The Winch arrives early in the story, but Throwing Rings do not appear at the Workbench until you push into the segment that leads to the first Witch Island. Move forward along the path of lights (“follow the fireflies”) until the narrator chimes in and a quest marker appears. Interact with the nearby pick-up to learn the Throwing Ring recipe; from then on, it’s available to craft.
Crafting Throwing Rings (Workbench I)
Once unlocked, Throwing Rings are made at Workbench I under the Consumables category.
| Item | Where to craft | Recipe | Output | Stack size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Throwing Ring | Workbench I → Consumables | 1× Iron Bar/Ingot | 10× Throwing Rings | 50 |
Where the Winch can attach (valid hook points)
The Winch pulls you toward an anchor. You can create anchors with Throwing Rings or target predefined points in the world.
| Attachment type | Where it appears | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Throwing Ring (player-placed) | Thrown onto jagged, ridged rock and similar valid surfaces | Place rings to stitch together longer routes or to reach Witch Island approaches. |
| Natural hook points (“winch plants” / hook flowers) | Common along routes leading to Witch Islands | Behave like built-in anchors; if a pull path looks unsafe, cancel and reattach from a better angle. |
| Train hook points | On your railcar(s) | Useful for fast reboarding after gathering nearby resources. |
Using Throwing Rings and the Winch (controls and flow)
- Select Throwing Rings with your consumable keybind (default:
Q), then aim at a valid surface and throw. - Attach the Winch (default:
Middle Mouse Button) to the ring or any valid hook point to start pulling in. - Chain movement by placing another ring or targeting another hook point before you arrive, then detach and reattach to cross longer gaps.
Visual cues help before you throw: a green highlight indicates a valid stick, red means it won’t attach, and a warning/yellow state suggests a throw that won’t persist.
Winch upgrades (range and speed)
Research two key upgrades to make traversal more reliable and faster:
| Upgrade | Effect |
|---|---|
| Winch Drive | Extends maximum reach so you can attach from farther away. |
| Winch Accelerator | Increases reeling speed to shorten travel time to the anchor. |
Prioritize these early; longer reach and faster pulls make Witch Island routes and quick reboarding much smoother.
Fix “can’t craft Throwing Rings” and other common blockers
- Unlocked Winch but no Throwing Rings: Continue along the lit path toward the first Witch Island until the narrator prompt triggers and a quest marker points you to a nearby recipe pick-up. Interact with it to learn the recipe.
- Rings still not in Workbench I → Consumables: Save and reload. Then check Workbench I again.
- Can’t reach the next surface: Place a ring on an intermediate rock and pull in stages, or research Winch Drive for more range.
- Getting pulled into awkward geometry: Cancel the pull and reattach from a cleaner angle, especially when using natural hook points.
Once the initial rings are introduced, you can freely mix player-placed anchors and natural hook points to move through the void with confidence. Keep a small stock of rings on hand and upgrade the Winch as soon as your research allows.
