Surviving in 7 Days to Die requires utilizing all of your knowledge about surviving a zombie apocalypse, and the first seven nights can be particularly challenging. Although its crafting system is reminiscent of Minecraft and its mechanics share similarities with the Fallout franchise, defeating the hordes of zombies will require unique tactics and strategies.
How to Survive the First Night in 7 Days to Die
Surviving the first night in 7 Days to Die can be a daunting challenge. In a zombie-infested world, there is little room for trial and error to determine the most effective strategy. You must rely on your limited resources and adapt to the situation at hand.
During your initial evening, it is essential to learn how to sustain four levels: Health, Stamina, Water, and Food. The following are the necessary steps you must take:
- It is important to complete the Tutorial Challenges as quickly as possible.
- Obtain food and water.
- Gather Rocks, Wood, and Fiber in order to create your initial Weapons and Armor.
- It is important to locate a shelter before 4 PM.
It is crucial to gather food and water to maintain your health after putting in the effort to secure shelter. Remember that prolonged periods without food or water will decrease your movement and action speed, and it could ultimately lead to death if your levels reach zero.
In our first-night survival guide, you can find additional survival tips that cover everything you need to know on your first day.
7 Days to Die: Best Starter Base Locations
The most optimal places to establish your Starter Base in 7 Days to Die are typically Points of Interest (POIs) located near valuable resources and other structures. While constructing your own base may be advantageous in the later stages of the game, utilizing prebuilt locations is recommended while you are focused on gathering resources.
The following is a list of the top locations for your Starter Base:
- Grain Silos
- Farm
- Bart’s Salvage
- Trailer Park
Remember that zombies will stop at nothing to reach you, even if you are safely inside a building or shelter. Gathering resources will enable you to rebuild your base after an attack, and reinforce your defenses to withstand even the most challenging Blood Moon.
To ensure a successful base, it is important to choose a POI near the necessary resources for your survival in the first few days. As zombies are highly active at night, it is crucial to gather all resources before sunset.
The Farm is among the best Starter Bases available in 7 Days to Die.
Best Crafting Recipes for beginners
Crafting can be done in both your Inventory window and at various workstations, including a Campfire, Forge, Workbench, Cement Mixer, and Chemistry Station. It is a crucial aspect of 7 Days to Die, as it determines your ability to survive.
In the beginning stages of the game, it is important to obtain a Campfire and a Cooking Pot in order to access basic recipes. While each utility has its own set of unique recipes, all necessary ingredients can be obtained through looting, farming, or mining. Here are some of the essential Crafting Recipes you should acquire:
- Food: Some options for meals include a Baked Potato, Corn Bread, Grilled Corn, Grilled Meat, Boiled Egg, Boiled Meat, Bacon and Eggs, and Honey.
- Beverages: Water, Goldenrod Tea, Coffee, Red Tea, Murky Water, Yucca Juice.
- Medical Supplies: Aloe Cream, Antibiotics, Bandage, First Aid Bandage, Fort Bites, Herbal Antibiotics, Plaster Cast, and Splint.
- Furniture: Includes Bicycle, Candle, and Flashlight.
- Construction materials: Building Block, Cobblestone Block, Concrete Block, Bedroll, Dew Collector, Torch.
You can discover additional Crafting Recipes by obtaining Magazines and Recipe Books, which are obtainable items that can be found in bookcases and other containers.
Tips for Scavenging and Finding Loot Early
Scouring and foraging for various materials, resources, and ingredients will be your main tasks in the game 7 Days to Die. Once you have secured your base for the first night, your focus will shift to gathering items that will increase your chances of survival.
The items that appear will be based on your survival time, which is divided into four tiers. These tiers are determined by your current Loot Stage, which is calculated based on your endgame level and the number of days you have survived.
- At Tier 0, you will receive basic materials, such as Stone Tools, Scrap armor, and other fundamental Mod schematics.
- In Tier 1, you’ll find more items made from iron, weapons, and normal schematics.
- Tier 2 is where you can obtain rare schematics, the top food recipes, and the highest quality melee weapons and armor.
- In Tier 3, you will have the opportunity to obtain top-of-the-line firearms, tools, and even vehicles as loot.
The following items can be found in 7 Days to Die:
- Ores
- Clothing & Warm Clothing
- Hazmat Gear
- Sport Goods
- Armor
- Weapons & Ammo
- Weapon Parts
- Mods
- Dyes
- Perk Books
- Tools, Mod, Armor, Weapon, Vehicle and Electrical Schematics
- Food, Rare Food, Canned Food, Candy, Cool Foods
- Drinks & Beverages
- Seeds & Crops
- Loot from the Workbench, Forge, Cement Mixer, and Workstation.
- Tools
- Electrical Devices
- Automotive
- Working Stiffs
- Medicine
- Lab Equipment
- Vehicle Parts
- Treasure Maps
By obtaining the Lucky Looter perk, Eye Kandy, and Lucky Goggles, you have the ability to improve the quality of your Loot at any point.
How to Defend Against and Eliminate Zombies in 7 Days to Die
The most efficient method for killing a zombie is to eliminate its head, which can be achieved through a precise headshot or by continuously striking it with melee weapons.
It is important to keep in mind that these creatures typically travel in groups, so there are several considerations to take into account before embarking on a zombie rampage:
- Ensure that you are aware of your surroundings. It is best to be in an open area with unobstructed visibility and the ability to move freely without encountering any zombies.
- Attempt to “train”the Normal zombies that you are eliminating. If you come across them during the day, you can simply lead them in a straight line and strike them before retreating a few steps. Repeat this method until all of them are defeated.
- When using Melee weapons, it is important to conserve your Stamina in order to execute more Strong Attacks rather than a few Weak Attacks.
- It is important to always have some Building Blocks with you. They can come in handy if you need to create a barricade, and by stacking a few of them, you can gain enough height to temporarily evade creatures such as Zombie Dogs.
- Attempt to sever a zombie’s legs to impede their movement.
- One way to decrease the damage and stun chances of zombies is by cutting off their arms.
The behavior of zombies varies according to the time of day. From 8 AM onward, these creatures become lethargic and will not pursue you if you remain at a safe distance. However, if they catch sight of you, they will move in a direct path and destroy anything in their way. After 8 PM, zombies begin to run and not only roam the map more actively, but they will also track you down if they locate your whereabouts.
Keep in mind that zombies are able to detect you through your closeness, visual appearance, or by tracking sources of light and warmth.
You can meet the Normal and Radiated versions of the same zombie.
Below is a complete list of all the zombies that can be encountered in 7 Days to Die:
- Normal zombies
- Departed women
- Festering Corpse
- Infected Mother
- Infected Survivor
- Plagued Nurse
- Putrid Girl
- Rotting Carcass
- Reanimated Corpse
- Skater Punk Zombie
- Zombie Janitor
- Party Girl
- Lab Zombie
- Utility Worker Zombie
- Tough zombies
- Bloated Walker
- Fat Hawaiian
- Fallen Soldier
- Frozen Lumberjack
- Hazmat Male zombie
- Hungry female zombie
- Zombie biker
- Special Infected
- Burn Victim
- Crawler zombie
- Demolisher
- Feral Wight
- Mutated zombie
- Infected Police Officer
- Screamer
- Spider zombies
- Animal zombies
- Zombie Bears
- Zombie Dogs
- Zombie Vultures
Managing Hunger and Thirst in 7 Days to Die
In 7 Days to Die, Food and Water are two key stats that can impact your overall Health and Stamina. These meters can provide beneficial effects when they are at maximum levels, but neglecting them can result in severe debuffs and ultimately lead to death.
As you play naturally, both of these stats will decrease. Water will decrease by 40 points per hour, and food will steadily decrease by 30 points per hour.
The depletion of your Water and Food levels results in the following consequences:
| Status | Water Status Effect | Food Status Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Above 75 points | Stamina recovers 15% faster | — |
| Below 50% | Thirsty | Hungry |
| Below 25% | Dehydrated – Reduces Max Stamina | Very Hungry – Reduces Max Stamina |
| Below 2% | Severely Dehydrated – Makes damage over time and reduces Stamina. | Starving – Makes damage over time and reduces Stamina. |
| When recovering Stamina | — | More Food is consumed per hour. |
| When recovering Health | More Water is consumed per hour. | — |
Temperature can also impact both of these meters, which are two of your primary stats. If you are feeling Cold or Freezing, your Food meter will deplete more quickly. On the other hand, if you are Hot or Sweltering, your Water level will decrease at a faster rate.
To refill these meters or eliminate your debuffs, you have the option to consume a Drink or eat Food that you have made using items you have obtained through farming, foraging, or looting.
In 7 Days to Die, you can discover or create a wide variety of food and drink options.
- Cooked Recipes
- Charred Meat
- Boiled Egg
- Grilled Corn
- Baked Potato
- Corn Bread
- Grilled Meat
- Boiled Meat
- Bacon and Eggs
- Blueberry Pie
- Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Meat Stew
- Vegetable Stew
- Steak and Potato Meal
- Hobo Stew
- Fish Tacos
- Chili Dog
- Sham Chowder
- Tuna Fish Gravy Toast
- Shepard’s Pie
- Spaghetti
- Gumbo Stew
- Raw Food
- Blueberries
- Corn Meal
- Ear of Corn
- Ear of Super Corn
- Egg
- Jar of Honey
- Mushrooms
- Old Sham Sandwich
- Potato
- Pumpkin
- Raw Meat
- Rotting Flesh
- Yucca Fruit
- Canned Food
- Cat Food
- Chili
- Dog Food
- Miso
- Pasta
- Pears
- Peas
- Salmon
- Sham
- Stock
- Chicken Ration
- Tuna
- Soup
- Lamb Rations
- Large Beef Rations
- Drinks
- Murky Water
- Water
- Goldenrod Tea
- Red Tea
- Yucca Juice
- Coffee
- Beer
- Yucca Juice Smoothie
- Blackstrap Coffee
- Pure Mineral Water
7 Days to Die: Best Weapons to Craft Early
| Weapon | Ingredients | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stone Axe | Small Stone x2, Plant Fibers x2, Wood x2. | — Damage: 6— Block Damage: 21.5— Range: 2.4— Stamina Usage: 8— Attacks per Minute: 105 |
| Wooden Club | Wood x5 | — Damage: 12— Block Damage: 11.6— Range: 2.4— Stamina Usage: 17.4— Attacks per Minute: 55 |
| Bone Knife | Bone x5 | — Damage: 5.1— Block Damage: 2.5— Range: 2— Stamina Usage: 7.3— Attacks per Minute: 120 |
| Steel Arrow | Steel Arrowhead x2, Scrap Polymers x2 | — Damage: 42— Block Damage: 5 — Velocity: 55 |
| Stone Arrow | Small Stone x1, Wood x1, Feather x1 | — Damage: 35— Block Damage: 1— Velocity: 45 |
| Primitive Bow | Wood x8, Plant Fibers x3 | — Damage: Up to 175 depending on the arrow used.— Block Damage: — Range: 100 |
During the early stages of the game, your arsenal of weapons will be limited and it would be wise to create something that you can immediately utilize. Although Pointed Sticks may be one of the initial choices for crafting, the aforementioned six weapons will prove more effective once you have successfully made it through your first night.
Using Skill Points in 7 Days to Die (7DtD)
In 7 Days to Die, Skill Points are utilized for obtaining Perks and increasing your five primary attributes: Intellect, Perception, Strength, Fortitude, and Agility. Your point allocation should be tailored to your preferred playstyle, but we suggest prioritizing the leveling of Strength, Intellect, and Fortitude in the early stages of the game.
This combination will not only improve your effectiveness in fights, but it will also enhance your physical resilience as you adapt to surviving in the initial days. Let’s take a look at what your attributes entail:
- Fortitude: Determines your ability to withstand physical challenges. Top Perks: Living Off the Land, Iron Gut, Rule 1: Cardio.
- Agility: Enhances your physical abilities. Top Perks: From the Shadows, Flurry of Blows, Archery, Parkour, and Run and Gun.
- Strength: Determines the power of your attacks and your ability to withstand damage. Recommended Perks: Pummel Pete, Miner 69’er, Mother Lode.
- Sensory Awareness: Enhances your perception. Top Perks: Animal Tracker, Lucky Looter.
- The Intellect attribute enhances your crafting and charisma skills. Some of the most recommended perks for this attribute are Better Barter, Grease Monkey, The Daring Adventurer, and Physician.
You can also level up each Perk to get an extra boost to your abilities.
Preparing for the Blood Moon Horde in 7 Days to Die
The Blood Moon is a recurring event in 7 Days to Die that occurs once every week. During this event, a swarm of zombies will emerge near your vicinity and relentlessly pursue you until dawn. Although you may attempt to evade or elude them, they will persist in their pursuit until the sun rises.
When is the start time for the Blood Moon?
The Blood Moon night commences at 6 PM, marked by the approaching storm and lightning illuminating the sky as night falls. By 8 PM, the sky will have turned red and by 10 PM, you will need to endure the zombie horde until 4 AM.
This occurrence occurs automatically every week, and you can identify when it’s happening because the game will highlight the date number in red.
Building a Blood Moon base is key to saving your crafting stations from getting destroyed.
Tips for Surviving the Blood Moon in Your Base
After managing to survive a week in 7 Days to Die, you may have a base that you adore. However, encountering a Blood Moon is a whole other challenge. We suggest seeking out or constructing a new location not only for self-preservation, but also to protect your hard-earned creations from being destroyed by zombies.
To find a suitable location for your first Blood Moon base, consider following these tips.
- Construct or locate a stronghold designed specifically for the Blood Moon.
- Locate or construct a layered foundation that offers ample space for you to maneuver. This will prove especially beneficial when encountering Radiated ferals and Demolishers.
- Keep in mind that the Blood Moon hordes will target the weakest point of your base, so it is crucial to fortify your walls at all times.
- To increase your chances of escaping the horde using vehicles, it is advisable to play in groups. This is because even if you encounter zombies like Vultures, they can still catch you and overwhelm you if you are alone and lack a well-planned strategy.
- Utilize high ground to your advantage. Although zombies may have the ability to climb, they are unable to attack while doing so. Having a base with more than two stories allows for a better vantage point, giving you the opportunity to eliminate any threats as they attempt to reach you.
- Constructing a towering building will require a significant amount of time and resources compared to locating a sizeable one in the city. While you may attempt to construct a tower independently, it is crucial to ensure that it is not vulnerable to being destroyed by hordes, leading to its collapse.
Successfully navigating the initial days in 7 Days to Die can prove to be quite a daunting task if you solely focus on completing quests. It is crucial to apply all of your expertise in surviving a zombie apocalypse in order to stay alive during the early stages. However, it is important to bear in mind that the challenges will only intensify after successfully surviving your first Blood Moon.
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