How do you unlock new characters in Raft?
Unlocking new characters requires you to find them first. There’s a glowing yellow circle where the character will appear. Approach and interact with it, and the character will appear. Speak with them once to unlock them as a playable character. You can come back and chat with them again later as well, but it’s not necessary.
All Raft characters and locations
Where to find Tala
Tala is in the Radio Tower early in the game, near the desk in the control room. Climb up there, summon her, and then speak with her to make Tala permanently playable.
Where to find Johnny
Johnny is on Balboa Island, a bit later in the game. Head to the control tower, climb to the top, and go inside. The glowing circle that summons Johnny is at the far end of the room on a mattress.
Where to find Elaine
Elaine is in the tower near Tangaroa Island. Climb into the hatch at the top, and you’ll find the glowing circle in one of the chairs nearby.
Where to find Shogo
Shogo is in the new Temperance area, a frosty region that hasn’t sunk beneath the waves yet. Travel to the Research Reactor room. The underground complex on the island only has one way forward until you get to the reactor room. Turn left at the reactor, and you enter a corridor with ice stalagmites and stalactites. At the end of that corridor is a room with a handful of freezing pods. Shogo’s circle is in front of the back left pod, so interact with it to free him and add him to your character roster. For more Raft content, keep on top of surviving the seas by learning how to deal with sharks, and how to get Titanium Ore!