A foothold
in Elderfield.

IF YOU WANT TO START MINING

Help Molly open the Workshop.

Look for Helping Molly. This is the early task that connects a starter mining tool to Workshop access.

1. Speak to Molly.

   Start Helping Molly and receive the Rusty Pickaxe.

2. Collect Copper Ore nearby.

   Use the pickaxe in the nearby mine. Check the active objective for the amount your task requires.

3. Bring the ore back.

   Return to Molly to finish the delivery. The wiki lists Workshop access as the unlock from this task.

IF YOU NEED A FISHING ROD

Reach Herb through the park's Sewer entrance.

The useful landmark is the Sewer entrance in the Town park. The wiki's route uses that entrance to reach Lakefront, where you meet Fisherman Herb.

1. Take the Lakefront route.

   Go to the Town park, enter the Sewers and continue to Lakefront. Find Fisherman Herb there.

2. Start Casting your Line.

   Herb provides an Old Fishing Rod when you begin this task. Follow the objective in your journal for the next catch.

3. Continue Herb's requests for a recipe.

   The recorded task progresses through Ghost Flounder and Fog Eel, with Fog Broth among its later recipe rewards. The wiki names Leeches from General Store Bait Packs for Fog Eels.

Playing an older Demo? The official 8 September changelog reports a fix for bait-exclusive fish rates, including Leeches. Check your update before relying on an old bait report; we have not independently reproduced that fix. See the controls and troubleshooting notes.

IF YOU WANT FARM PROCESSING AND RECIPES

Take Wheat to Farmer Hans.

Find Farmer's Path in your task log and bring the requested Wheat to Farmer Hans. The wiki lists a Grinder and access to Chef Elroy's recipe shop after this delivery.

Use that delivery as a concrete early farming goal. The route here is organized by the unlock you want, so you can pursue it alongside Molly's or Herb's requests.

WHEN YOU LOSE TRACK OF A REQUEST

Read the objective before making the trip.

Use the task name, quest giver and objective together. A character can appear in more than one task, so a familiar name alone will not identify the unlock you are working toward.

1. Check the selected task. This example is Shopper-Bopper!, so it does not show the Copper Ore delivery or Workshop unlock.
2. Separate the giver from the destination. The panel lists Molly and Town - Park, while the objective sends you to the Mall.
3. Read the action and counter. Here the objective is to find and defeat a Shopper at the Mall, with progress shown as [0/1].

Before leaving an area, reopen your active task and compare it with the request you meant to complete. For the unlock routes above, return to the relevant character when you have the requested item.

ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR BEARINGS

Pick the next system you want to explore.

Elderfield combines farming, fishing, relationships, exploration and turn-based combat. These are a few useful next stops:

• Mall access: Adrian's Tentacle Cleanup gives the Mall F1 Hallway Key; the food-court door leads into the back hallways. Follow the Mall route.
• Investigations: the captured task guide places Akira's Time to Investigate in his Town apartment. The developer's Demo clarification distinguishes investigate-further objects from TV news. Use the seven-location checklist.
• Friendship: Demo v0.11.17 added the Social menu for friendship and gift-preference records, and changed NPC preferences. Older gifts do not fill the new records retroactively. Consult your own Social menu when an old gift guide disagrees.

WATCH THE DEVELOPER'S INTRODUCTION

See how Elderfield plays.

▶How to play Welcome to Elderfield10:23 · Chris Cote's introduction · Play here

The video link is verified through the official announcement. These written directions come from the sources below; this guide does not supply video chapters or a reviewed transcript.

Sources for these first steps

• Official wiki: TasksHelping Molly, Casting your Line, Farmer's Path, Tentacle Cleanup and Time to Investigate. Saved 9 September 2026 UTC; reviewed 10 September. Revision date and build unavailable.
• Official Steam announcementsDemo Updated! v0.11.17 — 1 September 2026; Demo Changelog — 8 September; How To Play — 18 August.
• Developer's Demo clarification about mysteries3 April 2025. TV news and investigate-further objects are separate systems in that discussion.
• Welcome to Elderfield on SteamOfficial game identity and gameplay overview, checked 10 September 2026.
• Publisher's official press packMedia-use images, checked 10 September 2026. The screenshots have no verified build number.