Balboa Island is the third story island in Raft. The name is most likely a reference to its "Rocky" nature, but aside from its intimidating size, this island also introduces a whole new biome to the game: Evergreen.
With that evergreen biome comes new hazards like bears and bees and new resources like birch trees, pine trees, and honey. Balboa is also a large island with a confusing layout and limited access to certain locations, so it helps to know where to go and which tools are most useful once Raft players hit the beach.
Preparations
- Players should bring along at least two spears. The island is full of bears, including a particularly large and dangerous animal called Mama Bear. The best way to fight bears is to back away and strafe to the side simultaneously, then jump forward with a stab after they finish swinging or lunging.
- For the same reason, this is a good time to wear leather armor if players have access to wool.
- Players will have burned a lot of planks to reach Balboa Island, and the island is full of birches and pines that can replenish this resource. An axe or two will definitely come in handy. Players should note that only small pines and birch trees with green leaves can be cut.
- The net tool allows players to capture bees, and Balboa is the first time players can encounter them. Bee swarms can hurt if players run straight into them, but they're otherwise harmless and don't attack players on their own. Players can also find honey in the same areas.
- As always with large islands, it helps to bring along food and water.
The Ranger Station
When players first spot Balboa Island in the distance, they may have trouble finding a place to land. Despite appearances, there are three options available. The first is a wide beach covered in stones, the second is a small beach with a natural ramp tucked between two cliffs, and the third is a waterway that cuts across part of the island.
The best place to land is probably the small beach because the water beneath it has fewer resources than the large beach or the sand near the waterway. This will let players collect sand and clay without worrying about the shark.
Once players climb onto shore at the small beach and go up the ramp, they'll be able to turn left or right. The right path has a bear warning sign, and players should heed this: past the sign is a sleeping Mama Bear, and players won't want to wake her up just yet.
Instead, players should turn left, and after a short distance, they'll see arrow signs pointing to three relay stations and a ranger station. Players can also come across these signs if they start from another beach. For now, players should follow the signs for the ranger station. Not every junction has posted signs, so when in doubt, keep walking forward.
Along the way, players may hear the sound of a bicycle bell ringing in the distance. Players who follow this sound will find themselves on a small hill, and under a large tree on this hill is a bicycle. Clicking on the bicycle bell won't give players an item or a note, but it will give them the achievement "Pling!"
Players will know they're getting close to the ranger station because they'll come across a pond full of wooden spikes and radioactive water. The pond is also full of platforms players can jump across, and while the plastic and metal platforms will sink after a second, the wooden platforms won't. Use them to take a breath between jumping.
Once across, players will see Relay Station 2 to the left and the ranger station to the right. In front of the station is a dummy that needs a light bulb head and behind it are four bushes covered in wild berries. These wild berries count as special items for this island rather than regular inventory items. Inside the station is plastic, a blueprint for a biofuel reactor, a board that's missing three tools, and the very first note. Players can also jump up to find a crate in the crawlspace that has several food and water items.
After that, players should climb the stairs to reach Relay Station 2. Players can jump up a set of crates to reach the station roof, and on the roof is a loot crate. Inside the station, players will find the second note and a large switch that activates the station. Afterward, players can avoid the radioactive pond by dropping off the rocks. Just be careful to avoid falling damage.
Relay Station 4
Players should return to their raft to rest and resupply, and afterward, they can follow the signs to Relay Station 4. Along the way, players should spot a small shelter made of four lockers with a large locker to one side. Inside this locker is Bruno's Saw, one of the missing items from the tool board, but a nearby bear will likely attack when players approach the locker. Behind the bear is a large cave with lots of dirt and mushrooms.
Up the path from the locker is Relay Station 4, but a drawbridge prevents players from reaching it. To get the bridge down, players need to hit a lever on the far side, and there are several stones nearby that players can throw at it. Arrows can also work but are more expensive.
Once the bridge is down, players can find several more wild berry bushes and some honey outside. In the relay station is the fuel pipe blueprint, two notes (including a map), and Bruno's Hammer.
Relay Station 6
At this point, it's time to do something about Mama Bear. Specifically, players can place five of the wild berries they've found in a container near Mama Bear to lure her out. This lets players safely explore her cave, which contains the usual dirt and mushrooms but also a machete blueprint and a loot container that includes biofuel and a machete. Machetes count as weapons, but they can also help cut down the vegetation that blocks the way to Relay Station 6.
Players can also choose to fight Mama Bear. She can take a tremendous amount of damage and hits incredibly hard, but it's possible to kill her. The best strategy is to put out the wild berries, stand on the rocks close to the container, shoot Mama Bear with metal arrows, and then back away immediately. If players are fast enough, she'll quickly give up and go back to eating berries. This strategy is cheesy, but considering how tough this fight is, a cheesy strategy is the only real way to win. Players who succeed will get the "Mother Lode!" achievement and the Mama Bear head.
This is also a good time to get the light bulb. Looking out from Mama Bear's cave, turn right and then bear left to follow a circular path up the hill. Players will know they're in the right spot because they'll see two notes on the ground in front of them. At the top is a set of dolls with three more notes and a cage that contains the light bulb. Taking the bulb gives the "Tiny Little Murderer" achievement.
Now that players have a machete, they can follow the signs to Relay Station 6. The path will eventually lead to a natural tunnel full of vines, but three swipes with the machete will clear the way. On the far side of the cave is a new note.
The next note is on the stairs leading up to Relay Station 6. At the top, players can once again climb up onto the roof to get a loot crate. On the inside is Bruno's Wrench, the blueprint for the fuel tank, lots of plastic, and the playable character Johnny. Flipping the third switch will reveal note eleven, which is the code players need to find the next story island.
However, players aren't yet done on Balboa. Now that they have all three tools and the light bulb, they can return to the ranger station and put them back, an action that reveals the final note and awards the achievements "A Revelation!" and "Fix Errol!" With this done, players should have every blueprint, every note, and every achievement Balboa Island has to offer.
Raft is available now on PC.