I’ve died more times in this game than I care to admit. My first 15 attempts? Didn’t make it past Night 10. The Deer destroyed my base, cultists overwhelmed me, and I had no idea what I was doing.
Now I’ve survived 500+ days across multiple runs. The game clicked once I understood the core loop: build during the day, defend at night, rescue kids for time skips. If you’re struggling to survive, this guide covers everything I wish I knew starting out.
Already have the basics down? Check out our 99 Nights in the Forest Class Tier List to pick the right class, or grab some free Diamonds from our 99 Nights in the Forest Codes.
Quick Survival Checklist
Before diving deep, here’s what matters most:
| Priority | Task | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Build campfire to Level 4 | Keeps you alive at night |
| 2 | Build beds | Time acceleration saves hours |
| 3 | Rescue missing kids | Each kid boosts your day multiplier |
| 4 | Build walls | The Deer will destroy undefended bases |
| 5 | Craft weapons | You can’t punch cultists to death |
Day 1 Survival (Critical)
Your first day sets the tone for the entire run. Here’s exactly what to do:
First 30 seconds: Grab the starter axe near spawn. Chop the nearest tree. Don’t wander far.
Next 2 minutes: Collect 20+ logs. You need these for the campfire upgrade and basic walls.
Before first nightfall: Get your campfire to at least Level 2. Level 1 campfire = death sentence.
I cannot stress this enough. The campfire is your lifeline. The Deer cannot cross into the campfire’s light radius. If your fire goes out at night, you’re dead.
Base Building Strategy
Location Matters
Don’t build in the open. Find a spot with natural barriers like rocks or cliff edges. Less sides to defend = fewer walls needed.
My preferred spot is near the cave entrance. Good loot access, natural chokepoint, and close to fishing.
Wall Placement
Build walls in a ring around your campfire. Leave one entrance with a door. Fill that entrance with spike traps.
Here’s a trick my friend and I figured out: if you and a teammate chop the same tree at the same time, you both get full drops. Double the wood, double the saplings. Abuse this early game.
Essential Structures
Build these in order:
- Campfire (Level 4) - Non-negotiable
- Beds (2-3 minimum) - Time acceleration is huge
- Crafting Bench (Level 2) - Better weapons and tools
- Sun Dial - Track day/night cycle
- Storage Chests - Stop losing items on death
The Sun Dial seems minor but it’s clutch. Knowing exactly when night falls lets you plan scavenging runs without getting caught outside.
Combat Basics
Melee vs Ranged
Melee weapons are fine early game. Spears have decent range and damage. But once cultists start spawning in waves, you need guns.
Speedloading trick: Swap weapons mid-reload to cancel the animation, then swap back. Your gun reloads instantly. This tech saves lives during invasions.
Weapon Priority
| Weapon | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tactical Shotgun | Close range cultists | High damage, slow reload |
| Rifle | The Deer, ranged enemies | Consistent damage |
| Spear | Early game, conserving ammo | Free, decent range |
Don’t waste ammo on wolves. Melee them or just run. Save bullets for cultists and bosses.
The Deer (Main Boss)
The Deer is the primary threat every night. Here’s what you need to know:
Behavior: Hunts players at night. Extremely fast. Will destroy walls to reach you.
Counter: Flashlight stuns it briefly. Campfire light stops it completely. Stay in the light radius.
Damage: Scales with day count. Night 50 Deer hits way harder than Night 5 Deer.
Real talk: I died on Night 5 my first 8 attempts because I ignored base defenses. The Deer will test your walls early. Build them or die.
Deer Strategy
When The Deer spawns, you have two options:
- Stay at camp - Safest option. Let it circle your walls while you shoot it.
- Kite with flashlight - Risky but faster. Flash, run, flash, run.
If you’re caught in the forest at night without a flashlight? Sprint to camp. Don’t fight. Don’t look back.
The Owl (Secondary Boss)
The Owl replaces The Deer on certain nights when the Snow Biome is present. You’ll see the message “The Owl has woken up.”
Behavior: Flies down from above, lands near players, searches for prey.
Counter: Stand completely still when it lands. It detects movement, not presence.
Mistake I made: Panicking and running when The Owl landed. It immediately aggro’d and killed me. Stay. Still.
The Owl is arguably scarier than The Deer because your instincts scream “run” but running gets you killed.
The Ram (Secondary Boss)
The Ram is the third major entity. Absolute tank.
Behavior: Charges at players and structures. Destroys walls easily.
Counter: Dodge the charge, shoot during recovery. Don’t try to face-tank.
HP: Way more than The Deer. Bring extra ammo.
The Ram taught me to always have backup walls. One charge can open your entire base to cultists.
Cultist Waves
Cultists attack in waves starting around Night 10. They get progressively harder.
Cultist Types
- Melee Cultists - Rush your base, easy to kill
- Crossbow Cultists - Ranged, priority targets
- Shaman Cultists - Buff other cultists, kill first
Pro tip: Take out crossbow cultists first in every wave. Once they’re down, you can safely pick off melee cultists from behind walls.
Wave Preparation
Before Night 10:
- Craft a ranged weapon
- Build spike traps at your entrance
- Stock up on healing items
- Upgrade crafting bench for better gear
Rescuing Missing Kids
Four missing kids are scattered across the map. Each one you rescue increases your day multiplier.
Why this matters: With all four kids rescued and multiple beds, you can skip 5+ nights at once. A 99-night run becomes way shorter.
Kid locations: They’re in fixed spots but the map is procedurally generated. Look for:
- Cave systems
- Abandoned structures
- Edge of the map
Don’t rush kid rescues. Clear the area first. Nothing worse than dying with a kid halfway to camp.
Class Recommendations
Your class determines your playstyle. Here’s my quick take:
Beginners: Start with Scavenger (25 Diamonds) or Lumberjack (70 Diamonds). Both make resource gathering easier.
Solo players: Explorer (80 Diamonds) for speed and map vision.
Endgame: Cyborg (500+ Diamonds) or Necromancer (400+ Diamonds) for maximum power.
For detailed rankings, check our 99 Nights in the Forest Class Tier List.
Progression Timeline
Nights 1-10: Survival Phase
Focus on:
- Campfire to Level 4
- Basic walls
- 2-3 beds
- First weapon upgrade
Don’t explore caves yet. Don’t fight wolves unless necessary. Just survive.
Nights 11-30: Expansion Phase
Focus on:
- Rescue missing kids
- Upgrade crafting bench
- Build better weapons
- Explore caves for loot
You should have a stable base by now. Start taking calculated risks.
Nights 31-60: Preparation Phase
Focus on:
- Permanent upgrades
- Stockpile ammo and healing
- Master combat mechanics
- Prepare for major invasions
The difficulty spikes here. Cultist waves get serious.
Nights 61-99: Endgame
Focus on:
- Don’t die
- Conserve resources
- Play defensive
- Use time skips aggressively
You’re so close. Don’t get cocky. I’ve died on Night 87 from overconfidence.
Common Mistakes
Ignoring the campfire: Your fire goes out, you die. Keep fuel stocked.
Building in the open: Natural barriers save resources and lives.
Fighting wolves early: Waste of ammo and health. Just run.
Skipping beds: Time acceleration is the biggest quality-of-life upgrade.
Hoarding Diamonds: Spend them on classes. The Default class is a handicap.
Exploring at night: Unless you have excellent gear, stay at camp.
Multiplayer Tips
The game scales difficulty based on player count. Four players means harder enemies but also more hands for tasks.
Role assignment works: One person on fuel duty, one on food, one on defense, one on exploration.
Revive priority: If someone goes down during a wave, clear immediate threats first. A dead rescuer helps nobody.
Share resources: That guy hoarding all the ammo? He’s gonna get everyone killed when he dies and loses it all.
Related Content
- 99 Nights in the Forest Codes - Free Diamonds to unlock classes
- 99 Nights in the Forest Class Tier List - Best classes ranked
- Dead Rails Codes - Another survival horror game
- Scary Shawarma Kiosk Codes - Anomaly detection horror
- Forsaken Codes - Dead by Daylight style horror
Official Resources
That’s the core of it. The game is brutal but fair once you understand the mechanics. Build smart, fight smart, and don’t panic when The Deer shows up.
Good luck out there.
