Walkthrough#
Splatoon Raiders progresses through a mission/dungeon structure spread across the Archipelago — there are no numbered chapters, and the “Hero Mode has 8 chapters” claim circulating online is misinformation. This walkthrough is built on the verified geography and progression structure: 12 islands → the central Great Salmon Mess Hall → three Hidden Ruins → Bottomless Buffet’s 100 floors → the 1,000th-floor endpoint. Here you’ll find the progression order, pacing plans, and per-stage goals.
I. The Whole Route in One Table#
| Stage | Goal | Key content |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Story progression | Clear island missions | 12 islands (Lehlo, Erpp, Puos, Tygoru, Zapiz, Spata, Izakaya, Cire, Ferdi, Gildred, Narem, Oftu) |
| 2. Story climax | Defeat Salmonarch | Throne room in the central Great Salmon Mess Hall; normal ending |
| 3. Endgame unlock | All Tanks clear Hidden Ruins | Clear all 3 Hidden Ruins with each of the 3 Tank types |
| 4. Endgame challenge | Push Bottomless Buffet floors | 100 standard floors; secret boss Lord Saltimatum on floor 100 with the secret ending |
| 5. Deep challenge | Climb toward floor 1,000 | After the secret ending, keep climbing to floor 1,000 (the theoretical endpoint) |
II. Stage 1: Story Progression (about 10–20 hours)#
The story stage is a mission/dungeon structure arranged around the islands. Verified progression principles:
- A single raid runs about 5–15 minutes — short, snappy pacing; just work down the mission list island by island;
- Difficulty switches anytime: Tourist / Raider / Survivalist can be swapped at will; drop a tier if stuck — the drop pool is unaffected;
- Fully soloable: the story never requires a team; co-op is always optional.
Official public information on individual islands is limited to the names themselves; per-island mission details have not been published by official or verifiable sources, so we won’t speculate. What’s worth watching during progression is the collectible track: Salmonid Relics from level chests, ancient compasses, and Briny Scrolls — clear chests and collectible spots as you pass to save yourself many return trips later.
Two things to develop alongside the story:
- Spread Tank investment: don’t dump all your Power Eggs into one Tank — the Bottomless Buffet unlock requires clearing Hidden Ruins with all three Tank types, so spreading investment from late-story onward is cheapest;
- Visit the Gadget Workshop often: Shiver’s gadget upgrades are your main power channel; after each story stretch, go back and upgrade a round.
III. Stage 2: Story Climax — Defeating Salmonarch#
The story ends in the throne room of the central Great Salmon Mess Hall, with Salmonarch as the final boss. Defeating it triggers the normal ending.
Pre-fight checklist (all from verified systems):
- Tank progression in place: push your main Tank toward Super (50,000 Power Eggs, per community compilations);
- Gadgets complete: 2–3 gadget slots filled to match your Tank’s role;
- Save Showstoppers for critical waves: the three buddies’ supers are your core answer to Salmonid swarms.
Salmonarch’s phase mechanics and HP values: not published by official or verifiable sources; we won’t speculate.
IV. Stage 3: Clearing Hidden Ruins with All Tanks#
After the credits, the real endgame begins. The conditions to unlock Bottomless Buffet:
- Defeat Salmonarch;
- Clear all 3 Hidden Ruins with each of the 3 Tanks (Speed / Power / Tactical).
This is the endgame’s first gate, and the reason “you’ll train all three Tanks anyway.” Practical tip: start spreading Tank resources in the late story so you’re not leveling two Tanks from scratch post-credits.
V. Stage 4: Pushing Bottomless Buffet (30–40 hours)#
Bottomless Buffet is the endgame’s core:
| Milestone | Content |
|---|---|
| Standard floors | 100 |
| Floor 100 | Secret boss Lord Saltimatum + secret ending |
| Reward cadence | Rewards every 3 floors |
| Floor 30 | Golden Flash outfit |
| Floor 60 | Golden Fever outfit |
| Floor 100 | Golden Forever outfit + Salty Islands Briny Scrolls and Legendary Loot relics |
Pre-push priorities: keep upgrading Primo weapons, farm 5-star gadget parts, and synthesize relics (see Endgame Content).
VI. Stage 5: After the Secret Ending — Toward Floor 1,000#
After defeating Lord Saltimatum and unlocking the secret ending, Bottomless Buffet continues — the theoretical endpoint is floor 1,000. There is no official list of known cap rewards for this stretch; it’s pure challenge content. Per-floor enemy strength and reward details: not published by official or verifiable sources; we won’t speculate.
VII. Time Expectations by Difficulty#
| Scope | Tourist | Standard/combined | Survivalist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story | ~15 hours | 10–20 hours (media consensus; HLTB ~14.5h; game8 ~20h) | ~30 hours |
| Endgame | — | 30–40 hours (game8) | — |
| Completion | — | 50+ hours (game8); HLTB 100% ~42h | — |
VIII. Solo or Co-op#
The story is fully soloable; co-op (up to 4 players) is always optional. The trade-offs:
| Dimension | Solo | Co-op (2–4 players) |
|---|---|---|
| Enemy strength | Lowest tier | Scales with player count |
| Pacing | Fully self-directed | Requires coordination |
| Prerequisites | None | Online requires NSO + matching versions; local wireless needs no NSO |
| Best for | Story first runs, material farming | Challenge dungeons, endgame floor pushes |
If you plan to push with a team, read Multiplayer first — online co-op needs Nintendo Switch Online and identical versions across the team (Ver.1.1.0+), and you cannot call for help inside Bottomless Buffet.
Related Pages#
- Beginner’s Guide — opening choices and day-one goals
- Endgame Content — long-term endgame planning and reward milestones
- Game World — the geography of 12 islands and the central region