boss guide · checked 2026-08-26
How to Beat Pufferfish in How to Fish
Complete the swimmer's endangered-creature request to obtain the bait, prepare a sustained-fire weapon and keep moving while the Pufferfish rolls after you. Patch 1.0.4 nerfed this boss, so release-build advice may overstate the difficulty.
Unlock the bait through the swimmer's request
On the third island, speak with the swimmer in yellow floaties. The tested route requires finding the endangered creature requested before the swimmer hands over the bait used for the Pufferfish hunt.
Keep moving and use sustained fire
PC Gamer's tested run struggled with a shotgun and succeeded after moving to an upgraded SMG. Treat that as one verified route, not proof that every other weapon is impossible.
Do not stop in the boss's path to take a long shot. Keep running, use trees or shop geometry when the boss catches on terrain, and fire during the space you create.
Check difficulty and patch version
Patch 1.0.4 nerfed Pufferfish. Patch 1.0.9 later added Easy and Hard settings, so health and damage pressure can differ between saves and settings. This page avoids publishing a fixed health number.
Sources
- PC Gamer Pufferfish strategy
First-hand Pufferfish quest preparation, movement and weapon observations; published 2026-08-25 and checked 2026-08-26.
- How to Fish official Steam news
Official patch history through 1.0.9, including difficulty settings, save fixes, lobby expansion and balance changes; checked 2026-08-26.