QUICK ANSWER

Reach Old City after its story and station progression, then bring Copper tools, food, water, Tickets and free inventory. Save Double Jump and Sprint gates for return trips.

How to reach the Old City Ruins

Old City Ruins is a mid-game exploration region, not an opening-day farming route. Recorded version 1.0 progression reaches it after the main regional chain advances into the Dry season and Kasia suggests investigating the Old City. Prepare the transport connection, Copper-grade tools, food, water, combat support, and free inventory space before making the first trip.

Gameplay footage connects Old City access with a new Bus Station combination. The transport work uses Steel Bars, which in turn depend on Iron Ore and Copper Ore, and the recorded playthrough also shows substantial donation or infrastructure pressure. Exact station quantities and Goldcoin requirements are To be confirmed in the current patch, so check the live station panel before gathering to an old value.

Old City preparation checklist

Upgrade tools in the practical order shown by the early-game route: Copper Pickaxe, Copper Axe, then Copper Sickle. The Pickaxe handles ore and larger garbage barriers, the Axe supports Rockwood and Bamboo routes, and the Sickle clears vegetation and supports laboratory access. Repair the tool required for your immediate objective instead of carrying several nearly broken tools.

Bring food, water, a weapon or combat Drone, Tickets, and enough open slots for high-value materials. Cardboard Boxes at home can separate Wood, Stone, Fiber, ore, quest goods, and fishing supplies while still allowing stored materials to be used in crafting. A Sleeping Bag, recorded at about 150G in full-release guidance, can provide a save and recovery point in a safe area; confirm its current shop price before budgeting around that amount.

Stations save travel time, but every fast-travel journey consumes a Ticket. Plan one long route with several objectives rather than spending repeated tickets on a single low-value catch. Wild pools can refill water, and Plastic Bottles can restore health, but neither replaces proper food and combat preparation.

First visit and return-trip gates

Use the first visit to learn the main path, activate transport, collect progression resources, and identify blocked side routes. Old City follows Doloc Town's ability-gate structure: upgraded tools, Double Jump, and Sprint open different paths at different times. A route visible on the first trip may be intentionally unreachable until one of those abilities is obtained.

Do not assume the region can be cleared in one visit. Mark high ledges, long gaps, dense vegetation, and tool barriers, then return when the matching ability is available. This is more efficient than exhausting food and Tickets against a gate that is not yet meant to open.

Prioritize story, research, seed unlocks, and transport infrastructure before low-value scavenging. Old City combines combat, materials, fishing, and progression rather than functioning as a single-resource map. Leave with the item that advances the next system even if some ordinary scrap remains behind.

Old City fishing locations

Old City contains six verified water types with very different junk rates. Choose the pool by its actual name and target; similar-looking water does not share the same catch table. The Hidden Pool is the clean collection stop, while Residential Water and Shallows are poor general fishing locations because most casts can return junk.

WaterJunk rateMain verified targetsBest use
Old City Coast30%Sardine, Bass, Cod, Eel, Glow EelCoastal collection and Scorching Sun Glow Eel
Old City Deep Water30%Catfish, Four-eyed Fish, Needlefish, ArapaimaArapaima and deep-water collection
Old City Hidden Pool0%Carp, Four-eyed Fish, Grass Carp, Needlefish, Koi, LampreyClean collection route and Lamprey
Old City Sewer50%Hermit Crab, Snail, Aquatic Chameleon Bug, Blanket OctopusSewer-only catches
Old City Residential Water70%Sea HareSea Hare only, then leave
Old City Shallows80%ShrimpAvoid unless the route requires the pool

Lamprey is confirmed in the Hidden Pool and can be caught with the Basic Rod; collected version 1.0 data records a base value around 180G. Arapaima appears in Deep Water and is recorded around 175G. Sea Hare is exclusive to Residential Water and is recorded around 90G, but the 70% junk rate makes it a collection target rather than a default money route.

Glow Eel appears at the Old City Coast under Scorching Sun conditions and requires at least the Old Rod; the recorded base value is around 400G. These prices may change with balance patches, so verify the current inventory value before using them as fixed profit calculations.

Efficient Old City route

  1. Confirm the active story prompt and Bus Station requirements.
  2. Repair Copper tools, unload ordinary materials, and pack food, water, Tickets, and combat support.
  3. On arrival, identify the station and main progression route before entering side pools.
  4. Collect story, research, seed, and transport objectives first.
  5. Use the Hidden Pool for Lamprey or Koi, Deep Water for Arapaima, and the Coast for weather-specific Glow Eel.
  6. Enter the Sewer only for its exclusive creatures; stop fishing Residential Water after Sea Hare is secured.
  7. Record Double Jump, Sprint, and tool gates for the next visit instead of forcing them.

If inventory fills early, discard or leave ordinary low-value junk before progression materials. Fishing in 70% or 80% junk water can quickly consume the space reserved for ore or quest items. Combining exploration and collection goals in one planned route makes each Ticket and recovery item more valuable.

Achievements and exploration targets

Steam achievement guidance confirms Double Jump and Sprint as distinct ability milestones. It also connects Old City fishing and Sewer catches with broader collection and exploration progress. Combine the regional visit with fish collection, Goldcoin objectives, and ability-gated landmarks so later returns have more than one purpose.

The I Have Plenty and friendship achievements belong to character interactions rather than the Old City route, while recipe and farming milestones are best prepared at home. Keep those systems separate when planning the day: Old City time should focus on transport, map access, region-specific materials, exclusive fish, and progression gates.

What remains to be confirmed

Reliable public material does not provide a complete room-by-room Old City map, fixed chest coordinates, or a verified list of every NPC position. Those details remain To be confirmed and are not presented as exact locations here. Use the route framework above for preparation, transport, ability gates, and fishing while checking the current in-game map for patch-specific changes.

SOURCES & VERIFICATION

How this guide was checked

The route, station preparation, return-trip gates, and six fishing waters were checked against the supplied version 1.0 research notes.

Reviewed by the Doloc Town Wiki editorial team for version 1.0 · Last evidence review: 2026-08-11 · Read the editorial policy

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