99 Nights in the Forest has several major boss encounters that gatekeep important loot, badges, and areas. Some bosses can be killed. Others cannot. This guide ranks every significant enemy and boss fight from easiest to hardest, with full drop tables and strategy notes.
Unkillable Entities (Not True Bosses)
These entities deal damage and chase players but have no health bar ā they cannot be killed by any means. Treat them as hazards to avoid rather than bosses to fight.
The Deer
Damage: 25 | Walkspeed: 35 | Location: Forest (nighttime)
The primary threat of the entire game. Active at night, avoids lit campfires. Use flashlights to stun briefly and run. For a full breakdown, see the How to Survive The Deer guide.
The Cat
Damage: 78 | Walkspeed: 60 | Location: Jungle Biome
The most dangerous unkillable entity in terms of raw numbers. Walkspeed 60 means almost no player can outrun it. If The Cat appears in the Jungle Biome, retreat immediately.
The Owl
Damage: 25 | Walkspeed: 45 | Location: Snow Biome
Faster than The Deer and found in the already-dangerous Snow Biome alongside Polar Bears. The combination of Polar Bears (500 HP, 50 damage) and The Owl makes the Snow Biome one of the game's deadliest areas.
The Ram
Damage: 25 | Walkspeed: 30 | Location: Volcanic Biome
Patrols the Volcanic Biome alongside Scorpions and Hellephants. Less mobile than The Owl and Cat but the Volcanic Biome's other threats make it dangerous by association.
The Bat
Damage: 35 | Walkspeed: N/A | Location: Caverns
Lives inside the Caverns and can fly. The highest damage of all unkillable entities besides The Cat.
Killable Bosses (Ranked Easiest to Hardest)
5. Cultist King (A-Tier Difficulty)
Location: Volcanic Biome
The Cultist King is summoned at the Cultist King Palace in the Volcanic Biome: the Palace has 4 lecterns, and placing a Cultist Gem on each one summons him, so bring 4 Cultist Gems. Defeating him earns the Usurpation badge (1.5 stars, 4 Diamonds). He is accompanied by standard Cultists, so clear the adds first. A Rifle or Morningstar makes short work of him once you have the room to focus. The Palace loot list includes Wildfire, the Cultist King Antler, the Infernal Sword and the Infernal Crossbow, and a Tablet is also tied to defeating him.
Strategy: Bring at least Leather Body or Iron Body armor. Clear peripheral Cultists before engaging the King. The Resourcefulness badge (drop a dead teammate in the lava) can be earned here too.
4. Frog King (B-Tier Difficulty)
Location: Frog Cave, Jungle Biome
Access requirement: Frog Keys, which frogs can drop
The Frog King does not have a published HP value, but its multi-phase death sequence is what makes it memorable. When killed, it splits into 2 Purple Frogs, which each split into 2 Blue Frogs (4 total), which each split into 2 Green Frogs (8 total). You need to kill 15 frogs total across all phases to fully clear the fight.
Reward: Access to the Frog Chest (Poison Spear, Poison Armor, Frog Boots, Blowpipe) and the Beastmaster badge (1.5 stars, 4 Diamonds).
Strategy: Gather Frog Keys from frogs before approaching the cave. Bring AoE weapons ā the Morningstar's explosion mechanic or Wildfire grenades work well for the frog-split phases. Save the frog-split kills for last so you are not overwhelmed by the small frogs while the big one is still alive.
3. Cultist Stronghold Gauntlet (B-Tier Difficulty)
Location: Fixed point on map
Not a single boss but a three-floor gauntlet of Cultists. Each floor has a mix of Melee and Crossbow Cultists. Clearing the Stronghold rewards:
- Ruby Chest (Tactical Shotgun, Kunai, Riot Shield, Thorn Body, Chainsaw, Gem of Forest Fragment)
- Diamond Chest (5 Diamonds)
- Cultist Gems
- Gem of Forest Fragment
- Infiltration badge (2 stars, 4 Diamonds)
The Stronghold is also permanently a safe zone ā The Deer cannot attack inside. It is the best farm location in the game and should be cleared every run.
Strategy: Enter around Day 5ā10. Bring a Rifle for range on the Crossbow Cultists. Clear each floor fully before ascending.
2. Polar Bear (A-Tier Difficulty)
HP: 500 | Damage: 50 | Walkspeed: 28 | Location: Snow Biome, Polar Bear Cave
500 HP and 50 damage per hit makes the Polar Bear the most dangerous killable animal. The Polar Bear Cave contains 2 Polar Bears + 2ā3 Frozen Cultists simultaneously ā you are fighting multiple lethal threats in a closed space.
Drops: 7ā8 Morsels, 3ā4 Steaks, Polar Bear Pelt.
Completing all Pelt Trader quests earns the Hunting badge (2 stars, 4 Diamonds).
Strategy: Two players minimum for the Cave. Bring a Medkit (100 HP heal). Bear Traps trap and damage enemies, so place them at the cave entrance before you engage. At 500 HP, a Polar Bear takes roughly 6 to 9 Rifle shots.
1. Alien Mothership (S-Tier Difficulty)
Location: Alien invasion event (late game)
The hardest encounter in this list. The UFO Event crashes UFOs around the map on the 3rd night (the wiki is unsure whether it is the 4th), and one of them holds a teleporter to the Mothership in orbit. Plan to fight it as a team. It drops Alien Chests containing Alien Armor, Laser Sword, Laser Cannon, and Ray Gun.
Defeating it earns the Xenology badge (1.5 stars, 2 Diamonds) ā low Diamond reward for the highest difficulty fight in the game, but the Alien Chest loot is unmatched.
Strategy: Cyborg class (Laser Cannon starter, night vision, increased alien tech damage at Level 2) is by far the best pick for this fight. The Laser Cannon's AoE damage is essential for the Mothership's add spawns. All team members should have Iron Body or better armor.
Boss Loot Priority Summary
| Boss | Key Reward | Badge |
|---|---|---|
| Cultist Stronghold | Ruby Chest, Diamond Chest (5D) | Infiltration (2ā , 4D) |
| Alien Mothership | Alien Chest (Laser Sword/Cannon) | Xenology (1.5ā , 2D) |
| Frog King | Frog Chest (Poison set) | Beastmaster (1.5ā , 4D) |
| Polar Bear | Polar Bear Pelt | Hunting (via Pelt Trader) |
| Cultist King | Cultist Gems, Usurpation badge | Usurpation (1.5ā , 4D) |
Enemy Stats Reference
The wiki lists these numbers for the enemies you meet on the way to the bosses.
| Enemy | HP | Damage | Walkspeed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf | 75 | 20 | 23 | Drops Red Key (0-1) |
| Alpha Wolf | 125 | 25 | 26 | Drops Blue Key (0-1) |
| Bear | 350 | 40 | 28 | Drops Yellow and Grey Keys |
| Polar Bear | 500 | 50 | 28 | Snow Biome and cave |
| Arctic Fox | 80 | 12 | 27 | Hostile |
| Scorpion | 50 | 20 | 20 | Volcanic Biome |
| Boar | 125 | not listed | not listed | Jungle Biome |
| Frog | about 70 | 5 plus poison | not listed | Frog Invasion |
| Jungle Cultist | 120 | 30 or 45 | 16 | Poison armor hurts melee attackers |
| Brute Cultist | 400 | 40 | not listed | Caves |
| Shadow Cultist | 120 | 5 | not listed | Caves |
| Darkstring Cultist | 120 | High | Medium | Two bolts per volley; on Hard it joins raids |
| Mammoth / Hellephant | 800 | 30 | 20 | Neutral and hostile variants |
Boss Rewards at a Glance
| Fight | Reward | Badge |
|---|---|---|
| Cultist King | Palace loot, Tablet | Usurpation, 1.5 stars, 4 Diamonds |
| Frog King | Frog Chest | Beastmaster, 1.5 stars, 4 Diamonds |
| Cultist Stronghold | Ruby Chest, Diamond Chest | Infiltration, 2 stars, 4 Diamonds |
| Alien Mothership | Alien Chest | Xenology, 1.5 stars, 2 Diamonds |
| Fight Pit (5 waves, Jungle) | Tablet | Dueling, 2 stars, 4 Diamonds |
Two of these badges reward more Diamonds than the Mothership does, so the badge value alone should not decide your route.
Common Mistakes
- Summoning the Cultist King without gems. You need one Cultist Gem per lectern.
- Splitting up in the Frog Cave. The split phase floods the room with small frogs.
- Entering the Polar Bear Cave solo. Two Polar Bears and Frozen Cultists share the room.
- Treating unkillable monsters as bosses. They cannot be defeated, only avoided.
FAQ
Which boss is the easiest?
The Cultist King is listed as the easiest killable fight, and the Frog King is next.
Can I kill The Cat?
No. The Cat cannot be killed, and it moves at walkspeed 60.
How many frogs are in the Frog King fight?
The king splits into 2 Purple Frogs, then 4 Blue and 8 Green, for 15 kills in total.
What is the Dueling badge?
Defeating all 5 waves in the Jungle Biome Fight Pit.
