The Sinking City 2 getting started path opens with Calvin "Cal" Rafferty arriving on Boat Arkham before stepping into the flooded 1920s city. Spend your first hour learning the inventory and resource loop, the avoidance vs combat trade-off, and the boat navigation between districts - those three mechanics carry every later decision in the four-act main campaign. Investigation side missions reward crafting materials and ammo recipes and are worth taking whenever they are nearby.
Sources
[The Sinking City 2 on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2825860/The_Sinking_City_2/) - `official/store` - checked `2026-08-18` - Avoidance vs combat framing, four weapon categories, enemy types, and first-session survival-horror design intent. [PCGamer - The Sinking City 2 review](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/the-sinking-city-2-review) - `media/interview` - checked `2026-08-18` - First-hour inventory guidance, ammo economy across weapon categories, and shortcut backtracking notes. [Rock Paper Shotgun - The Sinking City 2 preview](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ive-walked-the-waterlogged-streets-of-the-sinking-city-2-and-we-might-finally-have-a-cthulhu-survival-horror-game-to-rival-resident-evil-and-silent-hill) - `media/interview` - checked `2026-08-18` - Boat navigation as connective tissue across districts and the structural role of Boat Arkham. [The Sinking City 2 Kickstarter campaign](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/frogwares/the-sinking-city-2) - `official/store` - checked `2026-08-18` - 1920s Arkham setting, Cal Rafferty protagonist, Faye Bennett supporting cast, and Investigation side mission framing.