How to Survive Winter | Don’t Starve Together Guide


To survive winter in Don't Starve Together, gather and stockpile resources, and craft essential items such as a backpack and shovel. Hunt animals for meat, and use a thermal stone for warmth, craft a beefalo hat for insulation, and cook cactus for sanity. This guide provides strategies for surviving winter in the game Don't Starve Together, covering resource gathering, crafting, hunting, and base management.

Table of Contents

What To Do Before Winter

Preparing for winter in Don't Starve Together involves gathering essential resources like twigs, grass, and wood, crafting vital items such as a backpack and shovel, relocating resources to your base, and stockpiling them. You should also burn a forest for charcoal, crucial for crafting, organize your base, stock your fridge with food, and prepare warm clothing and tools.

ActivitySpecific Tasks
Gather ResourcesCollect twigs, grass, Flint, gold, wood
Craft Essential ItemsMake a backpack and shovel
Relocate ResourcesDig up and replant twigs, grass, berry bushes
Collect Flower PetalsGather flower petals for later use
Burn a Forest for CharcoalCreate charcoal by burning a forest
Stockpile ResourcesAccumulate saplings, grass tufts, berry bushes

Resource Gathering: Your first step in preparing for winter is to collect basic resources. This includes twigs, grass, Flint, and wood. These are crucial for crafting and survival. Early on, finding gold veins is also important as it allows for a quick start in crafting advanced tools and structures.

Crafting Essentials: Craft a backpack for increased storage capacity. This is vital for carrying more items during your resource gathering trips. Also, make a shovel. It's essential not just for digging but for relocating resources like saplings and berry bushes to your base.

Relocating Resources: Dig up and replant resources near your base. This includes twigs, grass tufts, and berry bushes. Having these resources close by is a game-changer in winter when travel becomes riskier. Also, don't overlook flower petals. They might seem trivial, but they're useful for various purposes, including sanity management.

Charcoal Production: While it may seem drastic, burning down a forest to create charcoal is necessary. Charcoal is a key ingredient in several important recipes, including the crockpot, which is essential for efficient food preparation.

Stockpiling: This includes saplings, grass tufts, and berry bushes. Winter is harsh, and the more resources you have at hand, the better.

Base Preparation: Place resources and crafting stations in a way that minimizes the time spent outside in the cold. Ensure you have a reliable light and heat source at your base. A fire pit is essential for warmth and cooking.

Food Preparation: Hunting, farming, and gathering should be done extensively in the autumn. Learn a few crockpot recipes. Efficient food use is key in winter, and crockpot meals are some of the most efficient.

Clothing and Tools: A beefalo hat or a thermal stone can be a lifesaver in the freezing temperatures. Prepare tools and weapons. Winter brings unique challenges and creatures, so being well-equipped is essential.

How To Deal With Cold

StrategyDescription
Thermal StoneHeat regularly; reheat when yellow
Beefalo HatCraft for high insulation
Wilson's BeardProvides extra insulation
Stone MaintenanceKeep stone red; reheat at yellow

To manage cold in Don't Starve Together, use a thermal stone and heat it regularly at a fire source to maintain body temperature. Craft a beefalo hat for additional insulation, and if playing as Wilson, utilize his beard for extra warmth. Monitor the thermal stone's color, reheating it when it turns yellow to stay warm.

Thermal Stone Usage: You need to heat it regularly to maintain your body temperature. The stone changes color based on its temperature - red when hot, yellow when cooling down, and gray when cold. Your goal is to keep the stone red as often as possible. When you notice the stone turning yellow, it's time to reheat it. This can be done by placing it near a fire source, such as a campfire or fire pit.

Crafting a Beefalo Hat: The hat offers high insulation, which slows down the decline of your body temperature. This means you'll need to reheat less frequently compared to just using a thermal stone. However, remember that wearing a beefalo hat occupies your head slot, so you won't be able to wear other headgear like a football helmet while you have it on.

Wilson's Beard for Insulation: If you're playing as Wilson, his beard provides extra insulation. This natural advantage becomes more significant as the beard grows longer. With a full beard, Wilson can enjoy a considerable amount of insulation, which, when combined with other insulating clothing or a thermal stone, can allow you to go for extended periods without worrying about the cold.

Maintaining the Thermal Stone: When the stone is red, it means it's fully charged and will keep you warm. As it turns yellow, it's a warning that the stone is cooling down and will soon lose its ability to keep you warm. It's important to reheat the stone before it turns completely gray to maintain its durability and effectiveness. You can heat the stone by standing close to a fire source until it turns red again.

Food Sources in Winter

Food SourceDescription
Koalas, Pigmen, Vault Goats, BeefaloHunt for meat
SpidersFight for monster meat
CactusCook for sanity food; not affected by freezing

In winter, food sources in Don't Starve Together include hunting koalas, pigmen, vault goats, and beefalo for meat, and fighting spiders for monster meat. Additionally, cactus can be harvested and cooked for sanity food, as it remains unaffected by the freezing temperatures.

Hunting for Meat: In Don't Starve Together, securing a reliable meat supply before winter is crucial. You can hunt koalas for their meat, which provides a substantial amount of food. Pigmen, vault goats, and beefalo are also good sources of meat. However, be cautious as these creatures can be dangerous. Efficient hunting requires good timing and understanding of each creature's behavior.

Fighting Spiders for Monster Meat: Spiders are a consistent source of monster meat. Engaging with spider dens, especially in the early stages, can yield a good supply of this resource. Be mindful of the den's size; larger dens mean more spiders and increased danger. Monster meat is versatile but remember it impacts sanity and health if eaten uncooked or unmodified.

Cooking Cactus for Sanity Food: Cactus is a unique food source as it remains unaffected by winter's freezing temperatures. Harvesting and cooking cactus can provide a significant sanity boost, which is especially useful during the long winter nights. This makes cactus an invaluable resource for maintaining your mental health throughout the colder season. Cooked cactus has the added benefit of not causing damage when eaten, unlike its raw form.

Farming & Watering

TaskDescription
Plant SeedsUse farm plots for planting
Craft Watering CanFill from surface ponds before winter
WeedingRemove forget-me-lots, tillweeds, spiny bindweeds, fire nettles
Water in WinterUse ice or cave ponds

Farming and Watering: As winter approaches in Don't Starve Together, planting seeds in farm plots becomes essential. You should craft a watering can and fill it from surface ponds before winter sets in, as these ponds will freeze over. Regularly watering your crops ensures a steady food supply.

Weeding: Vigilant weeding is crucial for healthy crop growth. Remove invasive plants like forget-me-lots, tillweeds, spiny bindweeds, and fire nettles promptly. These weeds can stress or harm your crops, so keeping your farm plots clean is key.

Water Sources in Winter: During winter, when surface water sources are frozen, use ice or venture into cave ponds for water. Ice can be an inefficient but necessary last resort for watering your crops in the coldest months.

How To Organize Base

Towards the end of autumn, organizing your base is vital. This includes arranging storage, crafting stations, and ensuring a well-maintained fire pit for warmth and cooking.

Food Stockpiling: Stocking your fridge with as much food as possible is crucial for surviving the harsh winter. This includes both harvested crops and meat from hunting.

Crockpot Usage: Preparing for your first crockpot dishes is an efficient way to use your resources. Crockpot meals are more effective at restoring health and hunger than raw ingredients.

Cold Weather Planning: Finally, planning for cold weather and resource management is essential. This includes crafting warm clothing, maintaining a fire source, and managing your food and resource supplies effectively to last through winter.

How To Handle Threats

Using Ewecus as a Distraction: In winter, the Ewecus can be a strategic tool against the walrus. If you encounter a walrus camp, leading the walrus to an Ewecus can serve as an effective distraction. This tactic allows you to avoid direct confrontation with the walrus, a formidable winter foe, as the Ewecus will engage it, giving you an opportunity to either escape or attack.

Managing Spider Dens: Spider dens are a valuable resource but require careful management, especially when they reach tier 2 or 3. These larger dens can spawn more dangerous spiders, including spider warriors. Approach these dens with caution, and consider whether to destroy them for silk and spider glands or to farm them for resources. Remember, disturbing a tier 3 den can lead to the spawning of a spider queen, a challenging enemy.

Crafting and Equipment

Crafting Cold Protection Items: To survive winter's cold, crafting items for protection is crucial. This includes warm clothing like the beefalo hat or thermal stone. These items provide essential insulation, keeping you warm and reducing the frequency of needing to heat up by a fire.

Inventory and Storage Management: Efficient inventory and storage management is key to survival. Organize your base with designated areas for different resources and tools. Keep essential items like food, crafting materials, and survival gear within easy reach. Proper organization ensures that you spend less time searching for items and more time on important survival tasks.


Ethan Akins

Ethan is the write for Gamer Amplify and he is all about the grind and the glory that comes with it. Ethan is a long time TF2 player, but also got a soft spot for RPGs like WoW and RTS games like SC2. On gaming forums and in articles, Ethan is the go-to for straight talk on game mechanics and strategies.

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