Beginner Guide for 99 Nights in the Forest: Days 1 to 10

Spawning into 99 Nights in the Forest for the first time can be overwhelming. The forest is dark, something is out there hunting you, and the campfire feels like the only safe thing in the world. This guide covers exactly what to do from the moment you spawn through Day 10, so you can stop dying and start building toward Day 99.

The Golden Rule: Keep the Campfire Burning

The campfire is your lifeline. The Deer — an unkillable monster with 25 damage and a walkspeed of 35 — will not enter the campfire's safe zone as long as the fire is burning. The moment the fire goes out at night, The Deer can walk straight to you. Keep feeding the campfire logs every day, and make sure you never leave camp with an empty fire overnight.

Day 1: The Moment You Spawn

Your first actions should happen in this order:

1. 1Collect logs — chop trees near camp with your starting axe. You need at least 6 logs to fuel the campfire through the first night.
2. 2Open every chest nearby — Common Chests spawn close to camp. They can contain Bandages, a Good Sack (15 slots), a Spear, Revolver with ammo, and sometimes a Diamond.
3. 3Check for a Watchtower — The wiki lists 5× Old Flashlights as Watchtower loot. Flashlights briefly stun The Deer, giving you an escape window at night.
4. 4Eat something — your hunger bar drains constantly. Morsels (1 fork) are the easiest early food. Forage them or kill a Wolf (75 HP, 20 damage) for 2–3 Morsels and a Steak.

Understanding Your Inventory: Sacks

You start with an Old Sack that holds only 5 items. This fills up incredibly fast. Priority one for your first few chests is finding a Good Sack (15 items). Scavenger and Explorer classes both grant +2 sack space at Level 1. If you do not have those classes, a Good Sack from a Common or Good Chest is your most important early find.

What to Eat

The Crock Pot (15 Wood + 10 Scrap) makes Stew from meat and vegetables for a bigger hunger fill. You probably won't build one until Day 3–5, but plan for it.

Days 2–3: Explore and Loot

Now that you have survived Night 1, it is time to push outward. Keep these goals in mind:

• Find a Good Chest or Iron Chest — Good Chests can drop Leather Body armor and a Revolver. Iron Chests add the Rifle (60–90 damage) and a Strong Flashlight.

• Upgrade your Crafting Bench — the Crafting Bench near camp starts at Level 1. Upgrading it unlocks higher-tier recipes such as the Log Gate at level 2 and the Biofuel Processor at level 3. The Bear Trap (3 Scrap) and the Farm Plot (20 Wood) are on the recipe list too. Farm Plots grow food every 2 days, which is essential for keeping hunger topped off without relying on animal drops.

• Build a Map — craft it at the Crafting Bench with 3 Wood. Press M to view it. The map shows your campfire, biome locations, and key landmarks. It is cheap and mandatory for navigation.

• Scout your biome — when you load in, the game adds one secondary biome to the Forest, drawn at random from Snow, Volcanic and Jungle. Snow has Polar Bears and the Ice Chest, Volcanic has Scorpions and Hot Chests, and Jungle has Boars and Vine Chests. Do not enter it yet — just locate it.

Days 4–6: Wolves and Bears

By now you should have a weapon. Wolves have 75 HP and deal 20 damage — manageable if you keep moving. Each Wolf drops 2–3 Morsels and 1 Steak, with a chance of a Wolf Pelt and a Red Key. Wolf Pelts can be traded with the Pelt Trader for better gear.

Bears are tougher at 350 HP and 40 damage. Wait until you have a Rifle or Spear before engaging. Bears drop 6 Morsels, 3–4 Steaks, a Bear Pelt, and both a Yellow Key and Grey Key. Bear Traps (craftable at the Crafting Bench) can soften a Bear up before you fight it.

Night Survival Tips

• Always have a flashlight equipped at night — when The Deer gets close, hit it with the flashlight beam to stun it briefly and run.
• Sprint back to camp before the transition — watch the sun position. When it starts getting dark, head home.
• Light the campfire before dark — log it up before nightfall, not during.
• Never go out alone without a flashlight on Night 1–3 — The Deer has a walkspeed of 35, faster than every Wolf, Bear or Fox you will meet.

Campfire Upgrade: When and What

Getting from Level 1 to Level 2 requires: 6 Logs + 1 Coal + 1–2 Wood. Coal is found in places such as Graves, the Fishing Hut, the Mineshaft and the Abandoned Pillars. Do this upgrade around Day 3–4 to expand the safe zone radius and start unlocking better campfire interactions.

Level 3 is significantly more expensive (11 Logs + 2+ Coal + 2+ Fuel Canisters) but the Fishing Hut also starts to appear near camp at Level 3-4, which opens up fishing for food.

Days 7–10: Finding the Stronghold

The Cultist Stronghold is the biggest early-game objective. It spawns in a fixed location on the map, has 3 floors of Cultists to clear, and rewards you with a Ruby Chest, Diamond Chest (5 Diamonds), Cultist Gems, and a Gem of the Forest Fragment. It is also a safe zone — The Deer cannot attack you inside.

To survive the Stronghold:
- Bring a Rifle or Morningstar (if you found one).
- Have at least 2 Bandages or 1 Medkit.
- Clear floor by floor — do not rush upstairs while enemies remain below.

Completing the Stronghold by Day 10 will put you ahead of most players and give you the Diamonds to buy your first premium class upgrade.

Quick Reference Checklist for Days 1–10

• Stock at least 10 logs at camp before Night 1
• Find a Good Sack (15 slots) or Giant Sack (25 slots)
• Craft a Map (3 Wood)
• Upgrade Campfire to Level 2 (6 Logs + 1 Coal + 1–2 Wood)
• Build 2–3 Farm Plots for passive food
• Find or craft a Bandage
• Locate the Cultist Stronghold
• Clear the Stronghold and collect the Diamond Chest (5D)
• Identify which secondary biome you have (Snow, Volcanic or Jungle)

Your Starting Kit

Every player spawns with an Old Sack (5 slots) and an Old Axe, unless the Lumberjack class replaces it with a Good Axe. Healing mostly comes from Bandages (about 40 HP) and Medkits (about 100 HP); only a few foods, such as Honeycomb, heal as well.

Day-by-Day Summary

This is a suggested pace, not a game rule. If a night goes badly, spend the next day restocking instead of pushing on.

Mossy Coins and the Tool Trader

Mossy Coins can be picked up by clicking them around the map, from Cultists and from exploring. The Tool Trader sells fishing rods, Taming Flutes, Bandages and a Hammer for Mossy Coins, and an Old Rod costs 20. The Fishing Cabin also gives you 5 Old Rods and a chest on its dock.

Common Mistakes

• Leaving camp with a nearly empty fire. Add logs before you leave.
• Hoarding junk in a 5 slot sack. Drop what you do not need before you find a Good Sack.
• Fighting a Bear with a Spear. A Bear has 350 HP and hits for 40. Use a Rifle or avoid it.
• Entering a new biome on Day 3. Locate it, then come back when you have a Rifle.
• Wasting the first Bandage. Save it for a revive or a boss fight.

FAQ

How many logs do I need for Night 1?

The guide above says at least 6, and keeping 10 or more stocked is a safer buffer.

What is the best first class to buy?

A Medic or Ranger is cheap. For solo runs the Berserker's auto-revive is the strongest value for 100 Diamonds.

Can I fight The Deer?

No. It cannot take damage from any source. Use flashlights and stay near the fire.

When should I clear the Stronghold?

Once you have a Rifle and healing. The Diamond Chest inside gives 5 Diamonds.

Do I need to rescue the missing children?

No, but each child you rescue adds 1 to the day counter, and rescuing all four earns the Orienteering badge.