Beginner Tips For Coral Island

Key Takeaways

  • Never sell raw crops; use aging barrels and kegs for profit.
  • Keep and recycle trash for valuable resources on the farm.
  • Upgrade farm equipment and interact with townspeople for progress.



Coral Island is an adorable farming simulator that takes place on a tropical island. While players may be expected to do the usual farming activities such as tilling the soil and planting crops each season, there are plenty of other activities for the player to get involved in.

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Even for those who have played similar games in the past, there are plenty of new activities and things to do on Coral Island that some titles have not explored. Therefore, even those who aren’t beginners to farming simulators may find these beginner tips to be helpful, so they can make a great head start on creating the perfect farm and cleaning the island.

Updated on October 24, 2024, by Megan Smith: Coral Island Tips and Tricks help more than just beginners to this farming simulator, though many new players have likely taken the plunge to start a new life for themselves on this island since its recent update that has concluded the Merfolk storyline found deep beneath the waves of Coral Island.


With this new story to explore as well as three more romances giving players the chance to fall in love with some of the residents of the Merfolk kingdom, there are plenty more Coral Island tips to explore to give players a much easier chance of making it to the Merfolk Kingdom and building an impressive farm for themselves. While there may be Coral Island beginner tips, there may even be some helpful information for those who have been playing it for a while too.


18 Never Sell Raw Crops

Aging Barrels And Kegs Work Wonders For Profit

an aging barrel in coral island.

Although Aging Barrels are something players are likely to unlock much later in their playthrough of Coral Island, it’s still important for a player to remember to never sell crops the second they have harvested them.


If players are looking to make a profit on their produce, they should be sure to either put their crops into kegs to pickle them. In some cases, once the player has unlocked the kitchen, they can grill their various veg, to quickly turn the harvest into something else without having to wait days for the kegs or aging barrels to be done.

17 Always Keep Trash Around

Trash Can Be Recycled Into Useful Resources

Coral Island - Trash

While trash might be quite a let-down when it surrounds the ocean floor or is being picked up when trying to fish, players shouldn’t be so hasty to put it into their selling box on the farm. Trash can be incredibly useful as it can be recycled into valuable resources that can then be used to create certain things a player may need on their farm in Coral Island.


By placing trash in a Compost Bin, players can create more compost to make fertilizer. Meanwhile, putting trash in the Recycling Machine will instead give the player Scrap which can then be turned into Glass, another valuable crafting resource that is hard to collect.

16 Upgrades Are Important For A Happy Farm

Lab Upgrades Increase Produce Quality

Coral Island laboratory

Players can make the most of fertilizers to improve the quality of the crops they grow or befriend their animals enough to make them produce better milk. Another great and reliable way to improve the quality of the farm is by purchasing the various upgrades available at the lab with Ling.


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Alongside providing the right amount of money, players will also need to have the right resources available, and then they can decide if they would rather improve the quality of the seeds they purchase or the feed they grow for a better chance at higher quality produce, or even upgrade the equipment they use instead.

15 Change The Speed Of The Day

Time Moves Too Quickly At The Start

The settings in Coral Island

Players who have only just started their playthrough of Coral Island may feel that the time of day passes them far too quickly. Thankfully, Coral Island allows players to alter how quickly the day passes by. One of Coral Island’s beginner tips is decreasing this time from 100% to 50%.

This means that each day in Coral Island is likely to last around 40 minutes, which is plenty of time to get everything the player needs to be done. When reaching mid or late-game, the days can be shortened once more.


14 Visit The Merfolk As Soon As Possible

Making Progress Underwater To Unlock New Things

merfolk kingdom gate in coral island.

One of the main features of Coral Island is the task of cleaning the ocean. Besides being the Good Samaritan and helping the island with cleaning the trash from the waters, exploring deeper under the waves will allow the player to encounter the Merfolk Kingdom. Beginners should make progress with Merfolk, not only to start a new quest but also to collect the other kelp types that can be found far past the kingdom too.

This kelp is usually used in crafting recipes or its essence, which is used to upgrade the player’s seeds, saplings, and the feed they give their animals for better quality crops and resources. With the most recent update concluding the Merfolk storyline, players may also wish to get to the Merfolk as soon as possible to meet the new available romances.


13 Focus On Befriending Everyone, Not Just A Romance

Might Fall For Someone Else Or Learn Something New

a wedding in coral island.

As mentioned with the flowers, players can easily make everyone on Coral Island their friend. While some players may question why they need to do that, it’s quite simple. Getting to a certain number of hearts with each character in the game will reward the player with certain recipes or other gifts from their favorite people.

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Players can amass a small fortune in a relatively short amount of time in Coral Island by following some of these tips.

This doesn’t just include the islanders living in Starlet Town, but also the giants players can free, or the Merfolk that live in the ocean. All of these people can be befriended and the number of hearts the player has earned with them can be found in the menu.


12 Plan The Farm Ahead

Always Consider Where Things Will Go

an arranged and organized farm in coral island.

Players that have just started Coral Island may have been tempted to play the game due to seeing the aesthetically pleasing farming of those who have been playing the farming simulator title for much longer. Players should therefore consider how they want their farm to look when planning where to put their fields, coops, and barns.

It is also important to plan these things for when the player unlocks various equipment like sprinkler systems and scarecrows, as fields will likely need to be created around these items to make the most of them. Not to forget to mention the various decorative items and paths players can craft too.


11 Collect Every Flower Each Season

Everyone Loves Them

A player's farm with a Sunflower in Coral Island

In almost every season of Coral Island, flowers can be grown using seeds or plucked from the wild. While it may be easy to sell these plants for a simple bit of coin, almost every islander on Coral Island loves flowers. Collecting as many as possible and handing a flower to one of these people will garner a small amount of approval from them.

With enough flowers given, players will then also experience their heart events. However, there are some exceptions to this. For example, many islanders don’t like violets, and Charles doesn’t like flowers because he’s allergic.

10 Pre-Plan Farming Space

This Leaves Space For Other Things

Farmer walking through their farm in Coral Island


While it may be fun to spontaneously build a farm, players will find that although they have a lot of space, these things have not been put into smart places. By using the camera tool that allows players to look at the entirety of their farm at a distance, the player can have a rough idea of what buildings or fields they want where.

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Players can also till soil to plan out how big their fields are going to be and how much space is going to be between them. If the ground stays watered, these fields will remain on the farm, otherwise, they will disappear. By focusing on the effective way to use the space available, the player can then be certain where their animals can go and how big to make their grass fields.

9 Sprinklers Save Time

Players Don’t Need To Manually Water Crops

Sprinklers in Coral Island


Like many other farming simulator titles, players don’t want to spend every single day only watering their crops when there are plenty of other activities to complete that also require the player to have a large amount of energy.

Thankfully, players can unlock sprinklers which will do all the watering work for them every morning as long as it can reach every part of the field. Besides watering fruit and veg, the Sprinkler is also able to distribute various fertilizers which will allow a player to worry less about their fields while making a better profit.

8 Cows Are A Better Investment Than Chickens

Their Artisan Goods Sell For More

Coral Island Steam screenshot cow on farm


Although a player may be tempted to go for the first animal they are able to purchase due to both the coop and the chickens being the cheapest to purchase, players should practice patience and wait until they have enough for a barn and cows first.

Naturally, cows can be milked daily and this can be left as milk or transformed into cheese or butter. Selling any three of these products that come from a cow is sure to put a nice amount of money in the player’s pocket, as well as easily making back the money they spent on owning the cows in the first place.

7 Check Both Errand Boards Daily

A B.O.S Errand in Coral Island

Besides the player focusing on their own needs, the people around the island will also require the player’s aid from time to time. While some may send the player a letter requesting something specifically, at other moments, the player may notice an exclamation mark above the errand board next to Sam’s General Store that requires the player to usually bring a crop from that season.


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Players who have made more progress in the mines within the Cavern will unlock the possibility of also picking up errands from the Band of Smiles. These tasks will require the player to collect monster loot or other resources that can be found during their mining adventures.

6 Clean The Ocean Quickly

Access To The Underwater Caves Gives Fast Money

Coral Island - Sea Turtle

Cleaning the ocean in Coral Island isn’t only an important task for progressing the story of the game, but also a great way to gain access to another quick way of making money. The player will eventually have access to the various underwater caves which can be explored to clean up more trash.


While this sounds quite boring, players have the chance to find mysterious treasures within that can be opened and then sold for a profit. The further into the game a player gets, the more likely they are to find the same things which can then easily be sold as they no longer need to be donated.

5 Spend Rainy Days Being Productive

The Mines Can Use A Lot Of Energy

The player standing in the mines surrounded by rocks in Coral Island

Rainy days are the best for getting extraneous tasks done, as players won’t be wasting any of their energy watering plants. As soon as the player is out of bed, and they see that there is water falling from the sky, they should quickly tend to their animals – remembering to leave them indoors as they hate the rain – and then make their way to the mines.


Players will want to collect all the valuable resources and get as far down as possible. Every rock the player hits will cause them to lose energy, but certain levels of the mines will unlock a milestone they can return to at a later date. Alternatively, the player may wish to go fishing instead, or clean trash underwater, which are both promising moneymakers.

4 Level Up Vital Skills First

Levelling Unlocks Blueprints And Improvements

The Mastery menu in Coral Island

Starting Coral Island, players will be inexperienced in the various skills needed to be a farmer. However, by taking part in the various activities connected to each mastery, the player will begin to gradually gain experience which levels them up.


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Gaining levels in these various skills will unlock various blueprints for craftables like higher-level sprinklers, bombs, and various equipment that allow the player to make artisan products. Alongside this, at certain levels, players will also unlock skill points that can be used to upgrade various parts of those skills, such as breaking additional rocks or crops being more likely to be a higher rarity.

3 First Fish, Bug, Or Fossil Goes To The Museum

Improve The Town Rank Quicker

The player fishing from a wooden dock in Coral Island

Like Animal Crossing, players can visit a museum with no exhibits on Coral Island. It is up to the player to help Scott fill this museum once more with fish, bugs, artifacts, and, eventually, fossils. The more things that are added to the museum, the higher the museum’s score will be.


This then helps the town’s rank increase, which can also unlock new seeds and shops for the player to explore. Every fish or insect will need to be added to the museum and, therefore, to make it easier for the player, it’s always a great idea to donate the first one before the player forgets. Once again, players can check their inventory to see if they have donated the item if they are unsure.

2 Keep All Resources

All Vital For Crafting Or Offerings

coral island upgrade tools

Players should be hoarding all their resources as if it were a survival game. Every material in the game has some sort of purpose. Many of the fish caught, or foraged items plucked from the bottom of the ocean will be used in an offering found by the lake. Thankfully, when hovering over items in the player’s inventory, they can see if they have donated them to the museum or if they are needed for an offering.


Besides this, the remaining resources will likely be useful in crafting or building. Wood, stone, and ore will be needed to purchase barns or coops, while other materials like scrap or glass are required for more hands-on crafting.

1 Grow Crops With Multiple Harvests The Most

These Make The Most Money

a player standing in front of house in coral island

While players may be required to grow crops that can only be harvested once before needing new seeds planted for offerings or the occasional errand, the best crops to be grown in bulk are those that have multiple harvests a season. This means a player can wait five days for them to grow, harvest them, and then wait another two days to harvest them again.


Players are likely to have plenty of crops they can then sell or progress into other things. For example, they could be put into a mason jar to create jam, or in a keg to be turned into juice. Either way, the player has a promising profit on their hands.

coral island

Released
October 11, 2022

Developer(s)
Stairway Games

OpenCritic Rating
Strong

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