New to 99 Nights in the Forest? This guide walks you through your first days so you don't die on night one. The core loop is simple: gather by day, defend by night, and keep your campfire lit.

Day 1: set up your camp

Your first priority is a campfire — it's your only safe zone at night.

  1. Gather wood and stone from around the spawn area. Trees drop wood, rocks drop stone.
  2. Build a campfire as soon as you can. Without it, you have nowhere safe to run when night falls.
  3. Craft a flashlight. This is your most important tool — its light stuns the Deer long enough to escape. Keep at least one on you at all times.

Tip: On Day 1 the Deer is completely harmless and won't hunt you. Use that free time to scavenge as much as you can.

Understand the day/night cycle

  • Day — gather, craft, explore, and complete objectives. The forest is (mostly) safe.
  • Night — the Deer spawns and hunts anyone outside the campfire's light. Stay near the fire unless you know what you're doing.

If the game warns "The Deer is hungry tonight", get back to camp early. A hungry Deer is faster and deals far more damage.

How to survive the Deer

The Deer cannot be killed — weapons do nothing. You survive it, you don't fight it:

  1. Stay in the campfire light — the Deer won't enter it while the fire burns.
  2. Stun it with a flashlight — shine the light at it to briefly freeze it, then run. It recovers faster each time you stun it.
  3. Break line of sight — use trees, rocks and buildings to block it and gain distance.
  4. Get off the ground — climb ladders (halfway up works), rooftops, or other high spots. Wolves spawn on the ground and can't reach you.

For a full breakdown, see the Deer Guide.

Rescue the missing kids

Four children are hidden around the map, guarded by wolves and bears in caves. Every kid you rescue reduces the nights you need to survive, so rescuing them is both the story and the fastest way to win.

Spend your Diamonds wisely

Redeem the active codes for free Diamonds (about 32 right now), then buy a class from the Class Shop. A good class makes the early nights much easier.

Tame a pet early

A tamed Wolf fights alongside you and helps a lot on raids. Get a Taming Flute and follow the taming guide. Two Wolves are a common early-game setup.

Your first-night checklist

  • Campfire built and lit
  • Flashlight crafted and equipped
  • A little food cooked (watch your hunger meter)
  • Know your escape route back to camp

Next in the forest

start-hereWhat is 99 Nights in the Forest?guidesThe Deer in 99 Nights in the Forest: How to Survive Itcodes99 Nights in the Forest Codes (August 2026)