Don't Starve: The Board Game
Don't Starve: The Board Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Component list (printed pages 4–5).
- Rulebook (1)
- Crafting book (1)
- Unlock sheets (5)
- Activation token set (1)
- Character standee set (1)
- Character boards, with dials (4)
- Backpack boards (4)
- Round board (1)
- Map tiles (13)
- Storm marker (1)
- Needs tiles (16)
- Resource tokens (72)
- Raw Food tokens (48)
- Cooked Food tokens (36)
- Cooking Recipe tiles (6)
- Special Loot tokens (16)
- Meat Effigy token (1)
- Focus tokens (16)
- Defeated monster tokens (12)
- Personal Resource tokens (4)
- Monster tokens (78)
- Character dice (4)
- Monster dice (12)
- Acrylic Round marker standee (1)
- Acrylic Portal standee (1)
- Action dial (1)
- Base Camp board (1)
- Acrylic cubes (40)
- Scenario tuckboxes, with their dedicated components (7)
Create sets with your game character
Each character set contains the following components:
- Wilson: 1 Wilson acrylic standee, 1 Activation token, 1 Character board with dials, 1 Character card, 2 Ability cards.
- Willow: 1 Willow acrylic standee, 1 Activation token, 1 Character board with dials, 1 Character card, 2 Ability cards, 1 Personal Item card.
- Wendy: 1 Wendy acrylic standee, 1 Activation token, 1 Character board with dials, 1 Character card, 3 Ability cards, 3 Personal Item cards, 2 Personal Resources.
- Webber: 1 Webber acrylic standee, 1 Activation token, 1 Character board with dials, 1 Character card, 3 Ability cards, 2 Personal Resources.
Setup
Scenario Choice
Select a scenario and gather all of its components.
The World
- Set up the map using the layout shown on Scenario card #S00B.
- A. Place the Portal tile in the center.
- B. Gather the required number of Map tiles from each biome, as listed on the left side of the Scenario card, and shuffle them together.
- C. Place the shuffled Map tiles face down, according to the layout on the Scenario card.
- Sort the Location cards into four Biome decks according to their biome (indicated by a symbol): Woodlands, Grasslands, Drylands, and Wetlands. Shuffle each deck separately and place them face down in the Locations tray.
Seasons & Difficulty
- Place the Round board above the map.
- Place the Round marker on the symbol shown on the Round board.
Sort the Needs tiles into two stacks by difficulty: Normal and Hard. Shuffle each stack separately.
Take the Season Setup card corresponding to the season shown on Scenario card #S00A. Choose the difficulty level you want to play on: Classic, Survival, or Nightmare.
For your first game, begin with Classic difficulty. Once you are familiar with the rules, advance to Survival or Nightmare for a greater challenge.
- Place the Needs tiles according to the pattern shown on the Season Setup card for your chosen difficulty. Use tiles of the appropriate type (Normal or Hard), flipped to the correct side (day or night) as indicated. Place the Storm marker in the space between the Needs tiles shown on the Season Setup card.
- Shuffle the Weather cards for the current season to form a Weather deck. Place the deck on the indicated space. Draw and reveal 1 Weather card, placing it face up.
Return all Weather cards from other seasons to the game box. They are not used during this game.
Scenario
Follow any additional setup instructions listed on Scenario card #S00A. These may include revealing Scenario cards, placing Location cards, adding Scenario tokens to the map, or other scenario-specific elements.
Game Elements
- Choose one player to manage the Action dial. Place it within their reach and set it to 6.
- Place the Resource tray with all Resource tokens and the Monster tray with all Monster tokens within easy reach of all players.
- Place the following 3 Cooking Recipe tokens in the tray, one at a time.
If you have unlocked additional cooking recipes, you may instead choose up to 6 from the pool of all unlocked recipes.
As you progress through multiple scenarios, you will unlock additional cooking recipes. The correct combinations can greatly improve your chances of survival.
Do not overlook the 3 basic recipes—despite their simplicity, they remain highly useful throughout the game.
- Place the Crafting Book, with all Item cards, within easy reach of all players.
- Sort the Shadow Creature cards into 3 decks according to their backs. Shuffle each deck separately.
- Place all generic markers and Monster dice in a pile next to the map.
If you have not unlocked any structures, skip the next three steps.
During your first game, no structures are available. These will be unlocked gradually as you progress through the campaign (see Base Camp Stage, p. 34).
Base Camp
- Place the Base Camp board within easy reach of all players.
Place the Essence marker on the Essence track at 6.
- Choose up to 3 Structure cards, built-side up, and place them in the available slots on the Base Camp board.
Randomized Scenario Setup
Scenario cards show a recommended season and map layout. The final version of the game introduces a set of Randomized Setup cards, which allow you to play any scenario with a different Map layout and season.
- Select a scenario and draw a Randomized Setup card.
- Set up the map and season according to the Randomized Setup card, ignoring the layout and season of the original Scenario card.
- Proceed with step 3 of the setup.
Character Setup
Each player completes the following steps:
- Place a Backpack board in front of you.
- Choose a character and take all components associated with that character:
- A. Character miniature—place it on the Portal tile.
- B. Character board—set the dials (Health, Hunger, and Sanity) to their starting values (as shown on the Character card) and place the board above your Backpack board.
- C. Character-specific cards and tokens:
- Character ability cards—place them near the Backpack board.
- 1 Activation token—place it active side up in front of you.
- Personal items—take them into your hand.
- Personal recipes and personal resources—place them in your player area (you will be able to obtain or craft them during the game).
- Place 1 Character die in front of you.
- Place the number of Focus tokens shown on your Character card in the Focus slot of your Backpack board, active side up.
Once setup is complete, the game begins with the Action Phase. In the first round, the Preparation Phase is skipped.
Key Concepts
This section introduces a number of foundational ideas that are important for learning and playing the game.
Rule Priority
The rules in this rulebook form the foundation of gameplay. However, certain components may override or expand these rules with their own effects.
If a rule on a component contradicts a rule in this rulebook, the component rule takes precedence.
If multiple effects occur simultaneously, players may decide the order in which they are resolved.
Decision Making
In Don't Starve: The Board Game, players must work together to win. Whenever a game effect offers a choice or leaves something undefined (such as the placement of scenario elements), the group must make a collective decision.
If players cannot reach an agreement, the active player (the one who initiated the action or effect) makes the final call.
If there is no active player—for example, outside the Action Phase—the player responsible for the Action dial makes the final call.
Winning and Losing
Each game of Don't Starve: The Board Game is played as a scenario with its own objectives and conditions for victory or defeat.
Winning: You win the scenario if the Scenario card explicitly states that you have won.
Losing: You lose the scenario if any of the following occur:
- One or more characters are defeated and there are not enough Meat Effigy tokens to revive them (see Character Revival, p. 35).
- No rounds remain to play (i.e., the last Needs tile has been discarded from the Round board).
- The Scenario card explicitly states that you have lost.
Notation and Clarifications
Each game of Don't Starve: The Board Game is played as a scenario with its own objectives and conditions for victory or defeat.
- The exclamation-mark symbol highlights an important rule or exception that players should not overlook.
- The gear symbol indicates a note—a clarification or rule detail. In some cases, the symbol will be replaced by the symbol of the component or effect it refers to.
- The survival-tip symbol indicates a survival tip—advice that helps players better understand survival strategies and make effective decisions.
Tracks
Some cards—such as Scenario cards or Ability cards—use tracks to monitor progress or state changes during the game. When a card with a track enters play, place a generic marker on the designated space:
- If a space shows a cube symbol, place the marker directly on that space.
- If a space shows a player count symbol, place the marker on the space that matches the current number of players.
Each marker placed this way is referred to by the name of its track (e.g., a generic marker on the Darkness track is called the Darkness marker).
Some track spaces may include symbols or effects. When a cube enters such a space, immediately resolve any related card effects.
Example: In a 2-player game, place a generic marker on the "2+ players" space of the Darkness track. That marker is now referred to as the Darkness marker. When the Darkness marker enters the symbol-marked space, resolve the effect on all cards showing that symbol.
Limits
Component Limits: The supply and Crafting Book contain a limited number of components. If you are instructed to gain a component and none are available, take only what is available.
Players may freely discard components from their backpack or hand to return them to the supply or Crafting Book—either to make space or to allow another player to gain that component.
Inventory Limits: You may store up to 10 Resource tokens in your backpack and hold up to 8 Item cards in your hand.
If your backpack is full when you gain a resource, you must discard either the newly gained resource or one already in your backpack.
Likewise, if you exceed the hand limit, you must discard either the newly gained item or one already in your hand.
Round Structure
Each game of Don't Starve: The Board Game takes place over a series of up to 6 rounds.
Each round is divided into 6 phases, resolved in order. The top of the Round board shows a track that displays the current phase and serves as a reminder of the round structure. After completing a phase, move the Round marker to the next space on the track. When the final phase is resolved, return the marker to the first space and begin a new round.
- Preparation Phase: Prepare for the next round by resolving any effects that occur between rounds.
- Action Phase: Take turns to perform actions and free actions. This is the main phase of the game.
- Shadow Phase: Resolve the effects of all revealed shadow creatures.
- Needs Phase: Fulfill Light, Hunger, and Sanity requirements.
- Weather Phase: Resolve the effects of the revealed Weather card.
- Scenario Phase: Resolve scenario-specific effects.
Needs Tile
Needs tiles track the number of rounds, indicate whether it is day or night, and show the specific needs that must be met in the Needs Phase of that round.
Each round takes place during either day or night, as shown at the top of the leftmost Needs tile. Some rules and effects only apply at a specific time of day.
- Day Round: indicated by the day symbol.
- Night Round: indicated by the night symbol.
- Needs: the required Light, Hunger, and Sanity for each character during the Needs Phase.
Treat each Needs tile as a forecast of upcoming requirements. Anticipate what you will need and plan ahead. Needs are mandatory survival thresholds. Failing to meet them results in severe consequences. Do not underestimate the Light requirement at night. Among all needs, lack of Light during night rounds is the most unforgiving.
Difficulty
Needs tiles come in two types: Normal and Hard. The Season Setup card offers three difficulty modes. Classic uses only Normal tiles, while Survival and Nightmare add an increasing number of Hard tiles (see Season & Difficulty, p. 6).
Preparation Phase
Resolve the following steps in order:
- Draw a Weather card.
- Discard the current Weather card.
- Draw the top card from the Weather deck for the current season and place it face up above the Round board. It shows the needs and events for the upcoming Weather Phase.
- Refresh Activation tokens. Flip all Activation tokens to their active side.
- Refresh Focus.
- Each character finds the highest Focus threshold symbol that is equal to or below their current Hunger value.
- For each Focus token symbol, flip 1 inactive Focus token to its active side. If you have no inactive Focus tokens, you cannot refresh them.
Example: The image shows Wendy's Hunger track on her dial.
- A. If her Hunger is 6 or higher, she refreshes 2 Focus tokens.
- B. If her Hunger is between 2 and 5, she refreshes 1 Focus token.
- C. If her Hunger is at 0 or 1, she does not refresh any Focus tokens.
- Resolve character abilities. Resolve any character abilities marked with the Preparation Phase symbol (see Character Abilities, p. 18). Each player resolves their own ability, and all players do so simultaneously.
Example: In the Preparation Phase, two players resolve their character abilities. Both Wilson and Wendy have abilities that are resolved in this step:
- Abigail (Wendy's ability) regains 2 Health. She is currently at 4 out of 5 Health, so she regains only 1 Health.
- Wilson moves his Beard marker 1 space to the right.
Complete the Preparation Phase
- Remove the leftmost Needs tile from the Round board. This marks the passage of time.
If the removed tile was the last Needs tile, you lose the game (see Winning and Losing, p. 9).
Finally, if any characters are defeated, resolve their revival (see Character Revival, p. 35).
Skip the entire Preparation Phase during the first round of the game.
Action Phase
At the start of the Action Phase, check whether the current round is day or night (as shown on the leftmost Needs tile). Then flip the Action dial to the matching side and set it to 6.
Taking Turns
Choose an active character to take their turn. An active character is one whose Activation token is on the active side and who has not yet taken a turn this round.
On their turn, the chosen character may first perform an optional Move action and then perform one action of their choice. Each turn always follows this order: an optional Move action, followed by one chosen action.
Actions
The actions listed below are described in detail later in the rulebook.
- Move (p. 28)
- Explore (p. 28)
- Interact (p. 29)
- Fight (p. 30)
- Trade (p. 33)
This symbol marks other actions. You may find these on Ability cards, structures, scenario-dependent elements, or other game components.
Free Actions
Characters may perform any number of free actions at any time during the Action Phase—before, after, or between other actions. They may even do so outside of their own turn, as long as they do not interrupt another player's action.
The following free actions are always available to all characters.
- Cook (p. 20)
- Process Resources (p. 20)
- Craft (p. 21)
This symbol marks other free actions. You may find these on Ability cards, scenario-dependent elements, or other game components.
Example: Wendy begins her turn by performing a free Move action to reach the Map tile where Wilson is (A). She then performs the Explore action (B).
Wendy's turn ends, and she flips her Activation token to the inactive side.
Since Wilson has not yet taken his turn, he goes next. He chooses to skip the optional Move action, then performs a Trade action to exchange items with Wendy.
Although it is Wilson's turn, Wendy now wants to cook using the resources she just received. She may do so, because cooking is a free action and can be performed outside of her own turn.
Wilson then ends his turn by flipping his Activation token to the inactive side.
At this point, all characters are inactive. The players reduce the value on the Action track by 1, flip all Activation tokens to the active side. All characters are now ready for another turn.
Ending a Turn
After finishing their turn, the character flips their Activation token to the inactive side. Then:
- A. If there are still active characters, choose one to take their turn as described above.
- B. If all characters are inactive, reduce the value on the Action track by 1. Then check the tracker:
- If the number is 1 or more, all characters flip their tokens to the ready side and perform actions again.
- If the number is 0, proceed to the Shadow Phase.
Shadow Phase
Each character resolves the effects of all revealed shadow creatures placed beside their Character board, from top to bottom.
If an effect requires rolling a Monster die, apply the result using the values shown on the bottom most shadow creature.
During this phase, characters may use items or consume food to meet needs or prevent negative effects. The use of items must be declared before any dice are rolled.
To understand the Shadow Phase, first review how shadow creatures appear and how they are dealt with. Refer to rules on Sanity (see Stats, p. 17) and the Fight action (see Fight, p. 30). Once you are familiar with those sections, return here to see how the mechanics work together.
Example: Wilson has 0 Sanity, so 3 shadow creatures are placed beside his Character board. During the Shadow Phase, their effects are resolved from top to bottom:
- Wilson loses 1 Sanity, because the current round is night (A).
- He must roll 2 Monster dice. He may use items to block damage, but chooses not to. He then rolls 2 Monster dice (B).
- For each hit rolled, Wilson takes 3 damage. For each Ability symbol rolled, he takes 2 damage (C).
Daily Needs Phase
Each character resolves the daily needs for the current round, as shown on the leftmost Needs tile.
Light
Each character checks whether the total Light value on their current Map tile is equal to or greater than the required Light.
To determine this, add up all Light sources on that tile: used items, spent resources, activated structures, and any other applicable effects.
Unlike other needs, Light is not resolved individually. If multiple characters are on the same Map tile, they may combine their light sources to meet the required amount together. A single character may also provide enough Light for all others on that tile.
If the total Light is less than required, the character loses 5 Health for each missing point of Light. This Health loss cannot be prevented by any means.
Hunger
Each character reduces Hunger (see Stats, p. 17) by the amount shown next to the Hunger symbol.
Sanity
Each character reduces Sanity (see Stats, p. 17) by the amount shown next to the Sanity symbol.
At any time during this Phase, characters may use items, spend resources, or consume food to generate Light and prevent Hunger or Sanity loss.
Effects from food, resources, and items apply to the entire phase, not just to a single need.
If the food consumed restores both Hunger and Sanity, it prevents the loss of both.
Weather Phase
Resolve the following steps in the indicated order:
- Weather Event. Resolve the weather event. The event may influence, or be influenced by, weather needs.
- Weather Needs. Each character resolves weather needs separately.
- If the current Needs tile is to the left of the Storm marker, only the symbols to the left of the Storm marker apply.
- If the current Needs tile is to the right of the Storm marker, all symbols apply.
Storm Marker: The Storm marker indicates the current position of a seasonal storm. Its placement determines which Weather symbols are active. Once the Storm marker has been passed, rounds become significantly more demanding in terms of unprevented weather effects.
Characters may use items or consume food to prevent the effects of Weather symbols. Any item or food used this way applies to the entire phase.
Count all unprevented Weather symbols (A). For each type of symbol, increase its multiplier (B) by the number of unprevented symbols. Then apply the negative effect (C) once for each point of that multiplier.
Example: Webber is resolving his weather needs. The Storm marker has already been passed, so there are more Weather symbols to resolve than earlier in the season. He uses an item to prevent 1 Weather symbol, but has no way to prevent the remaining 2. These are treated as unprevented. With 2 unprevented symbols, the weather effect is applied with a multiplier of ×3. As a result, Webber loses 3 Health and 3 Hunger.
- World Events. Resolve all world events (if any), from top to bottom.
- Spoil All: Each player applies the spoilage effect to all raw food and all items with a durability (see Spoilage, p. 23).
- Regrowth: On each revealed Map tile with a Location card, move the Exploitation marker to the regrowth slot of its Exploitation track.
- Monster Spawn: Discard every Defeated monster token from the map.
Scenario Phase
Resolve the scenario event on each revealed Scenario card. Then begin the next round, starting with the Preparation Phase.
If a scenario event appears on multiple cards, you may choose the order in which to resolve them.
Dice
Character Die
The Character die adds a random element to actions. It determines the exact rewards gained when interacting, and whether items are damaged during use.
Roll the Character die whenever you perform an Interact or Fight action, when you use an item, or when resolving any other effect that instructs you to roll it.
- Value: Represents a numerical result from 1 to 5.
- Daylight symbol: During day rounds, you may choose any value from 0 to 5 (do not rotate the die). During night rounds, this result counts as 0.
- Success: Grants 1 success. The Success symbol is resolved only during a Fight action (see Fight, p. 30).
- Durability: Indicates whether a used item becomes damaged. The Durability symbol on the Character die is resolved only when using items (see Using Items, p. 21).
Monster Dice
Roll Monster dice whenever you perform a Fight action or when Hostility is triggered.
- Ability: Rolling the Ability symbol might trigger the ability of the monster you are fighting, depending on the number of symbols rolled and the effect described on its card or token.
- Evade: Each evade cancels one success. At least one success is required to win a Fight (see Fight, p. 30). The Evade symbol is resolved only during a Fight action.
- Hit: For each hit, take damage equal to the monster's damage value.
- Durability: Indicates whether the armor used becomes damaged (see Durability Check, p. 22). The Durability symbol on Monster dice is resolved only when using armor.
When resolving the following result, the player who rolled the die chooses one effect to apply.
Remember that some symbols on the Character die and Monster dice—such as the Evade symbol—apply only during certain actions. Always refer to the description of the action being taken to determine which results are resolved.
Rolling Dice
If an action or effect requires you to roll 2 or more dice, you must roll all of them simultaneously.
First, gather the entire dice pool, including all Character and Monster dice required for the roll. Then roll the entire pool at once.
In fights with more than one character (see Joining Combat, p. 30), the phrase "entire dice pool" refers only to the dice assigned to you.
You may reroll results by spending Focus (see Focus, p. 18).
Characters
Each character in Don't Starve carries a hidden tragedy—whether a genius undone by pride or an innocent dragged into the cruel game of shadows.
Stats
Stats track vital aspects of each character: Health, Hunger, and Sanity. They are constantly affected by actions, events, and the environment. These values cannot exceed their limit—any excess is lost.
- Health: You lose 1 Health for each point of damage taken. When you lose all Health, you are defeated—you must remove your miniature from the map.
If a character is defeated while performing an action, they still resolve all the effects of that action.
A defeated character can be revived—for details, see Character Revival, p. 35.
- Hunger: Managing Hunger is vital to survival and determines how many Focus tokens you refresh during the Preparation Phase. The number of tokens refreshed depends on your current Hunger value compared to the Focus thresholds on your Character board.
If you lose Hunger while already at 0, lose 2 Health for each point of Hunger you would have lost.
Unlike in real life, losing Hunger is a negative effect, and gaining Hunger is a positive effect.
- Sanity: Sanity determines how many shadow creatures haunt you. As your Sanity drops below certain thresholds, reveal shadow creatures beside your Character board. If none are already present, take one from the supply. These appear in order—first Tier 1, then Tier 2, then Tier 3—and introduce new effects that activate during the Shadow Phase (see Shadow Creatures Card, p. 27).
If your Sanity increases and you move above a threshold, cover the corresponding shadow creature and set it aside next to your board. Do not return it to the supply—once revealed, that shadow creature is yours for the rest of the scenario.
If you lose Sanity while already at 0, nothing happens—additional Sanity loss has no effect.
Losing and Regaining Stats
Throughout the game, characters regularly lose—and occasionally regain—their core stats: Health, Hunger, and Sanity. The loss and gain of these stats are represented using the following symbols:
- Increase the specified stat by the indicated amount.
- Decrease the specified stat by the indicated amount.
- If a symbol is shown without a numerical value, it always indicates a change of exactly 1.
Items, resources, and food that restore stats may also be used to prevent their loss.
Example: Consider Willow's Sanity track on her Action dial.
- When her Sanity drops to 3 for the first time, she must take a Tier 1 shadow creature from the supply and place it beside her Character board.
- When her Sanity reaches 2, she must add a Tier 2 shadow creature.
- Finally, at 0 Sanity, she adds a Tier 3 shadow creature.
Example: Wendy currently has 2 Health and 2 Hunger. Needs require her to lose 3 Hunger. Since she cannot lose more Hunger than she has, the extra point of Hunger loss would instead cause her to lose 2 Health, which would defeat her. Wendy decides to consume a Fruit to reduce her Hunger loss by 1. She discards the Fruit token, and her Hunger is now 0.
Focus
Focus is an ability available to all characters, though the number of Focus tokens each character has may vary.
Focus allows you to reroll dice—you may flip an active Focus token to the inactive side to reroll any number of any dice (Character and/or Monster), once.
Focus is refreshed in the Preparation Phase, depending on your Hunger level.
Spending and Refreshing Focus
Focus can be spent or refreshed not only during the Preparation Phase, but also through various other effects.
Whenever an effect allows you to refresh or spend Focus, it will be marked with one of the following symbols:
- Refresh: Flip the indicated number of inactive Focus tokens to their active side. If no value is shown, flip 1 inactive token.
- Spend: Flip the indicated number of active Focus tokens to their inactive side. If no value is shown, flip 1 active token.
You may use Focus whenever a game effect requires you to roll. You may use it multiple times during one roll, and you may reroll dice that have already been rerolled.
Character Abilities
Each character has unique abilities, represented by their Ability cards. These cards may grant a variety of effects and always take precedence over the basic rules.
Passive effects are ongoing effects that modify the rules of the game and must always be applied to the character they belong to. Some passive effects are active continuously, while others apply only during specific phases or actions.
Example: At any point in the game, Spiders (normally hostile monsters) are treated as neutral toward Webber. Pigs (normally neutral) are treated as hostile towards Webber.
Ability Track
Some Ability cards include a track. When such an ability enters play (usually during setup), place an Ability marker on the slot marked with a cube symbol.
The first slot of the Ability track is always marked with that ability's symbol.
Since each Ability track is represented by a different symbol, the following example uses Wilson's Beard Length track to demonstrate how tracks work:
- When you gain 1 Beard, move the Ability marker 1 space to the right.
- When you spend 1 Beard, move the Ability marker 1 space to the left.
The marker cannot move beyond the final slot of the track unless an effect specifically allows it.
Some effects instruct you to place the marker on a specific space. When this occurs, move the Ability marker directly to the indicated space on the track, rather than adjusting it step by step.
Example: Webber's Silky Beard ability is first checked during the Preparation Phase. He gains 1 Beard and moves the Ability marker 1 space to the right. At this point, his Silky Beard Length track is maxed out. If only Webber had an axe, he could use his free action to spend all Beard and regain 2 Meat and 2 of his personal resource.
Each character has unique traits and mechanics that require careful attention. Always review your chosen character's abilities before beginning the game.
Inventory
Resources
Most square-shaped tokens are considered resources.
Resources are stored in your backpack, which has 10 slots. You may hold a maximum of 10 resources at any time—one per slot.
There are several types of resources, each distinguished by color. Different types may be used for actions, crafting recipes, or effects, as specified on Location cards, items, and other components.
Some resources are marked with two colors. These belong to two categories.
Resource token anatomy:
-
Substitute: this resource may be spent in place of one of the listed resources.
-
Resource symbol: the icon representing the resource.
-
Resource type: the color coding that indicates the resource's category.
-
Resource effect: an effect that can be triggered by spending this resource.
-
Basic Resources: Common goods found throughout the game. You can gain them by scavenging, exploring Locations, or fighting Monsters. Basic Resources are primarily used to craft Items.
-
Raw Food: A consumable Resource. It can be discarded to apply its effect. Raw Food is primarily used to cook Cooked Food. Raw Food is vulnerable to the Spoil effect.
-
Cooked Food: A consumable Resource. Typically obtained by cooking Raw Food. Cooked Food provides greater benefits when discarded and is not affected by the Spoil.
-
Trophies: Typically obtained by defeating Monsters. When you obtain a trophy, take the Monster token and flip it to the back. Trophies are primarily used to craft Items and can be considered a different type of Resource (e.g., Raw Food)—this is indicated by the grain on the token.
-
Personal Resources: Some Characters have unique Resources associated with them (e.g., Wendy's Mourning Glory). The method for gaining these Resources and their effects is usually described on the Character's Ability card.
Gaining and Spending Resources
- Gain symbol: Indicates that you receive 1 resource—take it from the supply and place it in your backpack.
- Spend symbol: Means you must pay 1 resource—remove it from your backpack and return it to the supply, placing it at the back of its tray slot.
Substitutes
Some resources can be used as replacements for other resources when cooking, crafting, or performing other actions.
Certain resources may have more than one substitute option to choose from.
Graves and Adventurers
Graves and Adventurers are not resources, though they share the same token shape. They are not placed in your backpack. Instead, they indicate a one-time reward, which may be a resource or an item.
When you gain a Grave or Adventurer token, immediately flip it to the other side, gain the reward shown, and then discard the token.
- If the reward side of the token contains the Durability symbol, the item reward is damaged (see Durability Check, p. 22).
- The X symbol indicates that the token must be discarded immediately after resolving its effect. Place the discarded token at the back of its tray slot.
Processing Resources
Processing resources is a free action that allows you to process certain resources into other resources by using specific items. Processing resources of the same kind may yield different results. You cannot peek at the other side of a Resource token before processing the resource, and the process cannot be reversed.
When you perform the free Process action, follow these steps:
- Choose resources. Select any number of resource tokens that require the same tool to be processed (e.g., Torch).
- Make a durability check. Roll the Character die to see whether the item used for processing gets damaged (see Using Items, p. 21).
- Flip resources. Flip the Resource tokens of all processed resources to the other side and place them back in your backpack.
Example: During the game, Webber gains an Adventurer token. He immediately flips it to the other side and checks the reward—it is a Shovel. Webber takes the corresponding Shovel Item card from the supply. However, the token also shows a Durability symbol, so he flips the Shovel card to its damaged side. Finally, the Adventurer token is returned to the supply, placed at the back of its tray slot.
Example: Wilson has 2 Logs and a Torch. As a free action, he decides to use the Torch to process the 2 Logs. He uses the required item and rolls a Character die for the durability check (see Using Items, p. 21). He then flips the processed Log tokens to the other side—they become charcoal.
Cooking
Cooking is a free action that allows you to turn resources into cooked food, improving both the effects and durability of what you eat.
To cook food, spend the resources shown on one of the two options listed on the Cooking Recipe token. Then take the matching Cooked Food token and place it in your backpack.
Consuming Food
You may consume food at any time in the game, during any phase.
Food may also be used preemptively to reduce or avoid the impact of negative effects, such as Stat loss.
You may consume raw food during the Weather Phase to avoid losing it to the spoilage effect.
Items
Items are represented by cards kept either in the Crafting Book or in your hand. You may not hold more than 8 items in your hand at any time.
Items are divided into categories, distinguished by color:
- Armor: Used to reduce the damage received from hits. The number of hits blocked and the amount of damage reduction are shown on the armor's Item card.
- Weapons: Increase a character's combat value, reducing the number of Monster dice rolled during combat. This improves the chance of defeating monsters and minimizes damage taken.
- Tools: Required for specific Interact actions. Tools allow characters to efficiently gather resources, food, or even unique loot.
- Survival Items: A diverse group that helps characters endure harsh weather, provide light sources, or improve efficiency when performing certain actions.
- Personal Items: Unique to each character, often reflecting their abilities or playstyle.
Gain, Use and Discard an Item
- Gain: Take the indicated item from the Crafting Book and add it to your hand.
- Use: Make use of the indicated item (see below for full rules).
- Discard: Return the item to the Crafting Book.
Each item grants access to materials that may otherwise be unobtainable. Some resources, such as Rocks, are very difficult to collect without proper equipment like a Pickaxe. Plan ahead—preparation is far more reliable than improvisation.
Crafting
Crafting is a free action that allows you to gain new Items, helping you prepare for upcoming challenges and improve your effectiveness in the world.
To craft an item, spend the resources (and sometimes items) listed in its crafting cost, then take the corresponding Item card from the Crafting Book and add it to your hand.
Using Items
Making use of items is one of the game's core mechanics, helping characters gain advantages, avoid danger, and interact more effectively with the world.
Unless stated otherwise, item effects apply only to the character who makes use of the item.
Whenever an effect allows or instructs you to use items, you may use a maximum of 1 item of each type (Hand, Chest, Head), plus any number of items without a type.
You use an item whenever you apply its effect, resolve its ability, or interact with a game element that includes the "Use an item" symbol (see Gain, Use, and Discard Items, on this page).
After each use of an item with a Durability symbol, it is mandatory to check its durability.
Item card anatomy: item type, item symbol, item effect, item ability (e.g., "May be used as..."), durability and item status, and crafting cost.
Durability Check
A durability check is performed only for items with the Character die durability symbol and the Monster die durability symbol.
- If an item has a symbol showing that it is discarded after use (the X symbol), discard it afterward.
If a durability check is triggered by an action (or an effect) that already required a roll, do not roll again. Instead, use the Durability symbols from that roll to resolve the check.
If no roll was made, roll a Character die to resolve the check.
Durability is checked only after all modifications (such as Focus rerolls) have been applied.
To perform a durability check:
- Character die: If you rolled a Character die as part of the action, count the number of Durability symbols. If no Character die was rolled, roll one now. If the number of Durability symbols is equal to or greater than the item's durability, the item gets damaged (see below).
- Monster dice: If Monster dice were rolled, check the number of Durability symbols on each. Choose the die with the highest number of Durability symbols. If this number is equal to or greater than the item's durability, the item gets damaged (see below).
If more than one Item with the same durability type was used for the same roll, apply the same number of symbols to all of them.
Example: During the Weather Phase, Willow resolves all weather effects while wearing a Straw Hat. Because resolving weather does not normally involve rolling dice, she must perform a durability check to see if the hat gets damaged. She rolls 1 Character die and looks only at the Durability symbols. The die shows 2 Durability symbols, which exceeds the Straw Hat's durability.
In desperation, Willow spends her last Focus token to reroll. This time, the die shows 1 Durability symbol, which still causes the Straw Hat to get damaged.
Unable to reroll again, Willow flips the item card to its damaged side.
Damaging Items
- If an item gets damaged for the first time, flip its card to the damaged side.
- If the item gets damaged for the second time (i.e., it is already on the damaged side), discard it and return it to the Crafting Book.
An item cannot be damaged more than once per use.
Don't be afraid to use your items. An item with durability has two sides, so it's not lost the first time it gets damaged.
Other Types of Durability
Items with spoilage durability (marked with the spoilage symbol) are not damaged by a durability check.
- The item gets damaged only if you must apply the spoilage effect (from a world event, unprevented weather, or a shadow creature effect).
Spoilage
On Resources
Only raw food is vulnerable to spoilage.
For each applied spoilage symbol, choose one Raw Food token and return it to the supply. If you have fewer Raw Food tokens than the spoilage value, discard as many as you can.
Remember that you may consume food before resolving the spoilage effect.
On Items
Only items with spoilage durability are vulnerable to spoilage.
For each applied spoilage symbol, choose one such item and flip its token to the damaged side.
Some resources (and other effects in the game) may prevent resources and items from spoiling. Effects with the spoilage-negation symbol negate one spoilage effect.
Example: Using the Snowstorm weather card: 2 unprevented Wetness symbols trigger 3 spoilage effects. This means a total of 3 components (food and/or items) must be affected. Wilson has 1 Raw Meat in his inventory and a Pretty Parasol in his hand. He discards the Raw Meat and damages the Pretty Parasol (it has spoilage durability). One spoilage effect remains, but there are no valid targets left—the Pretty Parasol cannot be damaged twice during a single instance.
The World
The world of Don't Starve is a twisted wilderness where nature conspires with ancient shadows, turning survival into a cruel experiment of hunger, madness, and darkness.
This chapter describes the world you must survive in—its environments, biomes, the monsters that inhabit them, and your Base Camp—and explains how each of these elements function in the game.
Map Tiles
Map tiles form the world you explore. The set includes multiple Map tiles from various biomes and one unique Portal tile.
Biomes
Each Map tile represents a biome that can be explored during play.
The base game features four biomes: Woodlands, Grasslands, Drylands, and Wetlands. Each one contains its own locations, resource types, and monsters.
Map tile anatomy:
- Location card slot: the space where the Location card for that tile is placed.
- Biome: the biome symbol shown on the tile.
- Exploitation track: consists of a Regrowth slot, a Starting slot, and an Exploited slot.
Portal Tile
The Portal tile is unique: it does not belong to any biome, has no Biome deck, and no Exploitation track.
Instead, characters on the Portal tile interact with the Base Camp board and any structures built there.
The Portal tile still includes a space for a Location card, but this space is reserved for scenario-related cards.
Building structures requires advancing in the game's unlock system, explained in detail on page 34.
Base Camp Board
During setup, players may place up to 3 structures in the available slots on the Base Camp board.
These structures must be chosen from the player's pool of constructed structures (see Base Camp Stage, p. 34).
Base Camp board anatomy: structure slots, and the Essence track (numbered 0 to 6).
Any actions or effects provided by structures, as well as the free Base Camp action, may only be performed by a character on the Portal tile.
Structures
Structures provide characters with additional interactions and effects, some of which trigger during specific phases (e.g., the Weather Phase).
- During the Action Phase, you may interact with structures by performing an Interact action on the Portal tile.
- Effects that trigger during specific phases are marked with symbols corresponding to those phases. They may be used only if at least one character is on the Portal tile.
The cost of an effect must be paid each time the structure is used.
Essence
Each structure has an associated Essence cost. If a character cannot pay the required Essence, the structure's effect cannot be resolved.
While on the Portal tile, a character may perform the following free action to gain Essence:
- Spend 1 Meat to gain 3 Essence.
Location Cards
Location cards are sorted into biome decks, each linked to a specific biome in the game.
A location card is drawn by performing the Explore action (see Explore, p. 28).
Location card anatomy:
- Biome: the biome symbol.
- Exploration bonus: (for the Explore action, see p. 26).
- Monster section: (see Fight action, p. 28 and Hostility, p. 25).
- Interact section: (see Interact action, p. 27).
Each Location card has an illustration on its back that hints at what may be found in its biome. Pay attention to these clues when planning your next move.
Page references in this section are as printed in the source.
Monsters
In the world of the game, monsters are a constant threat. They are most often encountered on Location cards.
Monster card anatomy:
- Damage value: Indicates how much damage you take from a single hit. Lose 1 Health for each point of damage.
- Monster combat value: Indicates how many Monster dice you must roll during a fight (see Fight, p. 30). The background color of the combat value shows the monster's behavior:
- Red – Hostile (see Hostility, p. 27).
- Black – Neutral.
- Monster ability: Some monsters have unique effects that trigger under certain conditions, such as:
- Rolling a specific number of Ability symbols on Monster dice.
- Season-based or round-type-specific effects.
- Reward bar: Shows the rewards gained after a fight:
- The top value applies if you win.
- The bottom value applies if you lose.
Monsters may also appear as Scenario tokens or as shadow creatures.
Scenario token monster anatomy: A. Monster combat value; B. Damage value; C. Monster ability; D. Reward bar.
Scenario monsters are unique to specific scenarios and appear only when a Scenario card explicitly instructs you to use them. They are not part of the standard monster pool.
Shadow Creature Cards
Shadow creatures come in three tiers, each presenting a greater threat to the character.
- Tier 1: These creatures rarely pose a direct threat to survival, but can significantly disrupt your plans. Shadow creature cards show a Shadow Phase effect (triggered in the Shadow Phase, p. 13).
- Tier 2: These creatures attack the character during the Shadow Phase, but can also be targeted and defeated in combat.
- Tier 3: These creatures have no dedicated Shadow Phase effect. Instead, they feature a monster ability, which is triggered by Ability symbols on Monster dice.
Shadow creature cards show a monster combat value, a damage value, a Shadow Phase effect or monster ability, and a reward bar.
Shadow creatures are a real and escalating threat. They attack immediately after the Action Phase—often when you have no Focus left for rerolls. With careful timing and preparation, however, they can be managed.
Defeating a shadow creature does not remove it permanently, but it rewards you with Nightmare Fuel and may restore some Sanity.
You can temporarily banish a shadow creature by raising your Sanity above the threshold that caused it to appear. If your Sanity later drops below that threshold, the same creature will return.
Hostility
Hostility represents a monster's aggressive behavior toward characters.
If a character is on a map tile with a hostile monster, when performing an Interact action, or after the Explore action, they trigger Hostility.
When this happens, add 1 Monster die to the dice pool. If the action does not involve a Character die, roll only the Monster die.
When resolving Hostility, follow these rules:
- If the triggering action involves other dice (such as the Character die), roll all dice simultaneously. Before rolling, you may use items to help prevent or reduce possible effects.
- Always prioritize hostile scenario-related Monster tokens on the Map tile. If none are present, resolve Hostility using the monster shown on the Location card.
Actions
Move
The Move action allows a character to move their miniature between Map tiles. This action can be performed from any Map tile.
To perform a Move action:
- Choose an adjacent Map tile.
- If the tile is unrevealed, reveal it.
- Place the character's miniature on the chosen tile.
Example: Willow decides to move to an adjacent, unrevealed Map tile. She flips the tile to reveal it, then places her miniature on the newly revealed tile.
Adjacency
Two Map tiles are considered adjacent to each other if they share at least half of an edge. Tiles that touch only at the corners are not adjacent.
Explore
The Explore action lets you reveal a new Location card, which comes with a refreshed Exploitation track and may provide new Interact actions and monsters. You may perform this action on any Map tile except the Portal tile.
To perform an Explore action:
- If a Location card is already revealed on the current Map tile, discard it (this happens only if the tile was previously explored).
- Draw a Location card from the top or bottom of the Biome deck that matches the current Map tile's biome (see Biomes, p. 25). If you draw from the bottom, take the card without looking at its name or effect beforehand.
If the Biome deck is empty, shuffle its discard pile to form a new deck, then draw from the top or bottom.
- Gain the exploration reward shown on the back of the card.
- Reveal the card and place it face up in the location slot of the current Map tile.
- If a hostile monster is present on your Map tile, trigger Hostility (see Hostility, p. 27).
- Move the Exploitation marker to the starting symbol. If none is present, add one to the tile.
Example: Wilson performs the Explore action and reveals a card with a Tallbird. He gains the exploration reward (A). Because the monster is hostile (B), Wilson must roll 1 Monster die (C). With no Focus left, Wilson cannot reroll and takes 3 damage. Because he has only 2 Health, he is defeated. However, he still keeps the exploration reward and sets the Exploitation marker to the starting symbol.
Interact
The Interact action allows a character to engage with elements on their Map tile to gain resources, food, trophies, or trigger other effects.
If a hostile monster is present on your Map tile, the Interact action triggers Hostility.
In the core game, there are 3 types of elements you can interact with:
- Location cards
- Structure cards
- Scenario cards
The following rules apply to the Interact action.
Aggressive Monsters
Interactions marked with the aggressive monster symbol trigger Hostility, even if the monster on the Map tile or Location card is neutral.
Interacting With Location Cards
You may interact with a Location card only if the Exploitation marker is not on the exploited space of the Exploitation track.
To interact with a Location card, follow these steps:
- Choose one of the available interaction options.
- Move the Exploitation marker 1 space toward the exploited symbol. If the chosen interaction requires a roll, resolve it by rolling a Character die.
- If there is an undefeated hostile monster on the current Map tile, add 1 Monster die to the pool before rolling.
The result on the Character die determines the rewards gained from this interaction. When resolving a roll, the character receives every reward listed for the number ranges that include the rolled result. Rewards with no range are gained automatically, regardless of the roll.
If an item was used to fulfill the requirements, make a durability check using the Durability symbols from the already rolled Character die.
If a Monster die was rolled, apply its effect.
Requirements
To choose an interaction, you must meet all of its requirements. If requirements are separated by a slash (/), you must meet all conditions on one side only.
Possible requirements include:
- Have the depicted item. Use the item and make a durability check.
- Have any weapon item. Use the item and make a durability check.
- A defeated monster token is present on the current location. Discard the token.
- Reduce the depicted stat by 1.
- No Defeated Monster token may be present on the current location.
Example: To resolve the marked interaction option, Wilson must have a Hammer or a Shovel. He has a Shovel, so the requirement is fulfilled. First, he moves the Exploitation marker 1 space toward the exploited symbol on the Exploitation track. Next, he gathers his dice: 1 Character die, plus 1 Monster die because the interaction option has the aggressive monster symbol. He rolls the dice. With no Focus left, he must accept the result as rolled.
The 4 on his Character die grants him a Morsel token and a Moleworm token as a reward. Unfortunately, the die also shows 2 Durability symbols, which equal the Shovel's durability—so the Shovel is damaged.
The symbol on the Monster die also matches the monster's ability. Wilson must resolve this ability by discarding one of his resources. He chooses to discard the freshly gained Morsel token.
Interacting With Scenario Location Cards
To interact with a Scenario card, follow these steps:
- Choose one interaction option (see Scenarios, p. 37).
- Resolve its effect. If applicable, trigger Hostility (see Hostility, p. 27).
Interacting With Structure Cards
You can interact with structures only if your character is on the Portal tile. To interact with a structure, follow these steps:
- Choose one structure on the Base Camp board (see Base Camp Stage, p. 34).
- Spend the required Essence by moving the Essence marker down 1 slot for each Essence spent (see Essence, p. 26).
- Resolve the structure's effect. If there is a hostile monster on the Portal tile, trigger Hostility (see Hostility, p. 27).
Fight
The Fight action allows a character to engage a monster or shadow creature in combat, either to defeat it and claim rewards or to avoid negative effects.
To perform a Fight action, first declare your target. You may fight one of the following:
- A location monster
- A scenario monster
- A shadow creature that haunts you
To fight a scenario monster or a location monster, a character must be on the same Map tile as the monster. Shadow creatures, however, follow the character wherever they go—so they can be fought from any location on the map.
Joining Combat
Combat does not have to be faced alone.
If there are non-exhausted characters on adjacent Map tiles, they may choose to join the fight.
To do so, they must immediately flip their Activation token to the inactive side and move onto the Map tile where the fight is taking place.
By joining combat this way, they forfeit both their free Move and their main action for the turn.
Joining is optional, but can greatly improve the group's chances in tougher battles.
Characters cannot join each other in fights against shadow creatures. Each character must face their own shadow creatures alone.
Fight Resolution
After choosing your target (and optionally having others join your battle), follow these steps:
- Choose items to use. The combatant—and any other characters who participate—choose which items to use (weapons, armor, tools). Add up the combat values of all chosen items—this is the character's total combat value.
By default, a character's combat value is 0.
- Gather and assign Monster dice.
- Subtract the character's total combat value from the monster's combat value.
- Take that number of Monster dice (minimum of 1).
- If a single character is fighting, add all of those dice to their pool.
- If multiple characters are participating, distribute the Monster dice among them. Each character resolves their own combat separately.
In fights with multiple characters, after calculating the dice pool and distributing the Monster dice, it is possible for a character to be assigned 0 dice. If this happens, that character automatically wins their combat.
- Roll the dice. Each participating character rolls their assigned Monster dice and one Character die. If any character wishes to spend Focus to reroll, they may do so now.
- Resolve all dice.
- Apply any Ability and Hit symbols. Take damage as indicated—armor can prevent hits.
- Check both the Character die and Monster dice for durability. Damage items if necessary.
- For each Evade symbol rolled, cancel one Success symbol. If at least one Success symbol remains, the character wins their combat.
You may use resources and survival items that prevent Health loss to reduce the amount of damage applied.
If you are fighting alongside allies, all participants must win their individual combats for the whole fight to be considered a victory. If at least one character loses, the entire fight is lost.
- Claim the rewards and trigger after-combat abilities.
- If the character has any abilities that trigger after combat, they may resolve them now.
- The character (or characters) then gains the rewards listed for the defeated monster.
If a character loses all Health, they are defeated, but still gain any rewards (see Health, p. 17, and Character Revival, p. 35).
Fighting Scenario Monsters
Combat against scenario monsters works differently from fighting standard location monsters.
At the start of the fight, choose how many tokens on the Map tile you wish to engage.
Add up the combat value (CV) of the selected tokens, then subtract the fighting character's combat value to determine the number of Monster dice to roll (minimum of 1).
For each token on the tile not included in the fight, add 1 extra Monster die to the pool. These extra dice cannot be reduced by combat value.
If you win: Take the rewards shown on each defeated scenario monster's token. Flip those tokens to their reward side. Distribute the rewards among all participating characters.
If you lose: Losing against scenario monsters grants no rewards, and carries no additional consequences.
Example: Wilson decides to fight two out of three Hounds on his Map tile. The total combat value for the monsters is 8 (2×4 from the Hound tokens). Because the monsters are strong, Webber—whose Activation token is still on its active side—chooses to join the fight. He moves from an adjacent Map tile to Wilson's location and flips his Activation token to its inactive side.
Wilson and Webber have the following items. Together, their combined combat value is 4. The difference between the monsters' combat value (8) and the characters' combat value (4) is 4. However, they add 1 Monster die for the third Hound token on the tile. Therefore, they take 5 Monster dice. They assign 3 dice to Wilson and 2 dice to Webber. Each character also rolls 1 Character die.
Wilson's roll: The monster's hit is blocked by Wilson's Log Armor. However, the Durability symbol means the armor is damaged. It is flipped to its damaged side. Wilson rolled 2 successes with his Battle Hammer, but the monster rolled 2 evades. Because the evades cancel the successes, Wilson loses the fight.
Webber's roll: At the start of combat, Webber loses 1 Sanity due to the Hound's ability. Webber rolled 3 successes with his Spear. The monster rolled 2 evades, leaving Webber with 1 success. Webber wins the fight.
Overall outcome: Because at least one character (Wilson) failed to win, the overall fight is considered lost.
Fighting a Location Monster
If you win: Take the rewards shown on the reward bar in the upper right corner of the location card, multiplied by the top value. Distribute them among all participating characters. Place a Defeated Monster token on the location card (covering the monster illustration).
If you lose: Take the rewards shown on the reward bar in the upper right corner of the location card, multiplied by the bottom value. Distribute them among all participating characters.
Example: Willow fights the Tallbird. She uses the following items. The Tallbird's combat value is 5, while Willow's total is 1. The difference is 4, so she adds 4 Monster dice and 1 Character die to the pool. She rolls the dice.
As for the Monster dice with the slash ("/") symbol, Willow chooses 2 evades. In total, she has 5 successes (4 from items and 1 from her Character die), while the Tallbird has 4 evades. Willow wins the fight.
As a reward, Willow gains 1 Tallbird token and 1 Meat, then places a Defeated Monster token on the location card.
Fighting Shadow Creatures
If you win: Take the rewards shown on the reward bar of the bottommost shadow creature. Multiply the amount by the top value on its card.
If you lose: Take the rewards shown on the reward bar of the bottommost shadow creature. Multiply the amount by the bottom value on its token.
Example: Wendy has 2 revealed shadow creatures haunting her. She decides to fight them using her Battle Hammer. Wendy's combat value (4) is higher than the shadow creatures' (3), so she has to roll 1 Monster die and 1 Character die. Additionally, the effect on the Battle Hammer requires Wendy to lose 1 Hunger before rolling.
Wendy then makes her roll. She takes 2 damage from the Monster die. She rolled 3 successes (2 from the Battle Hammer and 1 from the Character die). The monster rolled 0 evades, so Wendy wins the fight.
Because of the Durability symbols, Wendy must damage her Battle Hammer. Since it has already been damaged, she discards the weapon.
As a reward, Wendy gains 1 Nightmare Fuel and regains 1 Sanity, so she flips the bottommost shadow creature.
Trade
The Trade action allows characters to exchange resources and items to better prepare for upcoming challenges.
When a character performs a Trade action, all characters on the same Map tile may give any number of tokens from their backpack and/or cards from their hand to other characters.
The trade is resolved simultaneously. No character is required to give or receive anything.
If more than two characters are on the same Map tile, a single Trade action allows all of them to exchange items and resources freely with one another.
Trade is an efficient way to cooperate. For example, if one character has the right tool for gathering a specific resource, let them collect it for the group's benefit. Sharing food can also be critical—a well-timed trade may prevent another character from being defeated by Hunger.
Base Camp Stage
During the Base Camp Stage, you may build structures, unlock new blueprints, items, and cooking recipes.
The Base Camp Stage takes place after you successfully finish a scenario. Resolve it by following these steps:
- Determine Unlock Points. Gain unlock points based on the difficulty level chosen for the completed scenario:
- Classic: 4
- Survival: 6
- Nightmare: 8
- Build Structures. Players can collectively spend resources to build up to 2 structures from available blueprints. Flip the chosen Structure cards from the blueprint side to the built side, and add them to the Structure deck.
They may also exchange unlock points for additional resources.
Resources gathered during a scenario, as well as those purchased with unlock points, do not carry over to the next scenario. They may only be spent during the current Base Camp Stage.
- Use Remaining Unlock Points.
- For each remaining unlock point, cross off one unlock circle on the Unlock sheet.
- When all unlock circles beneath a box are crossed off, gain the rewards shown—add any listed Blueprints to the Structures deck, blueprint side up, and add any listed items to the Crafting Book.
You may only cross off circles that are connected by a black line, starting from the bottom and moving upwards.
If a Build box appears along the path, its Blueprint must already be used to build a structure (i.e., the structure must be in the deck) before you can cross off any circle above it.
Structure card anatomy: blueprint side and built side, construction cost (shown as resource icons), tier, and structure image.
Cost for gaining resources, in unlock points:
- 2 unlock points: each of the four resources shown in the first row of the cost table (icons not reproduced in this transcription).
- 3 unlock points: each of the three resources shown in the second row of the cost table (icons not reproduced in this transcription).
Character Revival
Defeated Characters and Meat Effigies
Characters start the game with 1 Meat Effigy token. This token can be used to revive a defeated character, allowing them to return to the game.
A character is defeated if they ever lose all of their Health. Immediately remove their miniature from the Map tile.
There are two times when a defeated character must use their Meat Effigy to return:
- At the end of their Action, after all characters have flipped their Activation tokens to the inactive side.
- During the Preparation Phase of the following round, if the character was defeated outside the Action Phase.
If one or more characters are defeated and there are not enough Meat Effigy tokens to revive them, the players immediately lose the game.
Returning a Character to the Map
When a Meat Effigy token is used to revive a character, follow these steps:
- Set the character's Health, Hunger, and Sanity to the values marked with the Health, Hunger, and Sanity symbols on their Character board.
- Refresh all Focus tokens by flipping any inactive ones to their active side.
- Place the character's miniature on the Portal tile.
Example: Wilson was defeated in the previous round during the Needs Phase. He revives in this round's Preparation Phase. There is 1 Meat Effigy on the Round board. Wilson discards it, then sets his Health, Hunger, and Sanity to 5. He flips all of his Focus tokens to the active side and places his miniature on the Portal tile.
Scenarios
Don't Starve: The Board Game is a scenario-driven experience. Each playthrough is defined by a scenario, which provides its own objectives, components, and unique map layouts. No two games will feel exactly the same, as each scenario reshapes the world and the challenges the characters must face.
As you progress through a scenario, you will reveal additional Scenario cards.
Scenario Cards
Scenario cards introduce unique elements and objectives to each game. They may define new rules, set custom victory or loss conditions, and include scenario-specific actions.
Each Scenario card is self-contained, characters must follow its instructions exactly as written. When revealed, a Scenario card's effects become active immediately and override general rules where applicable. Always resolve the Scenario Phase (p. 14) during each round to account for ongoing scenario effects.
Scenario Location cards function like normal Location cards, but may include additional rules or effects.
Scenario Locations
Some Scenario cards also function as Location cards and are placed directly on Map tiles. If such a card features an action, a character must be on the corresponding Map tile to perform it.
Scenario locations provide a direct way for characters to interact with Scenario cards. Whenever a scenario location appears in the game, it always offers at least one Interact option.
Example: In the Pig Feast scenario location, characters must perform the Interact action and resolve the Fulfill Demands effect to make progress in the scenario.
Completing a Scenario
You win a scenario only by following its instructions until you reach a Scenario card that explicitly declares victory. All other conditions and progress markers are steps toward this final card.
The conditions for losing are summarized in Winning and Losing (p. 9).
If an effect on a Scenario card or scenario-specific Location card has this symbol next to it, discard that card after resolving the effect.
Symbols Reference
Printed pages 38–39. Icons are described by name in this transcription.
Character Stats
- Health: represents your character's life. If it reaches 0, the character is defeated.
- Hunger: decreases each round. For each point below 0, lose 2 Health.
- Sanity: low Sanity causes Shadow Creatures to appear. If it reaches 0, nothing happens.
- Focus: exhaust to re-roll any number of dice.
Stat Loss
- Health loss
- Hunger loss
- Sanity loss
Character Die
- Value: indicates the outcome of an Interact action. May also be used in scenarios or other effects.
- Daylight symbol: during day rounds, choose any value (0–5). At night, it counts as 0.
- Success: counts as 1 success during Fight actions.
- Break symbol: indicates whether an item (other than an armor) breaks when used.
- Roll for break each time it is used.
- Armor may break when hit by a Monster.
- Item may break due to spoil effects (e.g., Weather).
- Discard item after use (X symbol).
Monster Dice
- Hit: take damage equal to the Monster's damage value.
- Special: triggers the Monster's Special Ability (if any).
- Evade: cancels one success during a Fight.
- Armor break: indicates whether armor breaks when used.
Fight
Perform this action to defeat Monsters or Shadow Creatures. Subtract the character's combat value from the Monster's combat value.
The result determines how many Monster dice are rolled.
Rewards and Costs
- Gain
- Lose
- Discard (X symbol)
Resource Processing
Use the depicted item and flip any amount of resource tokens of the same type.
Effects and Abilities
- Preparation Phase: effects with this symbol resolve at the start of the Preparation Phase.
- Passive effects: continuous effects that remain active as long as their source is in play.
- Free Action: may be performed before or after any action during the Action Phase.
- Night symbol: effects with this symbol apply only during night rounds.
- Day symbol: effects with this symbol apply only during day rounds.
Location Effects
- Hostile: actions marked with this icon trigger Hostility during an Interact action.
- Grabby: lose 1 Resource from your backpack.
- Defeated Monster: a Location with this token does not trigger Hostility. The Fight action is unavailable there.
Item Type
Item types are Hand, Chest, and Head. You may use only 1 item of each type during an action, the Weather Phase, or the Needs Phase.
Weather and Needs
- Wetness: lose Sanity and spoil.
- Overheating: lose Health and spoil.
- Freezing: lose Health and Hunger.
- Regrowth: reset Exploitation markers to the topmost position on all Map tiles with Locations.
- Respawn: remove all Defeated Monster tokens from the Map.
- Mass Spoil: discard all Food and break all items with spoil durability.
- Spoil: discard the indicated number of Food or break items with spoil durability.