Official Steam screenshot · Game imagery © respective owners. Material credits.
Learn crafting in the tutorial
The official FAQ specifically recommends the tutorial when you are unsure how to craft or continue your journey. Begin there before exploring an unfamiliar layer.
Crafting connects exploration with survival: tools help with travelling through the caves, while environmental resources can help you patch up wounds.
Craft tools for the descent
The official game description explains that tools help you travel through the cavernous layers more efficiently. Crafting is part of the survival loop alongside exploration and managing injuries.
Previous expeditions have left supplies in the caves, but the developer warns that even helpful things can become dangerous. Approach unfamiliar finds cautiously.
Connect crafting with wound care
The flora of the caves can provide resources for patching yourself up. Crafting is therefore useful for treatment as well as exploration.
Wounds, infection and blood loss are separate concerns in the game’s survival simulation. Learn the dressing mechanics in the tutorial before you need to respond under pressure.