99 Nights in the Forest: Base Building Guide
Your base is the only thing standing between you and a Cultist raid in 99 Nights in the Forest. Everything from walls to beds comes from the Crafting Bench, and what you unlock first decides whether your camp survives the early days or falls apart the first time raiders show up.
The Crafting Bench starts locked past Tier 1, and each upgrade costs more Wood and Scrap, with the last two tiers also asking for rarer materials like Cultist Gems and the Gem of the Forest. In this article, we'll explain every craftable base item by tier, which structures are worth prioritizing, and how to set up your defenses against a raid.
Crafting Bench Tiers
Unlocking the Crafting Bench past its base tier takes a mix of Wood and Scrap, with the top two tiers gated behind Cultist Gems and the Gem of the Forest.
Tier | Wood | Scrap | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
Tier 2 | 5 | 1 | - |
Tier 3 | 15 | 10 | - |
Tier 4 | 30 | 20 | 2 Cultist Gems |
Tier 5 | 50 | 50 | 1 Gem of the Forest |
Tier 4 and Tier 5 are the real bottlenecks since Cultist Gems and the Gem of the Forest don't come from simple wood and scrap farming, so expect those two tiers to take a lot longer to reach.
Tier 1 Structures
Tier 1 items are free and available the moment you spawn in; no Crafting Bench upgrade required.
Item | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
The Map | 3 Wood | Reveals the areas you've explored |
Supply Crate | 3 Wood | Extra storage |
Old Bed | 20 Wood | Adds 1 day when slept in |
Bunny Trap | 5 Wood (max 10) | Lures food to your camp |
These are what you'll be placing on day one, and the Old Bed especially is worth prioritizing since extending your day count is one of the strongest early moves in the game.
Tier 2 Structures
Tier 2 opens up once you've upgraded the Crafting Bench, and it's where your base starts actually holding together.
Item | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Sun Dial | 5 Scrap | Shows a day and night countdown |
Regular Bed | 5 Scrap | Adds 1 day when slept in |
Compass | 3 Scrap | Points toward a Fairy or a Missing Child |
Farm Plot | 20 Wood (max 20) | Grows crops every 2 days |
Wood Rain Storage | 5 Scrap | Keeps wood dry; also works as a wall |
Shelf | 2 Scrap (unlimited) | Storage that doubles as a wall |
Log Wall | 20 Wood (unlimited) | Blocks Cultists from entering |
Log Gate | 20 Wood (unlimited) | An entrance point for your walls |
Bear Trap | 3 Scrap (max 8) | Damages and traps enemies |
Log Wall and Log Gate are the two items to grab first out of this tier, since nothing before Tier 2 actually stops a Cultist from walking into your camp.
Tier 3 Structures
Tier 3 leans more into quality of life once your defenses are already up.
Item | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Crock Pot | 15 Wood, 10 Scrap | Combines 3 foods into a Stew |
Radar | 15 Wood, 10 Scrap | Reveals points of interest on the map |
Boost Pad | 15 Wood, 10 Scrap | Gives roughly 30 seconds of speed |
Biofuel Processor | 12 Wood, 12 Scrap | Converts pelts, logs, food, feathers, or saplings into Biofuel |
Torch | 6 Wood, 6 Scrap (max 10) | Expands your safe zone |
Good Bed | 10 Wood, 10 Scrap | Adds 1 day when slept in |
Lightning Rod | 8 Scrap (only need 1) | Blocks lightning from striking your base |
Flag | 6 Wood, 2 Scrap | Marks a spot on the map |
Lightning Rod only needs to be placed once, and it removes lightning as a threat entirely, so it's one of the better value picks in this tier.
Tier 4 Structures
Tier 4 needs Cultist Gems on top of Wood and Scrap, so this is where progress starts slowing down.
Item | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Ammo Crate | 20 Wood, 30 Scrap, 1 Cultist Gem | Lets you buy ammo |
Oil Drill | 25 Wood, 35 Scrap, 1 Cultist Gem | Produces fuel over time |
Giant Bed | 20 Wood, 30 Scrap, 1 Cultist Gem | Adds 1 day when slept in |
Teleporter | 15 Wood, 25 Scrap, 1 Cultist Gem (need 2 or more) | Teleports you between paired teleporters |
Teleporter is useless on its own since you need at least two placed to actually use it, so plan for a pair before spending the Gems on the first one.
Tier 5 Structures
Tier 5 is the endgame tier, gated behind the Gem of the Forest instead of Cultist Gems.
Item | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Respawn Capsule | 40 Wood, 40 Scrap, 1 Gem of the Forest | Auto-respawns the last player who died |
Temporal Accelerometer | 40 Wood, 40 Scrap, 1 Gem of the Forest | Skips the next night |
Weather Machine | 40 Wood, 40 Scrap, 1 Gem of the Forest | Stops rain and storms for 3 days |
Recycler | 40 Wood, 40 Scrap, 1 Gem of the Forest | Converts Gem of the Forest into Cultist Gems, and Cultist Gems into Scrap |
Recycler is worth calling out since it lets you turn excess Gem of the Forest into Cultist Gems, which is handy once you've already built everything else in this tier.
Best Structures To Build First
Log Wall and Log Gate should be your very first build, since the campfire's safe zone only keeps wild animals out and Cultists will walk straight through it otherwise. Bear Trap comes right after, since it's the cheapest reusable defense in the game at 3 Scrap and resets after every kill.
Shelf can work as a cheap wall in a pinch, but Crossbow Cultists shoot straight through it, and Deer can jump over it, so don't lean on it long term. Once your defense is handled, Crock Pot, Farm Plot, and Radar are the best quality-of-life picks, and Lightning Rod is worth the one-time cost for 8 Scrap. Oil Drill, Teleporter, and Recycler are better saved for once your base is already stable rather than an early priority.
Defense Items and How They Work
Outside the craftable Bear Trap, most base defenses come from a Defense Blueprint, which drops from Legendary and Gold Chests, UFO event wreckage, and Volcanic Biome loot, and is also part of the Base Defender class's starting gear.
Defense | Placed per use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Bear Trap | 1 | Reusable, one-shots small enemies; needs about 2 hits on a Cultist |
Barbed Wire | 3 | Damages and slows anything that touches it |
Wooden Stakes | 3 | Works the same as Barbed Wire |
Laser Fence | 1 | UFO event only, deals roughly 10 to 15 damage per hit |
Lava Mine | 1 | Volcanic Biome only, explodes and leaves a burning puddle |
None of these besides Bear Trap and Laser Fence have any published durability numbers, so it's safer to treat all of them as consumables that will eventually need replacing.
Final Words
Base building in 99 Nights in the Forest comes down to two things: walls that actually hold and traps that do the damage for you. Get your Log Wall and Bear Traps down on day one, work through the Crafting Bench tiers as Scrap and Wood allow, and don't sink resources into Tier 4 and Tier 5 items until your early defense is already solid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Game in this Article
99 Nights in the Forest
99 Nights in the Forest is a Roblox survival horror game where teams gather resources by day and defend their camp by night against the Deer, a stalking creature drawn to darkness. Players rescue missing kids to speed up progress, craft gear, and hunt animals across the map.
Written by
Ziad is a content writer at BloxSwaps, covering Roblox games through detailed guides and tier lists. With a focus on breaking down game mechanics and ranking characters, weapons, and items, Ziad helps players make sense of what's actually worth their time and Robux. When not writing, Ziad stays on top of the latest Roblox updates to keep every guide accurate and up to date.