Don't Starve Together Tips and Tricks

Wildfires, mob swarms, or gobblers eating all of the berries in the garden that took hours to make (those evil scavengers) are just the tip of the iceberg in regards to the whacky adventures that await players in Don’t Starve Together.

Let’s face it, this is a game that can either make you or break you. And it isn’t fun if the game breaks you before you learn the way to play. So buckle in and take a seat because here are the top 15 tips to ensure challenging, fun gameplay for new players.

Keep in mind that these tips are suggestions rather than actual rules to having an excellent experience.

Tip 1: Take Control of Your Experience

Wilson and Willow are just enjoying the life.

If there is anything that is the heart of DST, it is the world generation menu. Players have complete control of how their world will spawn. The menu allows the player to sit up on their divine throne and say “Let it be done” as they switch the frog spawn option from default to no spawn. Or to turn on PVP so they can create a battle royale in which no friendship is safe.

But these many possibilities becomes a problem for new players. Because choosing-your-own-adventure tends to eliminate the need of an instruction manual, new players become confused about how they should set up their world for their first run into DST. If you happen to be an inexperienced player, this is what you should do:

• Set your world to Endless. Endless is a mode in which a player can regenerate through the portal after they die from any something as simple as being killed by Darkness. This mode is more forgiving than Survival or Wilderness modes so if you’re done with having to reset your world (or by cheating the system by rolling back to a previous save), then set your world to Endless. You’ll thank me, it’s a time saver.
• ALWAYS set the start point in Fall. In default mode, Fall is the only season that isn’t programmed to end your character’s entire existence.
• Turn off frog rain and wildfires. This is a must as a new player. When you’re more comfortable and ready, then take on the challenge. But you don’t want to set yourself up with more depressed rage than you can deal with.
• Increase the spawn of tumbleweeds. Tumbleweeds have almost every resource that spawns in-game. Sometimes you’ll break open the traveling bush and surprise! You have rope. The greatest find of all is when you stumble onto gears.

Once you become more familiar with DST, you can vary the game in whatever way you want. You can have a world dominated by walrus camps, creating the bloodiest Winter in which you (and maybe your friends) will fight for your life. You could create a world with complete day or complete night. Or you could play the game with Spring as your only season. It’s all up to you. Just make sure to try out new whacky ideas; no idea is too crazy until it becomes a handful in DST.

Tip 2: Have a Few Mods to Improve Gameplay

Three Deluxe Cooking Pots. I'm in Heaven.

Mods cover almost everything from weapon and armor durability to creating a volcano that generates in-game. Of course, you can decide to go mod-less. But a mod-less adventure means taking on inconveniences that would make your DST experience annoying. Example: the stack size for inventory items. If I remember correctly, you can stack non-weapon items up to 20. However, weapons and tools cannot be stacked. With a mod, you can increase that stack size to 150 (including weapons and tools). So don't dismiss the power of what a good mod can do.

Here are some mods that I use whenever I venture into the world of DST:

Deluxe Cooking Pot

• I would argue that this is one of the most important mods in DST. The default crockpot requires 3-4 ingredients which produces only 1 meal. This mod takes the same amount of ingredients and increases the production to 3 meals. No one needs to be a math genius to calculate these odds.
• You can also change the craft requirements. As a new player, go with the simple craft option that will work for you. Make it harder later on if you want to be challenged.

Fast Travel

• If you don’t like traveling on foot everywhere, then this is the mod for you. Create one board (craft requires 4 logs) with the Science Machine and you’ll be able to craft a sign. Place the sign in an important spot. Then create another sign somewhere else and you’ll never have to waste time going on foot from one destination to another again. Unless you want to.
• There is a penalty on Sanity and Hunger. You can always jump from one destination with low Sanity but you will not be able to jump with low Hunger. Always keep note of your character’s Hunger meter.

Wisp, Wynter and Wei: DST!

• The absolute beauty of this mod is that it comes with a food item called Fishy Concoction. Fishy Concoction is WONDERFUL with healing so if you find yourself taking on a big boss, make as much fishy concoction as possible and have it nestled safely in your inventory. The food item can be made with fish, frog legs, and/or eels. However, this mod does submit to other food mods that use fish ingredients resulting in the difficulty of crafting Fishy Concoction. So keep this in mind if you’re using other food mods.

Refresh Food or Never Perish

• There are various mods that protect food from rotting. I would give the specific one that I’m using but it looks like the mod was either deleted or outdated. So even I’m on the lookout. However, having a non-perishable food mod for the ice box is a necessity. This way you don’t have to worry about hours of food crafting being wasted.
• I personally recommend a Refresh Food mod but as long as your food doesn’t rot in the ice box, it doesn’t matter. Always check to make sure that the mod is functioning properly.

Tip 3: Know How to Search for Mods

You'll want to get familiar with seeing this screen. It is the bane to DST gamers everywhere.

Keeping this section short, it should be noted that playing with mods is risky. There is always that moment when a good mod turns into an outdated one. There is also the possibility of two mods clashing so the game crashes. I’ve given a small list of the many mods that I use but it’s more important that players know the steps in how to search for mods for their own gaming experience:

• Always check to see if the mod is up to date.
• Look at comments to judge whether the mod is the right one for you.
• Keep note of the mod description to make sure it doesn’t clash with a similar mod.
• You are a scientist; experiment with mods by setting up a test world to see if they will work together.

Tip 4: Choose the Best Character

Say hello to all of the DST default characters. They're all decked out just to meet you.

The best character is Wendy, hands down.

Okay, I’m kidding. I am a Wendy main but my tastes are not your tastes. There is a great debate about which character is the best character among veterans but I’m here to tell you, make the decision based on your own standards. You have a particular style and playing the game according to the whims of others is not allowing you to get to know yourself as a DST gamer.

But which character to choose? Klei doesn’t make it easy because they don’t list the characters’ stat information or spell out character abilities in the character menu.

Basically, they want you to test run these characters so you can decide on your own which character you like. Here are some things to consider:

• Always keep note of Sanity, Health, and Hunger stats. Example, Wes has low Sanity, Health, and Hunger. So if you want a challenge then this character is for you. But if you want someone more stable, try Winona or Wilson.
• Make note of character quirks and abilities. Wickerbottom can build Science Machine items without the use of a Science Machine. This is the kind of quirk that can either challenge or benefit your DST experience.
• You can always choose a new character. So don’t feel pressured.

Tip 5: Learn the Basics

Saplings, an axe, and a fire pit. Everything Wilson needs to get started.

Now we’re getting into the in-world gameplay.

The setup is important but witnessing your creation in all its glory is definitely more interesting. Being a new player, your first question will be: what do I do? My answer: everything. There are many tasks to keep track of just to make sure your character is happy and stable. Here are the basics:

• Remember that light is your friend. Stock up on grass and twigs. If you run out, locate your nearest firefly since it will be the only thing protecting you from Darkness’ bite.
• Find flint to make axes and pick axes. Make the pick ax first since you can get more flint by mining rocks.
• Be on the lookout for skeletons. Resources always spawn beside them. Skeletons make good resources as well since destroying them with a hammer produces bone shards. You'll need 2 bone shards to make a Raincoat.
• Picking flowers increases your sanity. You shouldn’t pick every flower. However, if shadow monsters are creeping into your character’s mind, pick petals until your character is satisfied.
• Get a suit of armor and weapons, stat. This should be explanatory.

Tip 6: Explore, Explore, Explore!!!

Maxwell looks like he's had enough exploring.

You need to get to know the world of DST. The sooner you do that, the more familiar you can become with the game. Of course, there are notable locations that you want to find that will be great for resource harvesting.

• The Pig King has plenty of gold to share. He’s always located in a Birch forest so keep your eyes open if you come across the biome.
• Find the right grassland containing the beefalo. You'll typically need their fur to make a hat for the Winter.
• Rock quarries are necessary for rock harvesting.
• Pig Farm is great for berry picking. Pig Farm also tends to have flowers, carrots, and grass. You'll definitely want to make this a pit stop.

There are, of course, other places to explore but these particular locations should be found immediately in the Fall.

Tip 7: Always Have the Essentials for a Stable Basecamp

Unlike tip 5 Wilson, this Wilson can make food and store it.

When we get down to it, the basecamp is the difference between life and death. It’s the place where you can craft comfortably without a Pigman looking over your shoulder. Unless you’re into that.

It’s also the place where you can recharge your character back to Health, whether it’s sleeping in a tent or eating 3 meatballs. The overall purpose of a basecamp is to serve as a storage place for resources and as a dumping point so you can clean out your inventory. Without one, you’re in for a rough time.

Of course, the difficulty of a basecamp is knowing how to design it. I’m sad to say, I can’t help you there. Make it as horrendous or as beautiful as you want. Make it as detailed or as basic as you want. But you’ll want the essentials in order for you to have a decent base that you can come back to when you need to drink up all the wine in the ice box to get back your Sanity.

• Pick a safe location for your basecamp. Choose wisely. If you don’t, be prepared for your base to have been destroyed by a random meteor shower. Worst thing that could happen is if you find a MacTusk City and park your camp there. Good luck in Winter.
• You’ll need the Alchemy Engine and the Shadow Manipulator to be able to craft anything and everything.
• Always have a lightning rod in case of lightning attacks (unless you turned the lightning off).
• Ice boxes and chests are necessary as storage units.
• Build a wall around your camp. It doesn’t need to be a big or long wall but it does need to be something that acts as first defense to mobs and bosses.

Tip 8: Be Ration-al

How rich are you, Pig King?

World regeneration does take time and certain resources are difficult to spawn. I’m looking at you, tentacle spots. So you have to be smart about how you handle your resources. Don’t get crazy and make twenty torches. Instead make a fire pit with a steady supply of fuel nearby. Here are some other ways to be resource smart:

• Plant frequently because you’ll need logs and twigs throughout gameplay.
• Always consider what the bigger benefit is when crafting with a rare or infrequent item. An example is if you ever get the scale from the Dragonfly (the boss will respawn so you’ll have opportunities to get more scales). You’ll have three options: scalemail, scaled chest, and the scaled furnace. I personally suggest the scaled furnace first because it is on 24/7 so you won’t need the fire pit to cook or heat yourself. Just make sure it’s off to the side somewhere because it will overheat you.
• Don’t tear down every pig house, merm house, or bunny house you see. You can get more out of these mobs when you kill them than destroying their home.
• Don’t cut down every tree and kill every animal. Doing so will spawn in monsters such as Treegaurds and Krampus. Unless you have the gear to take them on, you'll want to avoid dealing with these annoying creatures.
• Always note when the supply of a frequent item (e.g. grass) is low so you can ration the resource and get more.

Tip 9: DST Animals Are Not Your Friends

Run, Wolfgang, run!!!

It’s either kill or be killed in DST.

There are passive mobs like butterflies and Gekkos. Certains mobs will act aggressive once they are triggered like Beefalo, Volt Goats, and bees. And then there are mobs that want to kill you because they hate everything like spiders and frogs.

Each mob has a particular quirk or resource upon death that will either help you survive or kill you. Some guidelines to keep in mind:

• Frogs and spiders are evil; do not engage without a plan. Read this bullet point a thousand more times.
• Use a razor to shave Beefalo when they’re sleeping. Make sure they aren't in heat or that you have a Beefalo Hat on the ready.
• Prepare to kill Gobblers on sight. Their gluttony will strip food off of every bush so always view these creatures as the enemy.
• Only dig up a few rabbit holes if you must. Otherwise, you’ll cause a rabbit genocide.
• Catcoons will do the work for you. They kill anything they deem as prey. But they’re wasteful so you can “steal” the remnants of their kill. They won’t even mind.

Tip 10: Glommer is an Investment

The lonely Glommer flying through the midnight sky.

Glommer is a wonderful mob who will not steer you wrong. An example of his usefulness is that his poop works as a volatile fuel (more volatile than rot or manure) and as an excellent fertilizer.

To find him, locate his statue which is usually near the Pig King. When a full moon comes, a flower will spawn on the statue. Grab the flower and Glommer will appear as your willing servant and pet.

Here are some things to keep in mind when dealing with Glommer:

• Store the flower in a chest. Leaving it on the ground is just asking for something bad to happen to it.
• Protect Glommer with your life, even if it means running away. As long as you have his flower, he will follow you to the ends of the earth.
• Use his poop sparingly until you can get a decent amount. He poops once every couple of days so it will take a while until you get a decent poop supply.
• Glommer is good for Sanity. Just stand next to him and he'll chase all your fears away.

Tip 11: Carry Paranoia in Your Pocket

Every day is a bad day when a Ewecus is around.

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong in DST. Your base could be completely demolished by Deerclops or Bearger. Or you could die on the other side of the map because you became insane during Winter and you just used the last log to make a campfire (to the contrary, I did survive this circumstance; I’m not sure exactly how I did because it was brutal). And because all of your joy and progress can be wasted, always be paranoid about the possibilities that can screw you up.

• Always keep your eyes and ears open. Your character will often make a comment of an event that is about to take place. You’ll also get indicators such as snarling or the earth shaking. ALWAYS pay attention or trouble will hit you where it hurts the most.
• Have plenty of Life-Giving Amulets and/or Meat Effigies. They’re found in the Magic tab. But make sure you’re not wearing the amulet or you will drain the item.
• Know where all touch stone locations are.
• Just in case, have a second base. You really can’t be too careful

Tip 12: Don’t Waste a Second Because Winter is Coming

Luckily, Deerclops only has the lazor eye during the Winters Feast event.

Winter is a harsh season for players. On top of it being cold, food tends to get scarce, making it a day by day struggle to survive. The best thing to do when it comes to the seasons is to prepare for each one in the season prior. So you shouldn’t just be building your base in Fall, you should be preparing for Winter. Jot these details into your memory:

• Squirrel away enough food for the Winter session. Plants won’t regenerate until Spring.
• Craft a thermal stone (and a sewing kit if necessary).
• Go on the hunt for the Winter Koalefant. There will be these mounds of dirt that you'll see regularly. Uncover it and follow its trail, repeatedly uncovering more mounds of dirt until your character makes a statement that signals the ends of the Hunt. You can only spawn the Winter Koalefant during Winter by the way. But once you find him and kill him, you can wear his trunk as insulation from the cold.
• Have weapons ready for Deerclops. This monster will destroy everything that you’ve worked for and won’t feel apologetic. The good news is that he will spawn wherever you spawn. As soon as you hear heavy breathing, RUN! Then engage in the bloodiest Winter battle that you’ll ever face (until next Winter when he spawns again).
• Prepare for Spring. You’ll need a Raincoat at the bare minimum. This little coat is all that stands between you and wearing an ocean as a shirt. It’s also important to harvest as much Ice as you can since it will make a great filler for recipes such as meatballs.

Tip 13: Get Your Spring Gear Ready

Where's your raincoat, Wilson?

Nothing like rain to mess up your day. Spring can be pretty taxing on your Sanity. If you followed tip 12, you already have a Raincoat. If not, get one as soon as possible. Some other things to do during Spring:

• Stock up on any missing food supplies. Spring and Fall are the best seasons to harvest. Grab as much food as you can, especially if you're playing with one or more people.
• Watch out for the Meese-Geese. They're not hard to miss. You'll usually find them next to a pond near berry bushes.
• Craft an endothermic campfire and fire pit. You'll want to craft both because the campfire will most likely save your life if you wander from home. The endothermic fire pit is more permanent than the campfire but the campfire is just easier to make.
• Locate where the Oasis is. If you haven't found it before Spring, you'll want to find it as soon as possible. The Oasis is always in the Desert biome that does not contain the Dragonfly. In other words, you don't see any lava pits then you're near the Oasis.

Tip 14: Summer is Hell Times Infinity Cubed

You know Summer is bad when you have to wear a block of ice on your head.

If Winter is harsh, then Summer is Hell on steroids. If you followed tip 13, you should already have an endothermic fire pit in place at your camp. There aren’t too many suggestions I can give you other than persevere because the pain will end soon. Unless you are living in permanent Summer. Shudders.

• Gather fuel for the endothermic fire pit. Staying cool can be hard so make sure you have plenty of fuel.
• Craft an Ice Hat or Watermelon Hat to keep yourself cool. The items are craftable with the Alchemy Engine and are located under the Clothing tab.
• Regularly run away from base when you see the ground shaking.
• Fish in the Oasis. There’s a boss you should kill at every opportunity called the Antlion but it might take until the next Summer to kill him. For now, try to get two blueprints: one for the Fashion Goggles and one for the Desert Goggles. Then make yourself ready for battle.

Tip 15: Consider Your Endgame

Nothing like hanging around the fire pit with your friends.

Because DST doesn’t have a storyline, there isn’t a game ending. With this in mind, you could play one world in DST for a year or more. Here are some suggestions for you to decide when to end a world:

• You’ve finished creating the ultimate base or bases. There's plenty of land to conquer; claiming the entire map is a worthwhile venture.
• You’ve played every character in your world.
• You’ve beaten the ultimate bosses.
• You’re bored. This is to be expected. Sometimes a world just doesn’t have the right “oomph” anymore. Don’t hesitate to destroy the world completely so you can make a more interesting one in its place.

Obviously, there are many more need-to-know details that I’m missing in this guide. What I’ve covered only scratches the surface. But for the new players who are reading this, I hope you haven't been overwhelmed with the information I've given. Keep in mind, there are other guides out there that do cover what I’ve missed. There is also the DST wiki page which is good for knowing stats (type Don’t Starve Together wiki in the Google search bar).

But the best source for information comes from the DST forum on Steam. If you have questions, there are people who will be glad to give you tips.

You may also be interested in:

• Don't Starve Together Best Solo Characters
• [Top 10] Don't Starve Together Best Character Mods
• [Top 3] Don't Starve Together Best Armor and How to Get Them