So, you’ve taken your first steps into the unforgiving world of Don’t Starve. You’re gathering berries, crafting tools, and desperately trying to keep the darkness at bay. But what about those strange objects you stumble upon? Should you pick them up? Are they dangerous? This Don’t Starve beginners guide will help you navigate the early game and understand some of the more mysterious elements you might encounter.
Discovering Chester: Your Walking Inventory
Stumbling across a peculiar-looking object that resembles a chest with legs? You’ve found Chester! This helpful companion will follow you around, providing valuable mobile storage.
If you find something like this:
Pick it up to summon Chester. He essentially acts as a walking chest, allowing you to store extra resources and equipment on your adventures. Keep in mind that Chester can die, dropping all his contents. He will respawn after one in-game day. Protecting Chester is a worthwhile endeavor.
Touch Stones: Your Second Chance at Survival
As you explore the world, you might come across Touch Stones. These are incredibly valuable resurrection points, allowing you to cheat death once.
Upon death, you’ll be resurrected at the Touch Stone with a small amount of health and hunger. Touch Stones are especially useful in Survival mode. While they may appear in other modes, they function purely as decoration.
Venturing into the Caves: A High-Risk, High-Reward Exploration
Feeling brave? Look for rocky outcroppings on the surface. Mining these may reveal a sinkhole – an entrance to the Caves.
The Caves offer a wealth of resources and unique challenges. Be warned: darkness prevails underground, rapidly draining your sanity and attracting the attention of Charlie. You’ll encounter new creatures and resources, but also increased danger. Before diving in, remember that if you are hosting the server, you need to activate caves in the server options menu (before entering the world).
Dealing with Treeguards: Nature’s Revenge
Chopping down a lot of trees? You might attract the attention of a Treeguard. This towering creature will relentlessly pursue you.
These creatures have a high health pool and hit hard. If you have chopped down many trees and a treeguard is hunting you, a temporary solution is to planting pine cones near it, this can appease it. The best way to deal with a Treeguard is often to lead it to other mobs, such as pigs or Beefalo in heat, and let them fight it for you.
Utilizing Wormholes: Risky Teleportation
Wormholes offer a quick way to traverse the map, but they come at a cost.
Entering a Wormhole causes a significant sanity drop of 15 points. Friendly followers will travel with you, they connect two random points on the map. There’s no way to know where a Wormhole will lead until you jump in. Use them strategically, but be mindful of the sanity penalty.
Embracing the Unknown
Don’t Starve is a game about experimentation and learning. Don’t be afraid to try new things and discover the secrets of the world. While death is inevitable, each playthrough offers valuable lessons that will help you survive longer and thrive in this challenging environment. This Don’t Starve beginners guide is a starting point, but the true knowledge comes from experience. Good luck, and try not to starve!
