The class you equip in the lobby shapes your entire run. It decides how hard you hit, how long you live, and how quickly you can sail between islands on the way to Day 100. There are 29 classes to roll through, and the gap between the best and the worst is wide enough that a good pick can carry a solo run while a weak one leaves you scrambling.
Quick answer: Fire Mage is the strongest class thanks to its raw Magma Staff damage. Ice Mage, Ancient Squid, and Alien Overlord sit right beside it at the top, and all four cost 750 Pearls. Skip Survivor, Sailor, Camper, and Medic as long-term picks once you can afford something better.
Full class tier list
Rankings weigh damage output first, then survivability, mobility, and how long a class stays useful across a full run. Combat power matters more than economy or utility, since surviving night raids and island bosses is what actually gets you to Day 100. This ranking reflects the July 2026 meta after the Ice Region update.
| Tier | Classes |
|---|---|
| S | Fire Mage, Ice Mage, Ancient Squid, Alien Overlord, Hero |
| A | Knight, Alien Warrior, Pirate, Sharpshooter, Battle Bunny, Raider |
| B | Treasure Hunter, Millionaire, Swordsman, Olympian, Soldier, Cowboy |
| C | Zookeeper, Builderman, Chef, Merchant, Battle Buku, Harpooner, Adventurer, Crewmate |
| D | Medic, Sailor, Camper, Survivor |
There is no F tier here. Every class gives at least a small buff, so even the bottom picks beat running with no class equipped at all.
Why the S-tier classes win
The top tier is built around one thing: killing enemies fast enough that nothing else matters. Fire Mage starts with a Magma Staff and +25% Magic Damage, and its level perks stack further magic damage on top. It puts out the highest damage in the game and can hold its own solo because everything dies before it becomes a threat. The trade-off is price and a lack of mobility or healing, but its damage makes those gaps easy to ignore.
Ice Mage is essentially a side-grade. It swaps a slice of magic damage for a sprint speed boost, which gives it slightly more survivability at the cost of pure output. Ancient Squid is the versatile pick of the group, pairing a Squid Laser Gun with sprint speed and a max health bump, and its laser stops overheating once fully leveled. Alien Overlord brings ranged power plus a UFO ship that explores islands and open water faster than anything else in the game.
Hero rounds out the tier as the best melee option. Its Holy Sword, health bonuses, and 5 HP heal on every melee kill make it extremely hard to die with in the early and mid game. It fades a little later on, but it dominates while it’s relevant.
Strong value picks in A and B tier
If you can’t afford a 750-Pearl class yet, several mid-cost options punch well above their price. Knight is the best tank in the game, starting with Knight Armor for 30% damage reduction that stays useful the whole run, plus sprint, health, and melee perks. At 380 Pearls it’s one of the best deals available.
Among ranged classes, Pirate, Sharpshooter, and Raider all deliver high gun damage. Raider practically never runs dry on ammo because kills refill it. Battle Bunny is the mobility king, with a triple jump ceiling and Egg Grenades, though it demands sharp movement to get value. In B tier, Swordsman and Olympian stand out as cheap classes at 250 Pearls that stay relevant across multiple runs, while Soldier and Cowboy give solid ranged damage once you sort out their ammo.
Cheap starter classes and what to replace
The bottom two tiers are mostly single-purpose economy or support classes. Chef, Merchant, and Builderman are fine in a coordinated team, but they carry no combat, mobility, or survivability stats, which makes them weak for solo runs. Crewmate is the best rock-bottom ranged pick and stays usable, but its buffs are tiny.
Survivor sits at the very bottom. It gives a decent early hunger and regen cushion, so it works as a first-run safety net, but you should swap it out the moment you can afford anything stronger. The same goes for Sailor, Camper, and Medic, which each do one narrow job and little else.
Class costs and how to unlock them
Classes are bought with Pearls at the Class Shop on the left side of the lobby. You earn Pearls based on how many days you survive, plus Badges, Quests, and free codes. You can also buy classes with Robux directly from the shop. To level a class, complete the objective shown at the top of the screen while it’s selected.
| Class | Pearl cost |
|---|---|
| Sailor | 40 |
| Survivor | 50 |
| Medic | 50 |
| Crewmate | 60 |
| Camper | 70 |
| Builderman | 150 |
| Chef | 150 |
| Merchant | 200 |
| Adventurer | 200 |
| Harpooner | 200 |
| Swordsman | 250 |
| Olympian | 250 |
| Battle Buku | 250 |
| Soldier | 300 |
| Cowboy | 300 |
| Zookeeper | 300 |
| Knight | 380 |
| Sharpshooter | 400 |
| Millionaire | 400 |
| Alien Warrior | 400 |
| Pirate | 500 |
| Treasure Hunter | 500 |
| Hero | 600 |
| Battle Bunny | 700 |
| Fire Mage | 750 |
| Ice Mage | 750 |
| Ancient Squid | 750 |
| Alien Overlord | 750 |
| Raider | 750 |
Note: You can only change your class in the lobby, not mid-run. Equip your pick before starting a session, and confirm the class is highlighted with “Equip” pressed so it carries into your next attempt.
If you’re just starting out, grab Survivor or Knight to stay alive, then save toward one of the 750-Pearl damage classes. Fire Mage is the clear endgame goal, but Ice Mage, Ancient Squid, and Alien Overlord are equally valid targets depending on whether you want mobility, tankiness, or exploration speed alongside the damage. Meta placements can shift when Stranded Devs pushes new biome and combat updates, so it’s worth checking your favorite class after a major patch.
