Survival games provide us a way to experience some of the most horrific scenarios… all from the safety of our homes.
One thing that many love is the freedom these games give you. You’re able to roam around and do pretty much anything you want. And Stranded Deep is a great example of this type of gameplay.
Mods only add to this freedom, as the community comes up with new ways to make survival more fun & more challenging.
Whether you’re looking for an exciting new environment to explore, or some added features for a new-ish experience, the modding community has something for you.
If you find that you enjoy the peaceful building aspect of the game, Fisherman’s Horizon is another great map for those who are looking for a more relaxed experience.
As with Tora-Tora, there’s a good amount of resources scattered around the island. Surviving shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
Where this map differs is that it offers much more variety in terms of exploration.
There are multiple building spots, fishing camps, and shelters to discover. You can even watch the sunset from one of the radio towers. Neat!
There are tons of maps out there that are just great for exploration.
The amount of effort and detail creators put into making maps feel as realistic as possible is amazing. Sometimes it’s just nice to walk around and discover what secrets they’ve hidden on their islands.
Poseidon’s Maze is one of those maps.
From a bird’s-eye view, it appears the majority of the map is sprawling with towering rock formations – looking almost like a maze. Yet this is only half the fun.
A beautiful oasis awaits at the center, so it should be a rootin-tootin’ good time to explore and make your way through these labyrinthine passageways.
Ancient Legends is a favorite among the Stranded Deep community – and for good reason.
The map is packed with hidden secrets to discover including hidden caves, sinkholes, and loot.
It’s possibly one of the best exploration maps ever made. As to this day, most users still haven’t discovered all of its secrets. Become a regular Ferdinand Magellan and explore your way to hours of fun.
I also feel this is probably the best map to start with exploration, as there’s so much ground to cover. You’ll find yourself exploring for days.
Be careful though, because you never know what dangers you’ll find waiting past those passageways.
If you’re looking for a map with more verticality, High Tide Fortress should do the trick.
You’ll find yourself hacking through obstacles as you ascend to the highest peak on the island.
You’ll also have to maneuver across hanging bridges, which is all the more thrilling as they look like they could collapse with each step.
Thrilling, scary, petrifying, your choice of adjectives here.
The view from the top will be well worth the journey, though, so get going!
And there’s a lot more to discover here, including both underwater and land caves, six fortresses each containing different loot items, and even a treehouse.
Fantasy Island is one more huge map that makes for a great home base.
The custom map mod features a dormant volcano as a centerpiece, so you’ll be completely safe while enjoying the beautiful view.
Resources are abundant, as the creator’s aim was to make an island he would never have to leave.
There’s so much land to build on here that the water actually goes straight to the edges of the map. So be mindful of how far you swim from the shore.
There are also a few Easter Eggs to find as well, so you can spend a good amount of time exploring when you’re not building. Not likely to get bored, either.
Now this is an interesting map, as it’s actually divided into multiple sections.
The Palasaides’ design makes exploration all the more interesting.
In what appears to be ten separate islands, you’ll have to swim across short distances to travel between them.
This in itself should be challenging, as the surrounding waters are home to several species of sharks.
But our friendly modder promises that traversing the islands will be worth your while. He mentions that there are many secrets to discover (naturally) so it’s worth the danger.
In his description he also mentioned that you’ll be rewarded for whatever effort you put forth, so go get exploring!
The first few sentences that introduce this map are already enough to make me want to give it a shot. Quoted:
“Survivors built their own utopia while waiting to be rescued. The only way in is through underwater caves. Can you make it there in one breath?”
And from that alone you can tell that this is going to be an adventure and a half.
There are few building spots and resources are quite scarce, so this isn’t a map for beginners.
Be prepared for a hardcore survival experience, and once you’ve gathered enough resources to stay alive, go ahead and start looking for those juicy secrets left by the island’s previous inhabitants.
Now for those still satisfied with exploring the maps available in vanilla, let me share a few of the better modding options as well.
I think we all know how wild animals can get pesky in Stranded Deep. Especially if their standing between you and the loot you need, for whatever reason.
Well this mod offers a great way to learn the ropes without having to deal with the bothersome wildlife.
Harmless Sharks and Snakes basically makes it safer to explore any island, as these beasts won’t be attacking you anymore.
Another cool challenge mod, Non Swimmer basically makes it so that you can’t swim.
How would this be good? Someone who doesn’t know how to swim, surviving being stranded on a deserted island?
Well that’s a question you’re going to have to figure out for yourself.
Don’t worry though, some water activities are still available. Like shallow water spear fishing, and boating (as long as the boat is above the water line).
You could decide to just get in the water… but be careful here, as you might panic and end up dropping your items.
Finally we come to the big kahuna: the Big Islands Mod.
It’s one of the most popular mods by far, as it’s basically a one-stop shop for those who want more control over how the game plays.
This mod gives you tons of options to customize your game, including island sizes and where they get placed.
You’re even in control of which resources are spawned, plus the weather, and you can even a mini map for your HUD.
Big Islands also features a “god mode” where you can basically spawn anything you want.
If you’re looking to have some relaxed fun with Stranded Deep, or just really take control over the game, then the Big Islands mod is an easy way to do pretty much anything you want.
