Download of the day – Raft

Raft sets you adrift in an endless ocean, where your life depends on your ability to scavenge flotsam and jetsam, hunt for food, and fend off predators.

As you see items floating past, your first instinct might to be to leap in and grab them, but although you might succeed, you’re also likely to end up as supper for a shark.

It’s a much better idea to use the only tool in your starting inventory – a hook – to grab debris and pull it towards yourself. Once you’ve gathered enough materials you can craft essential tools like a fishing rod to keep yourself fed, a water purifier to turn brine into something drinkable, and a hammer so you can begin extending your raft.

Scurvy and splinters

Once you’ve got to essentials sorted, you can begin adding seed troughs, stoves, and even furniture to bring some home comforts to the high seas. You’ll have to suspend your disbelief a little while harvesting beetroots and tucking into jacket potatoes aboard your waterborne homestead, but it’s great fun.

The game currently has no goal beyond building a palatial raft, but the developers are hard at work and hope to release an updated version on Steam soon so keep an eye on the horizon.

To embark on your voyage, download the ZIP archive (the links are partway down the page), extract it, and double-click the EXE file.

Download here: Raft

Download of the Day is our pick of the best free software around – whether it's useful, fun, or just plain silly. If you have any recommendations, please send them to downloads@techradar.com.

Cat Ellis
Homes Editor

Cat is TechRadar's Homes Editor specializing in kitchen appliances and smart home technology. She's been a tech journalist for 15 years, and is here to help you choose the right devices for your home and do more with them. When not working she's a keen home baker, and makes a pretty mean macaron.

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