How to kill the pufferfish boss

How the fight starts

Several threads answer the "how do I spawn him" question the same way: on the third island, give an endangered fish to the character near a tree and he hands over carrot bait. See How to Fish endangered fish for what counts.

Keep a clear movement route

Players describe circling the island or trees while firing. One reply says to keep a tree between you and the boss so that its rolls hit the tree, then sprint to a tree on the other side. Another says the boss grows bigger as it loses health, eventually gets stuck on things and becomes easier to hit, and warns about a purple poison cloud. A third says to avoid trapping yourself in that poison once the second phase starts.

Before engaging, pick a route you can follow without snagging on obstacles. Treat cover as a way to create space rather than a reason to stand still.

Weapons and preparation

The August 21 discussion mentions an Uzi and shotgun combinations. Players disagree about attachments, so there is no supported single mandatory loadout. Other replies suggest upgrading bullets, using a compensator with an SMG, and carrying cooked fish on your toolbelt to heal mid-fight. One player says they used 20 to 30 dynamite to reach the second phase and got it to roughly three quarters of its health; treat that as a single anecdote rather than a recommendation.

Coordinate in co-op

One player report describes splitting attention between teammates. Agree who is drawing the boss and who is firing; avoid everyone committing to the same corner.

Version context

The developer reduced pufferfish difficulty in patch 1.0.4. The linked threads are from the launch period; they do not establish exact current health, damage or phase thresholds. Patch 1.0.12 changed explosives against the final boss, not the pufferfish.

After the fight

Pick up what the boss leaves and hand it in so the next island appears on your radar. See the map page if it does not.

Sources & context