How to use a shovel and find dirt in Raft

It’s been a while since Redbeet Interactive’s open-world survival game Raft was released on early access, and the game has been widely acclaimed by both players and critics alike. The developers have done a pretty fine job of keeping the player base engaged with regular content updates as well. One update in the game introduced livestock to the game, and the shovel was also added as a part of that update.

The shovel is one of the most important elements in the game. While it is used for only obtaining one item — that is, dirt — dirt itself is a key element in bringing livestock to your raft. Dirt is used to make grass plots, and crafting grass plots is the only way to feed livestock on your raft.

How to find dirt

Finding dirt is quite tricky since it is not available everywhere. Dirt is only available on large islands, and you can find three to eight dirt patches on any of the islands. However, it is quite a rare spawn, so it is quite difficult to find it. Most of the time, dirt patches spawn inside caves, so it is worth checking out caves on large islands.

As far as locating large islands is concerned, you can do so by getting the receiver and reaching the Radio Tower. Before you can reach the Radio Tower, you need to craft the receiver. The receiver requires 8x Plank, 6x Plastic, 2x Circuit Board, and 1x Hinge to craft. Do note that you need to have a Receiver Blueprint before you can craft a receiver. You can find the blueprint in barrels that float around the ocean. Once you have the blueprint, research it on the Research table and the item can then be crafted.

Once you have the receiver, you need to craft three antennas. Antennas can be crafted with the help of 4x Scrap, 1x Circuit Board, and 1x Bolt. Once you have the antennas, you need to place the receiver one floor above the foundation, while the antenna needs to placed on the same floor, or one-half level above, or below the receiver. Before you can start using the receiver, you need to have batteries as well.

Batteries can be crafted with the help of 1x Copper Ingot, 6x Plastic, and 3x Scrap. You need batteries to turn on the receiver, and the battery continues to deplete when the receiver is turned on. So, you need to make sure that you turn it off when you are not using the receiver.

Once you turn on the receiver, you will get a code that will lead you to the Radio Tower, which is marked by a blue dot on the radar. To reach the Radio Tower, you just need to have a sail and the tower will spawn in the direction the raft is moving. After reaching the Radio tower, the receiver will start showing large islands on the radar. Large islands are marked by green dots on the radar.

Once you reach a large island, you need to start searching for dirt. As mentioned earlier, dirt patches are commonly found inside caves and rarely spawn outside caves. You can also find dirt patches on hills near vegetable gardens at times.

How to use a shovel

Before you start digging dirt, you need to make sure you have a shovel. You can obtain a shovel by researching it on the Research Table. To be able to research the Shovel, players need to have a Metal Ingot, a Bolt, and 6x Planks. Once you have the Shovel, you can use it to dig dirt.

Another use for the shovel is finding treasure. If you have a metal detector, you can use it to find treasure on islands. Once all the lights of a metal detector are turned on, use the shovel to dig up the spot, and you have a chance to get a chest, garbage, a tiki piece, or a suitcase.

After you have obtained dirt, you can use it to craft grass plots. Grass Plots require 2x Dirt, 6x Plank, 4x Plastic to be crafted. The plot needs to be watered, and then the grass will grow on it, which can be used to feed livestock. The good thing is that you don’t need to craft a new grass plot every time, so after all the grass has been consumed, you just need to water it again, or just use a sprinkler if you want to avoid the hassle of manually watering it.