Core terms
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| Bucket | Your tool for moving water. Hold Left Mouse Button to fill; the Wooden Bucket is the default. See Buckets. |
| Tokens | In-run currency from pouring buckets, spent on the Skill Tree. Resets each run. |
| Gems (Diamonds) | Persistent currency from chests and badges, spent on buckets. Carries between runs. |
| Upgrade Computer | The station where you spend Tokens on the Skill Tree. |
| Skill Tree | Six upgrade branches: Token Income, Bucket Capacity, Fill Speed, Quick Drain, Diamond Rewards, Character. |
| Chest | Hidden treasure in the water that pays Gems. See Chests. |
| Checkpoint | A depth milestone and respawn point. Six of them lead to the phone. See Checkpoints. |
| The Shark | A hazard in deep water that catches players in the middle of the lake. Drain from the edges. |
| Phone ending | The single confirmed ending: recover the phone at the bottom for the Find My Phone badge. |
| Run-based | Each match starts fresh. Tokens and Skill Tree reset; Gems and buckets persist. |
Tokens vs Gems, side by side
The single most important distinction in the game. Get it right and every other decision falls into place.
| Currency | Earned by | Spent on | Persists? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokens | Pour full buckets at the drain station | Skill Tree upgrades at the Upgrade Computer | Reset every run — the game is run-based, so unspent Tokens do not carry between matches. |
| Gems | Open chests found in the water and claim Badge rewards in the lobby | Buckets at the lobby Bucket station | Persist between runs. Some guides call this currency "Diamonds"; it is the same persistent currency, and the Diamond Rewards skill raises how much you get. |
