Survivors in 100 Days at Sea are stranded NPCs you free from marked islands. Each rescue adds a permanent +1 Day Count Multiplier for that run and sends a helper to your raft.
Only three Survivors spawn per run, drawn from a larger pool of six. You cannot save every named Survivor in one go. Free the three the Radio finds, take the full +3 from Survivors, and leave the other names for a later run.
Best strategies to survive 100 Days at Sea also cover when to pull them so early base automation does not eat your stockpile.
How to find Survivors and when to save them
Craft the Radio at the craft table once your bonfire hits tier 2. It costs 4 Wood and 4 Metal, and you can place only one. Recipe context sits with the structures collection and the crafting guide.
- Build and place the Radio on free raft floor space.
- Use the locator on the Radio so Survivor signals mark the map.
- Sail to each marked Survivor Island and clear the island puzzle or fight.
- Interact with the Survivor once they are free so they teleport to base.
Expect Ghost Pirate pressure on the way in on many Survivor Islands. Bring food, ammo, and a clean exit if the night timer is close.
When to rescue: wait until production can feed three extra mouths. A solid checkpoint is two Magnets plus a stable pizza oven (or another steady food loop). Rescue earlier only if a daily quest or level unlock forces it. After they arrive, automation burns materials faster, so keep farming food, materials, and coins ahead of demand.
The Fisherman is a different early-island NPC (trades and boat path), not a Day Multiplier Survivor. Rival Survivors on Radio Towers and Oil Rigs are hostiles, not rescue targets. Survivor Islands and NPCs and mobs cover the wider map and the original trio.
Every Survivor you can rescue (and how)
Up to three of these six can appear in your run. Match the name you got in the table, then use that Survivor's steps below. Terrence, Miss Felix, and Deck Chief Dan are the newer pool names; their island steps follow the clearest rescue walkthroughs available and can still shift with updates.
| Survivor | Island | How to free them | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Stephen | Cliff Island | Harpoon up, clear blocked shelter, interact | Easiest |
| Doctor Madelaine | Cage Island | Key from purple-and-gold chest, open cage | Light combat |
| Professor Erik | Ghost Pirate Island | Defeat all eight Ghost Pirates, then free him | Hardest fight |
| Test Subject Terrence | Lab Island | Red buttons on pipe clusters free the tube | Puzzle |
| Miss Felix | Lava Island | Rotate water paths so water hits lava | Puzzle |
| Deck Chief Dan | Mining Island | Dynamite through four blastable walls | Logistics |
Captain Stephen
Cliff Island is the soft landing of the pool. No required combat, just height and clutter.
- Land and climb with a Harpoon (or another climb tool) to reach the cliff top.
- Clear the items blocking his shelter entrance.
- Talk to Captain Stephen to finish the rescue.
Doctor Madelaine
Doctor Madelaine sits locked on Cage Island. Light tribe defenders may patrol nearby, so clear space before you hunt the key.
- Find the small purple-and-gold chest on the island.
- Take the key from that chest.
- Use the key on her cage, then interact to rescue her.
Professor Erik
Ghost Pirate Island is the combat stress test. Bring a gun, keep distance, and do not try to fist eight ghosts in a row.
- Defeat every Ghost Pirate on the island. Eight spawn, usually one after another.
- Stay mobile and use range so you are not surrounded between waves.
- Free Professor Erik once the last pirate falls.
Test Subject Terrence
Terrence is locked in a green containment tube on Lab Island. The fix is exploration, not a boss fight.
- Explore the lab for pipe clusters with red buttons.
- Press each red button tied to the pipes feeding his tube.
- Interact with Terrence when the containment opens.
Miss Felix
Miss Felix hangs above lava. Cool the pool with the water path puzzle instead of jumping in hot.
- Find the rotatable water pathway pieces near the lava.
- Turn each piece so water flows onto the lava.
- Wait for the lava to go out, then free her when the cage unlocks.
Deck Chief Dan
Dan is sealed deeper in Mining Island. You clear the path with Dynamite, not a key.
- Pick up Dynamite on the island route.
- Place Dynamite on each blastable wall (expect four walls).
- Let each wall auto-light and break, then move deeper until you reach him.
- Rescue Deck Chief Dan at the end of the mine path.
What Survivors do after you free them
After the free interaction, each Survivor teleports to your base. They work as passive teammates for the rest of the run:
- +1 Day Count Multiplier each (up to +3 from Survivors if you free all three that spawned)
- Help run machines, feed the crafting table, and keep the bonfire fueled toward max
- Night raid enemies do not target them, so they keep working while you fight
That is why long Day Count runs want the full trio once magnets and food can support them. They do not each grant a unique combat power. The shared win is faster days plus free base labor that still spends your materials, so keep wood, metal, and food loops healthy. Wider systems live on the 100 Days at Sea wiki.
