At some point, you're going to realize that you're doing everything wrong.
Let me tell you how to do everything right.

You'll soon see that in the Silent Forest, the beasts are meaner and that there's more of them, too.
If you're a stubborn piece of meat, you might still make it by hiding behind cupboards and running like a coward.
But once you reach the Old Woods, dear Meat, you'll be dead.

The woods are dense, and they're out to get you.
Fighting back isn't easy and it isn't fair. The woods are bigger and stronger than you, you'll be crushed like an ant.

But here's the thing: The woods are slow.
And the monsters? They are stupid. They don't think.
You, Meat, you can think. You can prepare. Make traps. Trick the ugly b*stards.

And comrade Wolf is here to help you.

Let's assume this is your very first day.
First: don't get too confident, you have some big shoes to fill. Take a good look around, grab all the supplies you can find. There's a code-locked crate out back, if you want a little head start, you can unlock it with the code 2919 for some goodies.
So you've got your hideout. It may be small, it may be big. It's probably full of holes.
You'll need to patch some of those holes.

Pick a room, pick any room. Just as long as it's got four walls around it.
Your room's got to have a few little things in it.
If you don't have storage space in your room, drag a wardrobe in.
You need at least one lamp. More than one is better. Drag them all in, too.

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You don't have much stuff right now, and there's not much you can do with it yet. Store all of your extra items in the Workbench, don't worry too much about organizing yet, you can do that in the morning- that's also the ideal time to craft and build. Time stands still in the morning, and in some special locations, until you leave the compound. Make good use of it .

Now, you're going to have to head out and scavenge up some supplies, Meat. Time's a-wasting!
When exploring, it's a good idea to bring some general equipment with you. Right now, you won't have much, but here are some guidelines to what you'll want to bring with you later on:

(1) Make sure you've always got a reliable weapon. Right now, this will likely be a torch or a board with nails. Later on, you're going to be carrying shovels and axes, and maybe even guns.

(2) Bring a healing item or two. You're going to want to have a way to heal yourself when you get nicked, and there's nothing worse than desperately trying to find some pills when you're slowly dying of poison or burning to death.

(3) This is a personal recommendation, Meat: Always bring a lockpick. The woods are full of locked crates with good stuff in them. You're not going to like it when you find one and can't open it, and finding them back can be tedious. Always bring a lockpick with you!

Once you get a better grip, you'll be able to make your own decisions. It'd be a good idea to bring a watch and some armor. If you're smart, you'll never go without a Molotov Cocktail for emergencies, either.

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Now, let's head out.
The Woods are full of interesting areas with interesting stories. But you don't care about that, do you Meat? No, you only care about the loot.

So before you get going, here's some pointers from the Wolfman.
(1) Corpses. When you see a flock of crows fly overhead, go towards where they came from. Crows are usually found eating the corpse of some sorry bastard who died out here. Maybe even a sorry bastard I shot myself.
Be careful Meat, not all corpses are as juicy. When you see one bloated and twitching, you should keep your distance, for your own good.
(2) Crates. Stay on the lookout for them. This is why you should always carry a lockpick, Meat. They don't always pay off, but sometimes they have uncommon loot like insect shells.
(3) Bear traps. You're an idiot if you get caught in one. Bear traps can be picked up for some quick Scrap Metal, which becomes more valuable later on.

Now, let's get going. If you want to get across the Woods quickly, you should stick to the roads. Roads drain your stamina a lot more slowly when sprinting, so you'll get around faster.
Bet you didn't know that, right?

I'll let you decide where to go. But if you want some advice: Don't go down into the Underground Entrance until you've got a shovel on you. There's a little tunnel to the left that can only be dug out on the first visit. Digging it out completely will reveal a corpse with some valuable items.

Make sure you come back to drop off your loot whenever your inventory's full. You need to be home when it gets dark. If you've got a watch, it's a good idea to start on the way back around 18.30. Night falls at 20.00 and you should be locked in your house with the generator on by then.

You're back? Alright Meat, let's hope you have enough time left.

This won't do, your hideout's still full of holes. You're going to need to board them up.
What's that, no planks or nails? Then what are you wasting my time for? Go get some!
If you don't have enough planks, you can saw up some wood logs with the table saw, there should be one outside somewhere. Table saws are a good way to turn extra gasoline into wood. And believe me, you're going to have a lot of extra gasoline.
Wood logs can be found in Logging Areas, there's usually one close to your Hideout. It's a good idea to hang on to some rocks, too. They can be used to sharpen some of your weapons later on.

Board up the windows first, those are the most important.
Now, board up every door except one, you'll still need a way to get in and out once the night's over.
If there's a hole in your wall, you're going to want to drag a wardrobe in front of it, one of the tall ones that block vision, so the monsters can't peek in.
If your fragile furniture gets destroyed, you can repair it, too. Hold your mouse over broken furniture to fix it, much like you'd do with windows or doors. I bet you didn't know that.
Don't waste your time making barricades that won't protect you, stick to your own little room for now and leave the rest of your house to the monsters.

Remember how I told you to make sure you have some extra storage in your room, Meat?
Your workbench can be used to stash your junk and crafting materials, but you should use your wardrobes to store some emergency supplies. Bandages, traps, flares, ammunition, anything that you might need at night, including an extra weapon if yours is close to breaking.

Now, turn on the generator. Prepare for the worst.

It's dark, Meat. Pray that you're well-prepared.

Here's some advice to help you along.
Stay quiet. Not all the things that go bump in the night are out to get you. Some are just walking around. They don't know you're there, and you should try to keep it that way.
Don't shuffle around, don't go crafting, don't even poke around in your backpack. Stay perfectly still and hold your breath. Make sure your lamps aren't shining light outside, either.

It didn't work, Meat? Something's tearing down your barricade? Well then, what do you think you should do? Be aggressive! This is your hideout, you're not going to let them take it from you!
Once something starts trying to get in, it's time to start moving around.
Don't panic, listen and try to figure out what kind of creature you're up against. If you've got a trap, set in front of the door or window that's being attacked. If you've got a weapon, prepare it. If you have enough time, go grab a pile of wood and nails so you can repair the barricade immediately afterwards.

Most important of all: don't wait.
Go get your items right away, don't stay in the corner hoping that the scary monster goes away, that's what prey would do. You're not prey.
Once you're completely ready, take down the barricade yourself, this will give you back some wood and nails. Make some distance right away, take your enemy down as soon as possible. Don't panic, don't run away from it. You've now got a hole in your hideout and you'll need to fix it soon before other creatures start coming in.

Eventually, things are going to get harder for you, comrade Meat.

The Old Woods, the Swamp. These places know no mercy. You're going to have to adapt to survive.
First off, expand your territory. One room won't be enough, you're going to need two or three rooms with storage divided across them. More rooms means you've got spaces to retreat to so you can get distance, heal up, and lay traps. Sometimes, a room might become completely overrun. In that case, you're going to want to have other rooms you can retreat to.

Rely more on your firearms. A spent shotgun shell might make the difference between getting 200 reputation from the Trader and losing your Essence. Don't be afraid to use your resources, they're not going to last forever anyways.

Keep a watch on you, you need to know how long you've got left before the night's over. If there's only an hour or so left, it might be for the best to just run for it and sprint around the hideout until the dawn breaks. Don't confront enemies when it isn't necessary, Meat. A Chomper can make mincemeat out of you in seconds if you slip up, especially in close quarters.

Rely on your traps, rely on your guns. Rely on your powers and your wits. Survival is the only option.

It's important to know how your weapons work, Meat.

There's no need to explain melee weapons to you, they all work the same. You hit your enemies with them until they're dead. Got it, Meat? Good.
They're you least expensive way to take down an enemy. They're also the riskiest.
Know how fast you can hit and how much it'll tire you out. Learn how to backstep and how to confuse monsters with some quick footwork. A good piece of meat can kill a Chomper without getting hit even once.
Have the best melee weapon you can on you. The strongest isn't always the best: A Sickle is sometimes more useful than an Axe. Durability is a factor: If you're confident in your ability to kill a monster with any weapon, it's best to use the cheapest one to maintain. Experienced woodsmen can kill just about anything with a board with nails.

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Firearms are the superior option when it comes to both time and safety, but are also more expensive to make or find, and ammo might be scarce. High-quality firearms like the pump action and double barrel shotguns are rare and useful, but a single shotgun has just as much stopping power. This means even a single shotgun is more than worth it if you can make one early.


A Pistol is recommended for fighting single enemies. Pistol ammo is the most common (since clips give 8 ammunition and the Trader/The Three sells one clip each morning) and should thus be the most used. Want a free pistol, Meat? There's something interesting in the Church that I might want. Just make sure you've got a good sense of humour.

A shotgun may be necessary if you know you've got several enemies coming from several directions at once. Shotguns are powerful and have spread so they will reliably hit and kill any enemy within range. Moreso with the Double Barrel Shotgun and Pump Action Shotgun, since you can count on more shots to finish your enemies off. It's actually possible to hit multiple enemies with one shot, though it might be tricky to pull off.

The Hunting Rifle does a lot of damage in one hit and is very precise, but takes a long time to aim and reload. If you're using it, you're best off engaging from as far away as possible; In short range, you're only getting one shot on your enemy, so make sure it counts. I'm a hungry Wolf, Meat. If you want one of these rifles, you can earn it from me.
The weapon's main drawback is its inability to instantly kill some enemies: You'll have to follow up your shot with at least one melee hit when fighting chompers or human spiders.

That's my rifle, Meat. There may be just one or two like it in the entire forest. You're not going to be finding much ammo for it. Still, a single magazine gives you 20 bullets, this makes them great weapons for taking down hordes of enemies, like the Burning Villagers that swarm you once you set fire to the Talking Tree. Just don't be wasteful with your ammo. Otherwise, assault rifles are great weapons that you'll never use. Their magazines don't stack at all, so it's very inconvenient to carry the extra ammo. Best used if you're bored and fancy yourself a hunting trip.

Single Shot Pistols and Homemade Shotguns will break after use. Single Shot Pistols, as the name implies, can only fire one shot. This shot does a lot more damage than a normal pistol shot and is a good way to end a battle before it's even started. Homemade Shotguns fire two shots before breaking, and do as much damage as a normal shotgun. These weapons are useful, but not worth crafting in the Dry Meadow or Silent Forest. If you find one while scavenging, keep it around, it might save your life at some point. Later, when you're in the Old Woods, it will be worth it to craft a few Homemade Shotguns, it will save shotgun shells and will help deal with tough enemies. Once expended, they can't be reloaded or repaired, and should be sold as cheap junk to traders.

Barricades are one half of a well-defended hideout, traps are the other half.

There's six different types of traps you can use, but they're not all equally useful.
Keep your hideout well-trapped if you intend to survive.
It's not necessary to put traps in front of your barricades right away. Rather, you should wait until an enemy starts breaking down your barricade, and then place a trap in front of it.

1. Broken Glass
Cheap and effective. Throwing a bottle on the ground will create Broken Glass. Broken Glass can also be picked up and placed somewhere else. Chompers, dogs, anything that walks over your broken glass will take damage. You're wearing shoes, so you don't have to worry about hurting your frilly feet. Use Broken Glass in combination with other traps, or put it in front of doors, to soften up enemies before engaging them to make fights easier.

2. Meat
Use your meat well, er, Meat. Throwing a chunk of meat will draw away Dogs, Huge Dogs and Chompers. Good for distracting them so you can prepare an ambush or back off. You can also use meat to bait your traps, so your enemies are garuanteed to trigger them.

3. Chain Trap
Mostly useless. They cost two scrap metal and will keep a monster trapped in a small area. The monster can still move and attack, and it doesn't damage them. What's more, Chain Traps can't be picked back up. They last longer than Bear Traps, though. Putting a few outside your base and baiting them might tie up some enemies and keep them out of your hair for a while. The most effective way to use them is to put them just around the corner, so when an enemy is charging at you, it will get stuck and you'll be able to get some attacks on it for free.

4. Bear Trap
The best tool, Meat. Three scrap metal will net you these beauties. A bear trap snaps down on any sorry b*stard that walks over it, doing damage and keeping them tied up for a while. You can pick them back up for one scrap metal if they've been triggered, or two if they haven't. Bear traps are your friends, combine them with broken glass or gasoline to quickly take care of enemies.
I like to set these in the woods so idiots who aren't paying attention wander into them.

5. Gas Tank
More common in the Swamp, but can be bought from the Trader before then. When you trigger a gas tank, it will shoot off in one direction and explode a moment later. This makes them hard to use in tight quarters. They can be useful if you're expecting enemies to come from one direction, in which case you can send a big can of liquid death flying off toward them. The only way rotate them is to walk into them, which makes them inconvenient to set up. Still, a well-placed one can save you a lot of effort.

6. Exploding Barrel
Much like Gas Tanks, Exploding Barrels cause small explosions that deal high damage. Exploding Barrels can be triggered with gunfire, molotovs, or by lighting a trail of gasoline leading toward them. They're a bit dangerous to use, but setting them up near entrances and shooting them when enemies come in is a great way to get rid of several enemies at once. Use them sparingly, Meat, perhaps when you're being attacked by a swarm.

The Woods are a nightmare for your kind, Meat.

Luckily, you've got some advantages of your own: Those disgusting mushrooms you eat have turned you into a freak, and freaks have power in this forest.Don't be afraid to use your powers, you'll have them again by morning, so there's little to worry about. It's always better to use a power and survive, than to not use one and die.

Moth.
I'm not sure why you'd want to be a moth, Meat. But if you are one, then use it to your advantage. Use Moth when you're low on health and have no healing items.
Later on, in the swamp, your healing items might become less effective. Moth will help you regenerate your life all the way back up over a long amount of time, saving you a lot of bandages.

Third Eye.
You're a real weirdo, Meat. Open your third eye when you're up against more than one enemy. It should prove useful when dodging and avoiding bites and scratches. Use Third Eye if you've got enemies coming through several entrances at once. This way you won't get surprised by a something running at you from behind. This power is useful for less experienced wood dwellers, but once you get a grasp on combat you won't need it so often.

Runner.
You're a coward. But cowards live where fools don't.
Use Runner to escape tricky situations, run past enemies and around your Hideout a few times to shake them off and buy some time. It's worth using when the night's almost over but your Hideout's almost destroyed.

Scream.
That's it, you're the predator now, Meat! Chase the beasts off when they're closing in on you.
Use scream when you're really overwhelmed. It'll prove very useful when facing Human Spiders or Banshee Babies.

Chameleon.
If I could turn invisible, I'd use it to sneak into people's houses at night and, well... You'll see.
Chameleon is a great skill. It will keep you completely invisible for a few hours. Excellent for when you're getting overwhelmed. Just stand still and hide in a corner. Remember that you can still attack enemies while invisible.

Guns and powers aside, you've still got a bunch of other stuff you can use to make the fight just a little bit less weighed against you.

Molotov Cocktails
That good old strategy, "Burn everything down until there's nothing left." Heh. Throwing a molotov indoors isn't a good idea, Meat. You'll end up burning down your wardrobe or barricade. Still, it might be wise to toss one when you're up against a large group of enemies. Throwing a Molotov Cocktail will set the area it lands on on fire for a while and do heavy impact damage. Have one ready for when a barricade goes down, and you won't have to waste ammunition on whatever horror is at the other side. When out scavenging, they can make some encounters much easier. Just make sure the fire doesn't end up blocking your escape route if you're stuck indoors.

Gasoline and Matchsticks
You can pour gasoline on the ground. Lighting a matchstick and throwing it on the gasoline will make a big fire. You can make improvised traps by throwing meat on the ground and making a trail of gasoline leading to it, or block doorways in a similar way to molotovs. There's no limit to how much gasoline you can pour. You could even fill an entire room with gasoline, lure some enemies into it, and then set everything on fire, if you really wanted to. It's a good strategy if you're low on other resources, but I wouldn't rely on it otherwise.

Light Armor
If you manage to get your hands on some Shells, you can use them to craft yourself some armor.
Shells can be found by killing huge bugs, but they can also be looted from crates in the wild.
Don't underestimate armor, Meat. It'll keep you alive longer and might give you the edge you need in combat. It's always worthwile bringing some armor along if you're expecting to get in a fight. Just don't expect it to last long. It needs to be in your hotbar to have any effect.

You're not the only parasite in the Woods. There's other worms. Let's get to know them.

The Doctor.
Isn't that the vermin that took your key? He tricked you good, Meat.
The b*stard is slippery, don't give him wriggling room. If you help me out, I can help you get the jump on him. Otherwise, well, you'll see...

The Wolfman.
That's me, Meat. 'Course, my help isn't going to be free. You're going to help me first, Meat, and together, we're going to get me a delicious meal.
Word of advice... Don't ever cross me. You're just Meat to me, remember that.

The Musician.
A revolting little gnome with a rickety violin. Ignore the little pissant.
Still, if you want an appointment with the Doctor... He can arrange it. My advice? Give the key to me instead. Be careful with his parents, they might get snappy.

The Chicken Lady.
An unimportant old fishwife. Kill her, Meat. Then, I'll be free to eat all of her chickens. There's something even juicier than chicken locked up in that house of hers...

The Mother of all Pigs.
The Villagers keep a secret hidden somewhere in that Pig Shed. Stop the squeaking Meat, and there'll be something in it, just for you.

The Mushroom Lady.
Who's this? Some old hag, no doubt. Pick a mushroom from her head, pick another.
Do you feel... hungry, Meat?

Meat, Meat, Meat... what have you gotten yourself into this time? You're going to need more than just a few cans of gasoline to light this one up. If you're not partial to barbeques, perhaps you should take a closer look at that Radio Tower. You've only one chance, though, so don't waste it.

I hope this guide did you some good, Meat.

Try not to die, it'd be an embarassment to me if you did with the advice I gave you.
That's it, no sappy goodbyes. Go raise some hell.