How to Fish: Finishing the Who Stole My Beer Quest

The Lighthouse Keeper in How to Fish has a problem. Something with long legs keeps sneaking off with his beer while he sleeps, and after a week without rest he wants you to catch and deal with the thief. That thief is the Spider Crab, and the Who Stole My Beer quest is the very first job you pick up once the tutorial wraps.

Quick answer: Buy a beer for $12, give the can to the Lighthouse Keeper so he empties it, equip the Empty Beer Can as your lure, and buy the $45 Knife before fishing. Reel in the Spider Crab, kill it by attacking from behind with the Knife, then hand its shell to the Lighthouse Keeper to earn the keys to his boat.

What you need before fishing for the Spider Crab

This quest needs two purchases from the shop. Skip the Knife and you will catch the crab but have no way to kill it, which usually ends with you dead and out of cash. Grab both items first.

Item	Cost	Why you need it
Beer	$12	Becomes the Empty Beer Can lure that attracts the Spider Crab
Knife	$45	The weapon that actually kills the Spider Crab

The Knife is the pricey part. If you are short on money, catch and sell a few regular fish until you can afford it. Playing in a co-op lobby makes the fight noticeably easier, since another player can help chip away at the crab.

Get the Empty Beer Can lure

Talk to the Lighthouse Keeper after the tutorial to start the Who Stole My Beer quest. He explains that the empty beer can works as bait for the long-legged culprit.

Head to the shop and buy one beer for $12. You only need a single can, so there is no reason to stock up.

Bring the beer back to the Lighthouse Keeper and hand or throw the can to him. He drinks it and returns an Empty Beer Can, which you then equip to your fishing rod as your lure.

Catch and kill the Spider Crab

Make sure the Knife is in your inventory before you cast. Reeling in the crab without a weapon is a dead end, so buy the Knife first if you have not already.

Cast your rod with the Empty Beer Can equipped as the lure. Regular lures will not work here. After a short wait, you will hook the Spider Crab instead of an ordinary fish.

Attack the Spider Crab from behind. Let it move toward you, dodge to the side, then slip around to its back. The crab takes a second or two to turn, which gives you a clean window to land Knife hits. Never stand directly in front of it.

Note: You cannot punch the Spider Crab to death with bare hands. The Brass Knuckle helps a little, but the Knife is the reliable option.

Turn in the shell and claim your reward

Once the Spider Crab is dead, pick up its shell and carry it back to the Lighthouse Keeper. Handing him the shell completes Who Stole My Beer, and he rewards you with the keys to his boat, opening up the next stage of the game.

If the quest does not close out, check that you actually killed the crab and collected its shell rather than losing the fight. The two most common reasons for failing are fishing without the Knife and trying to attack the crab head-on. Fix either of those and the quest wraps cleanly.

How to Fish is available now on Steam.