sprint / Climb | Left Shift | Left stick click | L3 |
| Weapon 1 (Cutlass) | 1 | LB + Y | L1 + Triangle |
| Weapon 2 (Pistol/Flintlock) | 2 | LB + X | L1 + Square |
| Map | M | View (two squares) | Touchpad |
| Voyage Radial | Tab | LB (hold) | L1 (hold) |
| Emote Wheel | B | D-pad Down | D-pad Down |
| Item Radial | Q | RB (hold) | R1 (hold) |
| Crouch / Sneak | Left Ctrl | Right stick click | R3 |
| Raise Sail | F | X (hold) | Square (hold) |
| Lower Sail | R | B (hold) | Circle (hold) |
| Anchor Up/Down | Space near capstan | A near capstan | X near capstan |
| Bucket Water | Right Click (scoop), Left Click (throw) | RT (scoop), LT (throw) | R2 (scoop), L2 (throw) |
| Ship Wheel | E to grab, mouse to steer | A to grab, left/right stick | X to grab, left stick |
| Speaking Trumpet | Z | D-pad Up | D-pad Up |
| Compass | Hold right mouse button | Hold RT | Hold R2 |
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4. UI Overview (HUD)
When on your ship:
- Top left: Ship health (wooden plank icon) – depletes when taking damage. Repair with planks from the barrel.
- Top center: Voyage objective (compass rose / skull / chest) – shows distance and direction.
- Top right: Supplies count (cannonballs, wood, food).
- Bottom center: Toolbar with currently equipped item (map, compass, spyglass, tankard, bucket, etc.).
- Left/right: Crew health bars (yourself + crewmates).
- Map table: Below deck; shows the entire world with your ship's position. Place a voyage map from the voyage table onto it.
- Voyage table: Also below deck; vote to start/activate voyages.
- Ship's wheel: Steers the ship; center it for straight course.
- Capstan: Drops/raises anchor. Always raise anchor before sailing.
- Ship's bell: Not functional beyond roleplay.
- Stick to the Sloop (1–2 players) – it's fastest and easiest to manage.
- Complete a single small voyage near an Outpost (e.g., a single map from Gold Hoarder).
- Sail with a crew – even solo is fine, but voice chat with friends helps.
- Always sell your loot immediately – don't hoard multiple chests on board; one shipwreck or pirate attack could lose everything.
- Check the horizon frequently (use spyglass or look around). Other ships can attack.
- Skipping the Maiden Voyage – you'll miss critical tutorials.
- Going into high-traffic PvP zones (Reaper's Mark, active World Events) until you're comfortable.
- Fighting other ships unless you're ready to lose everything. Running away is often the best option.
- Standing near the ship's mast during a storm – lightning can kill you.
- Ignoring food – managing hunger is vital for health regeneration.
- Leaving your ship unattended – even for a minute, it can drift or be boarded.
- Trying to unlock Pirate Legend immediately – takes weeks; focus on fun voyages.
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5. Essential Early Objectives
1. Complete the Maiden Voyage. Absolutely do this first.
2. Learn to read the map – the world is a grid of named islands. Your voyage map shows X marks the spot relative to island shapes.
3. Gather basic supplies – fill your ship's barrels from Outpost barrels before leaving.
4. Dig up your first treasure – use the shovel on the marked spot (you'll hear a 'clink').
5. Sell treasure at the Outpost – each faction has a representative: Gold Hoarder (skull), Order of Souls (ghost), Merchant Alliance (banner).
6. Buy your first cosmetic – visit the General Clothing Shop or Equipment Shop to look more pirate-y.
7. Learn to adjust sails for wind – sails catch wind best when perpendicular to wind direction (white pennant).
8. Practice anchoring properly – raise sails before dropping anchor to stop sharply; never anchor without raising sails or you'll be stuck.
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6. What to Do First and What to Avoid
✅ DO FIRST:
❌ AVOID:
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7. Early Resource Priorities
| Resource | Where to Find | Primary Use | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannonballs | Barrels on Outposts, shipwrecks, floating barrels | Defending yourself, attacking skeletons, destroying ships | High – at least 20 before leaving |
| Wood Planks | Same as cannonballs | Repairing holes in ship hull | Very High – 20+ planks essential |
| Food | Barrels, fishing, killing animals (pigs, chickens) | Health regeneration, cooking improves effect | Medium – 5–10 pieces fine |
| Fruit (Bananas, Pomegranates, etc.) | Trees on islands | Light healing, can be cooked | Low – but good supplement |
| Cannonball crates | Rare – from voyages or floating loot | Storage upgrade | Low early game |
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8. Common Beginner Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
1. Dropping anchor without raising sails – You'll stop instantly but won't be able to raise anchor easily if you need to escape. Always raise sails first, then drop anchor only for a precise stop. Then raise anchor immediately.
2. Forgetting to raise the anchor before sailing – You'll be stuck. Press E (PC) or A (Xbox) / X (PS) on the capstan to raise.
3. Sailing directly into the wind with full sails – Sloop is fastest heading into wind with sails fully billowed; larger ships are slower into wind. Learn sail angle.
4. Not looking around – Other players can sneak up. Use the spyglass and check every few minutes.
5. Hoarding treasure – The wave that sinks you will come. Always sell after each voyage.
6. Shooting cannons without aiming – Practice with the cannon until you can aim at the waterline of another ship. Use the reticle elevation marks.
7. Standing on the bowsprit – You'll fall off easily. Stay on deck.
8. Fighting skeletons on islands without checking your ship – They can't sink your ship, but other players can. Keep one eye on the horizon.
9. Ignoring the map table – It shows your exact location and all islands. Use it constantly.
10. Not communicating with crew – Even solo, use the chat wheel (B) to signal "Help!" or "Someone's on our ship!"
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9. Day-One Checklist (Practical Steps)
- [ ] Complete the Maiden Voyage tutorial.
- [ ] Choose a pirate you like (permanent choice).
- [ ] Spawn at an Outpost (random).
- [ ] Loot all Outpost barrels for supplies.
- [ ] Buy a Gold Hoarder voyage (cheapest – 1 map).
- [ ] Vote on the voyage at your ship's voyage table.
- [ ] Set sail – adjust sails for wind, follow the compass bearing to the island.
- [ ] On the island: dig with shovel where indicated. (Look for a small mound of dirt or a map clue.)
- [ ] Dig up the chest – carry it carefully back to your ship.
- [ ] Sail back to any Outpost (the nearest one).
- [ ] Sell the chest to the Gold Hoarder representative (red tent).
- [ ] Collect gold and reputation.
- [ ] Purchase a shovel and compass from the Equipment Shop if you didn't get them from the Maiden Voyage (they are free from the shop once).
- [ ] Buy a spyglass – essential for spotting threats.
- [ ] Complete 2–3 more small voyages to build confidence.
- [ ] Try a cargo run from Merchant Alliance for easy money (fetch crates and deliver with time limit).
- [ ] Unlock the Pirate Legend first cosmetics? Not needed – have fun!
- [ ] Join the Sea of Thieves Community Discord or Reddit for crew-finding.
- Play with friends – The game is more fun and safer with a crew. Use the "Looking for Crew" option on Xbox or the Official Sea of Thieves Discord.
- Embrace failure – You will sink, lose treasure, be betrayed by other pirates. That's part of the game. Learn from each loss.
- Watch the wind – The white pennant on your sail shows wind direction. Sails work best when the pennant is parallel to your sail's cloth (i.e., wind hitting from the back or side).
- Use the map at the Outpost – You can see active world events (skulls, ships) on the main map. Avoid them as a beginner.
- Don't rush – The Sea is huge. Enjoy the sunsets, the storms, and the unexpected encounters.
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Final Tips for a Strong Start
Now, hoist the anchor and set sail! The seas await. Happy pirating!