Trash Sailors Solo Guide

In this Trash Sailors Solo Guide, I'll tell you what you need to know to play this co-op sailing adventure game by yourself (or with some A.I. help).

Trash Sailors Solo Guide - The Difference Between Solo and Co-Op

There are quite a few important differences between Trash Sailors solo play and Trash Sailors co-op multiplayer. (Before we go any further, make sure you've read our Trash Sailors Guide for Beginners to understand the basics of the game!)

To start, solo players only have two characters. Co-op play, on the other hand, lets you have up to four characters. You'll likely need one character focused on steering; that means the other character will have to take care of everything else on the Ship. The game is hectic enough on its own, but it will be especially hectic when you're playing by yourself since you'll only have half of the maximum crew.

Here's the other challenge: you have to control both characters. You have two options:

• Use two normal characters and alternate between picking them, similar to the single-player gameplay of Overcooked 2).
• Use an A.I. companion to take care of one job and handle everything else yourself.

Both can work, but I've found that one of these two methods is more ideal in my experience.

What Characters Should You Pick for Trash Sailors Solo?

There are multiple characters available in Trash Sailors, but which ones should you pick? Again, you can only have two characters in Trash Sailors solo play, so your choices are considerably more important than in co-op.

Here are the characters you'll have access to in the early portions of the game:

• Francis - The most well-rounded sailor; the "Mario" of the game. Excels at nothing, bad at nothing.
• Herman - Strong attacks, but bad at collecting garbage.
• Rob - An A.I. companion. The only character that is computer-controlled (with a little help from you).
• Mary (Unlocked after Level 5 or so) - Excellent at collecting garbage, but a poor steersman.
• Baron (Unlocked later in the game) - Presumably good at Steering, but bad at attacking.

It's possible to use two regular characters (either Francis, Herman, Mary, or Baron), and yes -- you can use two of the same character. However, constantly switching between the two can prove to be a challenge.

For your first character, I think Francis is a good choice. It's hard to argue with taking the well-balanced pick when you're so limited in the number of crew (at least in the early game). As for the second character, I don't think it's a good idea to take a person at all; rather, I strongly recommend that you use Rob instead.

How to Use Rob in Trash Sailors

You can use Rob by placing him either at the edge of your Ship (to collect garbage) or at the Helm (to steer). Either are valid choices, but I believe one to be better than the other.

When Rob is at the edge of your Ship, he'll automatically fish out random pieces of garbage as you pass by. It will be up to you, however, to throw them in the Grinder and convert them into Trash.

Should you choose to have Rob man the Helm instead, you'll be able to steer the ship using Q & E regardless of what you're doing. This will work even if your other character has been knocked off of the ship.

In both cases, Rob will also actively fight to repel any boarders within range of him, so he also automatically contributes to defense. I personally prefer to have Rob at the helm to make steering easier; I can collect garbage just fine on my own and it gives me a higher chance of actually landing a combo.

How to Play Trash Sailors Solo

You can get started playing Trash Sailors solo simply by starting up the game and not inviting anyone. You can jump right into the campaign by yourself.

Before you start a level, you'll be able to customize your ship's loadout and choose your characters. For now, I recommend that you take Francis as your actual playable character and rely on the A.I.-controlled character Rob to man the Helm.

When you load into the level, use whatever Trash you have on hand to accomplish the following tasks (in order):

1. Fuel your Engine (at least partway)
2. Repair your Hull (if it's damaged)
3. Load your Cannon(s).

Then, turn on the Engine, pick up Rob, and place him on the Helm. With him in place, you'll be able to steer with Q and E (or the controller equivalent) regardless of where you are on the ship.

As for Francis, his priorities should be (in order):

1. Using the Cannon(s) to destroy obstacles before you collide with them
2. Turning on or repairing the Light (if it's dark out)
3. Repelling boarders (although Rob will help with this).
4. Gathering Maps
5. Gathering Trash

Do note that Rob is just as vulnerable as any other character. He can be knocked off of the ship by hazards such as Waves or Vines and he can also be knocked out if he loses all of his health. While he's quite good at taking care of himself in a fight, don't let him get overwhelmed.

You should also make an effort to steer the ship away from hazards where possible. If all players are knocked off of the ship, it will keep moving forward as long as the Engine is on. This can result in one or more collisions and potentially sink your ship. (This is also why it's important to fully repair the Hull at every opportunity.)

Even with this setup, some of the levels can be pretty challenging. That said, it's definitely doable to play the game solo as long as you run a tight ship.