Caves are unique and critical locations in 99 Nights in the Forest that are directly tied to the game’s main story objective. Unlike other Points of Interest that exist primarily for looting resources, Caves serve as the prisons for the four missing children. Finding and entering these Caves is essential to completing the game’s central quest.
Appearance and Location
Caves appear as dark, rocky openings in the sides of hills or cliff faces. They are natural formations and their entrances are often partially obscured by rocks and vegetation, making them distinct from man-made structures. There are exactly four Caves in every world, one for each missing child.
Their locations are scattered across the entire map, and they are often situated in more remote or difficult-to-reach areas. The locations of Caves will only be revealed on the map as the main Campfire is upgraded and the fog of war is pushed back. The Missing Posters at the Main Camp provide directional hints pointing toward the nearest Cave with a yet-to-be-rescued child.
Purpose and Contents
The sole purpose of each Cave is to house one of the four missing children. Upon entering, players will find a small, self-contained area where a child is waiting to be rescued. Interacting with the child will free them. There are no other significant loot containers or resources to be gathered inside the Caves themselves; their value is entirely in the progression of the main objective.
How to Access Caves
Caves are locked and cannot be entered by normal means. Gaining access requires a specific set of steps:
- Locate the Cave: Use the Missing Posters and map exploration to find a Cave entrance.
- Identify the Guards: Each Cave is guarded by a group of hostile animals, typically a pack of Wolves or a powerful Bear. These animals will patrol the area directly in front of the Cave entrance.
- Find the Key Holder: Among the group of animal guards, there will be one specific “alpha” or “collared” animal. This key-holding animal is visually distinct from the others (e.g., a wolf with a collar).
- Defeat the Key Holder and Obtain the Key: Players must defeat this specific animal. Upon its death, it will drop a Cave Key.
- Unlock the Entrance: With the key in their inventory, players can approach the Cave entrance and interact with it to unlock and gain access.
Strategic Importance
Rescuing a child from a Cave is one of the most significant moments of progression in the game. Each time a child is rescued, the player is rewarded with a permanent gameplay bonus:
- Day-Pass Multiplier: Freeing a child applies a multiplier that increases the number of days that pass each time the player sleeps through the night. Rescuing the first child makes two days pass per night, the second makes three days pass, and so on.
This mechanic is crucial for achieving the 99-day survival goal in a reasonable amount of time. Prioritizing the rescue of children is the most effective strategy for accelerating game progression. Because each rescue makes the game advance faster, players must balance the need to rescue children with being prepared for the increasingly difficult nightly raids that come with higher day counts.
Bat Cave
The Bat Cave is a Special Structure that was introduced on November 15 during the Deer is Hurt – Part I Update in 99 Nights in the Forest. Designed as a temporary event location, the cave functioned as a refuge for The Bat, providing a hidden escape route whenever the Deer attempted to attack it.
The Bat Cave served as a unique, story-tied structure that appeared only during the Deer is Hurt (Part I) event. Its primary purpose was to give The Bat a secure shelter while also offering players an interactive environment that changed depending on their progress in helping The Deer.
If the player had not yet assisted the Deer, the cave remained inaccessible, symbolizing The Bat’s distrust and fear. After completing the required tasks, however, the cave opened up and became fully explorable, offering valuable loot and story clues.
Appearance
The Bat Cave features a distinct, atmospheric design that differentiates it from regular cave formations:
Entrance
- The ground at the entrance is made of rough dirt, marked with scratch lines and scattered Bat Fur, suggesting frantic movement from The Bat.
- Two large dripstone pillars form the shape of sharp fangs, visually creating the illusion of entering The Bat’s open mouth.
- Before helping The Deer, the entrance is sealed by a barrier of darkness. Two glowing Bat eyes stare from within, and any attempt to enter triggers an aggressive Bat screech, warning the player away.
Interior
- The floor transitions from dirt into smooth stone, sloping downward in a gradual, tunnel-like formation.
- Footprints left by The Bat are visible along the descent, guiding players deeper inside.
- A natural tunnel eventually leads to a secondary opening that connects directly into the main Caves, implying that The Bat uses this hidden passage to escape unseen.
- Once The Deer is helped, faint light fills the chamber, softening the cave’s originally oppressive darkness and making navigation easier.
Loot
Players could find several valuable items within the Bat Cave:
- Fuel
- Purple Fur Tuft
- Special Legendary Chest (contains high-tier or event-specific rewards)
Trivia
The cave’s design heavily emphasizes stealth, fear, and animal instinct, matching The Bat’s cautious behavior throughout the event.
The Bat Cave, along with the Grove, was removed in the Deer is Hurt – Part II Update, making it an event-exclusive structure.
It is essentially a larger, more detailed version of the standard Caves, designed specifically for the event storyline.
Caves Part 2
New areas are being added to the caves. Find more challenges down there but BEWARE THE BAT. It is blind
though so if you kick it in the shins it won’t even see it coming
The Caves Part 2 update for 99 Nights in the Forest is officially launching , January 17, 2026, at 1:00 PM EST.
This update expands the underground system introduced in Part 1, focusing on the “Bat” entity and deeper, more dangerous biomes. Here is the verified data on what is included in this expansion:
1. New Areas & Navigation
- Expanded Network: The update adds brand-new underground sections that connect to the existing Part 1 tunnels, creating a much larger, more complex maze.
- The Red Wall: Players can now progress past the “Red Wall” area, which signals a transition into significantly harder difficulty levels.
- Crystal Mechanics: The caves are pitch black. You must use a Flashlight to “charge” the large crystal chunks scattered throughout the tunnels to illuminate the path.Note: Community reports suggest the Old Flashlight is currently more reliable for charging crystals than the Strong Flashlight due to a possible bug.
2. New Entities & Threats
- The Blind Bat: This is the primary boss/threat of Part 2. It resides in the deepest parts of the cave. Its main attack is a supersonic scream; you must take cover when you hear it starting to screech to avoid massive damage.
- Elite Cultists:
- Green-Cloaked Cultists: Stronger and faster than the standard red variants found on the surface.
- Axe-Wielder Cultists: Massive, muscular variants carrying axes larger than themselves. They have extremely high health and can often one-shot unprepared players.
3. Blessings & Rewards
Unlike the surface, the caves do not contain standard loot chests. Instead, they house Statues of the four main entities (Deer, Owl, Ram, and Bat) that provide permanent buffs for that run:
- Blessing of the Bat: Significantly decreases your hunger depletion rate.
- Blessing of the Ram: Decreases the frequency of lightning strikes.
- Blessing of the Owl: Decreases the chance of rain/storms.
- Blessing of the Deer: Increases the length of the Day and shortens the Night.
4. Survival Requirements
To survive the descent into Part 2, you should bring:
- High-Tier Weapons: Chainsaw, Shotgun, or the Spear are recommended for the high-health cultists.
- Provisioning: Stew is mandatory, as the cave is long and hunger is a major killer underground.
- Explosives: TNT is required to blast through certain “smaller cave” entrances scattered around the forest to create shortcuts.