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Game guide
THE REEF Guide: Choosing your animal and getting started
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About
OverviewThe Reef drops you into a coral reef where you pick an ocean animal and survive alongside other players. This guide covers picking your creature, moving around, staying alive through the night, and earning skins.
What is on this page
Contents
01
Choosing your animal and getting started
Step
In short
Pick your creature, learn the controls, then explore.
When you join, you are shown a selection screen where you choose which animal to play. Every animal shares the same control scheme, so your first sessions are a good time to get the movement down before worrying about survival.
- Pick an animal choose whichever creature interests you; controls are the same for all of them.
- Learn to move hold Shift to sprint, Q to rise in the water, E to sink, and Space to slide horizontally.
- Hide the UI press H if the on-screen clutter is distracting and you want a clearer view.
MetaNew Player Survey
The next survey is being prepared.
02
Moving through the water
TipsIn short
Combining sprint with vertical movement lets you escape danger quickly from any direction.
The reef is three-dimensional, so thinking only left and right will get you caught. Use all axes whenever you need to flee or chase.
Tips worth knowing
- Hold Shift to sprint when you need to cover ground fast.
- Press Q to rise and E to dive.
- Hold Space to slide sideways.
- Use emotes with the 1–10 keys to signal other players without needing the chat.
- On a private server, Shift+P opens a free camera so you can study the reef layout without your animal's perspective limiting you.
03 Live and upcoming events
Events
Events running now or coming soon. They have fixed dates, so check them first.
Live now
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Live now
–
🎃 Halloween Event! 🎃
Halloween event 2026!
04
Forming schools and pods
Summary
In short
Teaming up with other players is the single biggest thing you can do to survive.
The game is built around group play. Fish gather into schools and large marine mammals form pods. The co-op badge, earned by helping a friend, is proof that the game rewards this behaviour.
- School a group of fish players swimming together for shared safety.
- Pod a group formed by larger animals such as whales or dolphins.
- Helping a friend earns you the co-op badge, showing the game tracks cooperative play.
- Emotes use the 1–10 keys to communicate intent and keep your group coordinated.
05
Unlocking skins and badges
Check
In short
Some skins are tied to specific in-game discoveries, so explore thoroughly and check the store regularly.
Skins change only how your animal looks — they have no effect on speed, strength, or anything that affects gameplay. That said, a few are tied to real in-game achievements worth hunting.
- Found Nemo unlocks the Nemo skin.
- Blue lobster discover the bluest red reef lobster to unlock blue lobster mutations.
- Level 200 reach level 200 to earn the Migaloo badge.
- Store skins check the store regularly, since limited skins come and go with events.
- Events joining events is the main way to get limited skins that are not sold in the store.
- Favourite the game this keeps you notified about new updates and upcoming events.
Community strategy ideas
CommunityThese ideas and tips come from people playing the game. Share your discoveries too!
No strategy ideas yet. Share a tip you discovered.
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🐠🪸 THE REEF 🐬🪸
Glossary
Glossary- Pod
- A group formed by large marine animals like whales or dolphins, serving the same protective purpose as a school.
- Predator
- An animal — such as a shark — that hunts other creatures; predators become more active and dangerous at night.
- Skin
- A cosmetic item that changes how your animal looks without affecting any gameplay stats or abilities.
- Freecam
- A camera mode available on private servers, activated with Shift+P, that lets you look around the reef freely without being locked to your animal's view.
- NPC prey
- Computer-controlled creatures that behave realistically and exist for players to interact with.
Common questions
FAQHow do I survive the night?
Group up with other players of your species — a school or pod is much harder for predators to attack than a lone animal. If you cannot find a group, tuck into a crack or structure in the reef and wait it out.
Do skins give any gameplay advantage?
No. Every skin is purely cosmetic and changes only how your animal looks.
Can I play all the controls on any animal?
Yes — sprint, vertical movement, horizontal slide, emotes, and UI toggle all work the same way no matter which creature you picked. The freecam is the one exception, available only on private servers.
How do I get the Nemo and blue lobster skins?
The Nemo skin is unlocked via the Found Nemo badge. The blue lobster mutations are unlocked by finding the bluest red reef lobster.
Updated Oct 27, 2026
Game updates can change what is on this page. If you spot something, get in touch and let us know.
Game updates can change what is on this page. If you spot something, get in touch and let us know.
