DST Beginner’s Survival Guide

Welcome to the Wilderness 🌿

So, you’ve spawned into Don’t Starve Together, surrounded by trees, turkeys, and a looming sense of dread. Whether you’re exploring solo or joining friends on a ChipHead-hosted server, your first few days are about one goal, not dying.

Here’s everything you need to know to survive, craft smart, and set up your first base without losing your mind (literally).

1. Day One: Gather Everything 🌻

Your first priority is resources. Grab as much as you can while the sun’s up.

Collect:

• Twigs (saplings)
• Grass (tufts)
• Flint (for tools)
• Berries & Carrots (for food)
• Logs (from trees with an axe)

Once you have:

• 1 Axe → chop trees
• 1 Pickaxe → mine rocks
• Campfire → light your first night

Pro Tip: Don’t wait until sunset to make a fire, total darkness kills instantly.

2. Understand Your Stats 🧠

DST tracks Hunger, Sanity, and Health, keeping them balanced is key.

When sanity drops too low, shadow monsters spawn, a problem most beginners meet the hard way.

Bonus Tip: Craft a Garland (12 flowers) early. It’s a free sanity buffer.

3. Nighttime Survival 🔥

Nightfall in DST is dangerous. Without light, the shadows will consume you.
Always have:

• Campfire (uses logs and grass)
• Torch (portable, quick escape tool)
• Extra fuel (logs or grass tufts)

If you’re exploring far from base, craft two torches, one burns out faster than you think.

4. Pick a Character Wisely 🎭

Each survivor plays differently. For beginners:

• Wilson – The all-rounder (grows a beard for insulation)
• Willow – Fire immunity and her own lighter
• Wendy – Easier combat with her ghost sister, Abigail

Avoid characters with strict downsides (like Wolfgang’s hunger drain) until you’ve learned the basics.

Pro Tip: On shared servers, balance your team, a cook, a fighter, and a scientist make a great combo.

5. Choose a Good Base Location 🏕️

Don’t settle immediately, scout first. Look for:

• Grasslands or Forests (abundant food and trees)
• Rocks nearby (for crafting resources)
• Beefalo herds (for manure and protection)
• Not too close to Swamps or Spider Dens

You’ll need space to build farms, crock pots, and drying racks later.

Bonus Tip: Place your Science Machine at base once you’ve found a stable spot, it unlocks essential crafting recipes.

6. Cook and Craft Smart 🍲

Raw food spoils faster and restores less health.

• Build a Fire Pit (permanent)
• Craft a Crock Pot (for efficient meals)
• Combine ingredients for Meatballs, Trail Mix, or Ratatoille, all early-game staples

Pro Tip: Never eat Monster Meat raw, it lowers sanity and health. Cook it or feed it to a pig ally.

7. Prepare for Seasons ❄️🔥

DST has deadly seasonal changes.

• Autumn: Calm and forgiving
• Winter: Cold and food-scarce
• Spring: Wet, slows movement and rots food
• Summer: Overheating and wildfires

Plan ahead:

• Craft Thermal Stones for winter
• Build Endothermic Fires for summer
• Stockpile food before each seasonal shift

8. Work Together 👥

DST rewards cooperation, divide tasks for efficiency.

• One player farms
• One hunts and explores
• One crafts or builds defences

On a ChipHead-hosted server, progress and base builds stay stable between sessions, so your world grows even when not everyone’s online.

Bonus Tip: Share sanity-restoring items like Tents or Top Hats to keep everyone mentally balanced.

9. Keep an Eye on Time ⏰

DST runs on a daily clock:

• Day: Gather and explore
• Dusk: Return to base
• Night: Cook, craft, rest

Time management separates survivors from skeletons, stay aware of the sun’s position and plan accordingly.

Final Thoughts 🌕

Surviving your first few days in Don’t Starve Together is a mix of resource management, smart planning, and teamwork. Keep your fire lit, your sanity stable, and your friends close.

With ChipHead hosting, your wilderness adventures stay stable, synced, and lag-free. Build thriving camps, experiment with mods, and survive the seasons together because starving alone isn’t nearly as fun. ⚡🌲