Let me tell you something – surviving 99 nights alone in that terrifying forest is brutal. I’ve been there, done that, and let me tell you, having some furry (or scaly) friends by your side makes all the difference. When I first discovered the taming system in 99 Nights in the Forest, it completely changed how I play the game. No more facing those creepy cultists and that demonic deer all by myself!
I’m going to share everything I’ve learned about taming animals in this game – from finding your first Taming Flute to commanding an army of powerful beasts that’ll make even the toughest enemies think twice before messing with you.
My Journey Started with a Simple Flute
When I first spawned in the forest, I noticed this red tent right next to my campfire. Inside, I found my very first Old Taming Flute sitting in a pot. Let me tell you, that humble flute became my ticket to building the ultimate survival team. I’ve since learned there are actually a few ways to get your hands on one:
- Find it in the Domestication Cabin (that red tent by your camp)
- Trade with the Pelt Trader if you’ve got extra pelts to spare
- Start with certain classes like Beastmaster or Zookeeper
The moment I equipped that flute and approached my first rabbit, I knew I was onto something special. But let me walk you through exactly how this taming thing works, because it’s not as simple as just playing a tune and watching animals fall in love with you.
The Taming Minigame: My Love-Hate Relationship
Okay, I’ll be honest – the first time I tried to tame an animal, I completely messed up the minigame. It’s actually pretty similar to fishing in the game, which makes sense since both use rhythm-based mechanics. Here’s how it works:
When you get close to an animal with your flute equipped, tap or click to use it on them. A red line appears on your screen, and you need to keep this line within the green area. Sounds simple, right? Well, let me tell you, some animals make this incredibly difficult!
Here’s my pro tip: Tap repeatedly to lift the red line upward, but don’t hold it too long or it’ll shoot past the green zone. Let go occasionally to let it fall back down. It’s all about finding that sweet rhythm.
I’ve found that different animals have different sized green zones. Easy animals like rabbits have a generous green area, while tough ones like bears have this tiny little sliver of green that makes you want to throw your controller across the room. And you only have 30 seconds to complete each attempt – talk about pressure!
Understanding the Face System: It’s Not Just One and Done
This is where I made my biggest mistake when I started. I thought taming was a one-time thing, but boy was I wrong. Each animal has these faces above their head that indicate how many times you need to successfully complete the taming minigame.
- Red faces mean you still need to tame them more times
- Green faces show completed stages
- Pink hearts mean the animal is fully tamed and ready to be your companion
Let me break down what this means in practical terms:
| Animal | Stages | Difficulty | My Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbit | 1 | Easy | Perfect for beginners, took me 30 seconds |
| Kiwi | 1 | Easy | Rare but worth finding for the cute factor |
| Scorpion | 2 | Medium | Tricky but manageable with practice |
| Wolf | 3 | Medium | My go-to combat pet, worth the effort |
| Arctic Fox | 3 | Hard | Those chili peppers are annoying to find |
| Alpha Wolf | 4 | Hard | Serious commitment but incredible fighter |
| Bear | 5 | Very Hard | Only attempt when you’re well-stocked |
| Polar Bear | 5 | Very Hard | The ultimate tank if you can manage it |
| Mammoth | 5 | Very Hard | Endgame material, but oh so satisfying |
| Lava Mammoth | 5 | Very Hard | Rare volcanic biome variant, absolutely devastating |
Food Requirements: My Grocery List for Pet Taming
Let me tell you about the resource management aspect – it’s no joke! Each animal requires specific food items after each successful taming attempt. I’ve learned to stock up before even approaching tougher animals. Here’s my comprehensive food guide based on countless hours of trial and error:
Easy Animals (Old Taming Flute Required)
- Rabbit: 1 Carrot per stage (1 total)
- Kiwi: 1 Berry per stage (1 total) – Super rare but adorable!
Medium Animals (Old Taming Flute Required)
- Green Frog: 1 Mackerel per stage (2 total)
- Scorpion: 1 Steak + 1 Morsel per stage (2 Steak + 2 Morsel total)
- Wolf: 2 Steak per stage (6 Steak total) – My personal favorite for early game combat
Hard Animals (Good Taming Flute Required)
- Arctic Fox: 1 Steak + 1 Chili per stage (3 Steak + 3 Chili total)
- Alpha Wolf: 1 Steak + 1 Stew + 1 Corn per stage (4 of each total)
Very Hard Animals (Strong Taming Flute Required)
- Bear: 1 Ribs + 1 Stew + 1 Pumpkin per stage (5 of each total)
- Polar Bear: 2 Stew + 1 Ribs per stage (10 Stew + 5 Ribs total)
- Mammoth: 2 Pumpkin + 1 Cake per stage (10 Pumpkin + 5 Cake total)
- Lava Mammoth: Same as regular Mammoth but found in volcanic biomes
My pro tip for farming: Wolf packs near your camp are the best source of steak. I can usually get 6-8 steaks from one pack, which is perfect for taming a wolf. For chili peppers, just grab them whenever you see them during exploration – they spawn randomly and can be frustrating to find when you actually need them!
Upgrading Your Taming Flute: From Old to Awesome
I remember when I first tamed a bunch of easy animals and got this message saying my Taming Flute was ready to upgrade. I was confused at first because I couldn’t figure out where to go. Let me save you that confusion:
There’s this workshop building near your camp – it’s a large building with a metal door that appears after you upgrade your campfire a couple of times. On your map, it shows up as two crossed tools, and sometimes it has an exclamation mark during events.
Inside, you’ll find workbenches for upgrading both your Taming Flute and Fishing Rod. The upgrade system works on XP – every time you successfully tame an animal, you fill up that yellow progress bar above your map icon. Once it’s full, you can upgrade to the next level.
Here are the three flute levels I’ve discovered:
- Old Taming Flute (Level 1) – Your starter flute, great for rabbits, kiwis, scorpions, and wolves
- Good Taming Flute (Level 2) – Unlocks Arctic Fox and Alpha Wolf taming
- Strong Taming Flute (Level 3) – The big leagues – Bears, Polar Bears, Mammoths, and Lava Mammoths
Pet Management: My Two-Slot Strategy
Here’s something that caught me off guard – you can only have 2 active pets at any given time! I learned this the hard way when I tried to tame a third animal and nothing happened. However, there are some exceptions:
- If you have a Strong Flute in your inventory, you can have 3 pets instead of 2
- Zookeeper, Beastmaster, and Necromancer classes can have more pets (the game doesn’t cap them like regular players)
When I need to make room for new pets, I simply click on the pet I want to dismiss and select “release” from the command menu. You have to confirm it twice, which is actually a good thing – I’ve almost accidentally released my favorite wolf a couple of times!
The Four Commands Every Pet Owner Should Know
Once you’ve successfully tamed an animal, you get four command options. Let me break down what each one does and when I use them:
Follow
This is my default command. Your pet will follow you around and automatically attack any enemies that either damage you or that you damage. It’s perfect for exploration and combat situations.
Sit
I use this command when I’m trying to tame another animal and don’t want my current pet attacking it. The pet will sit in place and wait for further commands. Great for keeping them safe during dangerous fights too.
Release
This is how you dismiss a pet when you want to tame something new. As I mentioned earlier, you need to confirm it twice, which has saved me from some regrettable decisions!
Rename
This is purely cosmetic but so much fun! I love giving my pets ridiculous names. My current wolf is named “Fluffy” and my bear is “Tiny” – the irony never gets old!
Biome-Specific Animals: My Exploration Guide
One thing I wish I knew earlier is that certain animals only appear in specific biomes. This completely changed my exploration strategy:
Snow Biome
- Arctic Fox – These beautiful creatures only spawn in snowy areas
- Polar Bear – The ultimate tank pet, but you need to brave the cold to find them
Volcanic Biome
- Lava Mammoth – A rare variant of the regular mammoth with fiery visual effects. Absolutely devastating in combat!
Regular Forest
- Everything else! Rabbits, wolves, bears, and regular mammoths can all be found in the main forest areas.
My strategy: I usually spend my early game in the regular forest building up my flute level and resources, then make dedicated expeditions to specific biomes when I’m ready for the rarer animals.
Combat Capabilities: What Each Pet Brings to the Fight
After spending countless hours with different pets, I’ve developed a pretty good sense of what each one brings to combat situations. Let me share my findings:
Wolves (My Personal Favorite)
- Pros: Fast, good damage, pack hunting mentality
- Cons: A bit squishy against tougher enemies
- Best for: Early to mid-game combat support
- My experience: I usually keep at least one wolf with me at all times. They’re reliable and deal consistent damage.
Bears
- Pros: Incredible tanking ability, high health, area damage
- Cons: Slow movement speed, expensive to tame
- Best for: Late-game tanking and crowd control
- My experience: Bears are game-changers once you can afford them. They can absorb insane amounts of damage while you deal with threats.
Mammoths
- Pros: Massive size advantage, incredible area damage, intimidating presence
- Cons: Very expensive to tame, slow movement
- Best for: Endgame content and overwhelming enemy groups
- My experience: Mammoths are basically walking siege engines. They demolish entire groups of enemies with their size and power.
Rabbits and Kiwis
- Pros: Cheap to tame, cute, good for flute leveling
- Cons: Minimal combat utility
- Best for: Early game flute XP and companionship
- My experience: I tame these mainly to level up my flute quickly, but they’re surprisingly comforting to have around during those tense night sequences.
The Zookeeper Class: Is It Worth It?
I experimented with the Zookeeper class for a while, and I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it significantly enlarges the green zone in the taming minigame, making it much easier to tame difficult animals. On the other hand, the class feels a bit underpowered compared to others in terms of combat abilities.
My verdict: If you’re serious about taming and want to collect every pet, the Zookeeper class is definitely worth trying. The easier taming mechanic saves a ton of frustration, especially with bears and mammoths. But if you’re more focused on combat effectiveness, you might want to stick with other classes and just deal with the harder taming minigame.
Resource Management: My Survival Tips
Let me share some hard-won wisdom about managing your resources while building your pet army:
Steak Farming
- Target wolf packs near your camp – they’re the most reliable source
- I can usually get 6-8 steaks from one pack, perfect for taming a wolf
- Don’t forget to cook the meat at your campfire!
Rare Item Collection
- Chili Peppers: Grab them whenever you see them – they spawn randomly
- Pumpkins: Craft farming plots and plant them (Farmer class helps with spawn rates)
- Cake: Either craft it with a Chef class or scavenge from distant buildings
- Stew: Craft a cooking pot at your campfire
General Strategy
- Always carry extra food when going on taming expeditions
- Upgrade your campfire to unlock better crafting options
- Keep bandages handy in case taming attempts go wrong
- Stockpile resources during the day when it’s safer to explore
Visual Variants: The Hunt for Rare Pets
One of the coolest discoveries I’ve made is that some animals have rare visual variants. These don’t affect gameplay but are incredibly satisfying to find:
- Arctic Wolves: Wolves that can evolve into stunning white variants
- Panda Bears: Rare black and white bear variants – these are some of the most sought-after pets in the game!
- Lava Mammoths: As mentioned earlier, these fiery mammoths only spawn in volcanic biomes
I’ve spent hours hunting for these variants, and let me tell you, finding a Panda Bear was one of my most exciting gaming moments this year!
My Recommended Taming Progression
Based on my experience, here’s the progression I recommend for new players:
Phase 1: Getting Started (Nights 1-20)
- Tame rabbits and kiwis to quickly level up your flute
- Focus on survival and building your camp
- Collect basic resources and learn the game mechanics
Phase 2: Building Your Team (Nights 21-40)
- Tame wolves for combat support
- Upgrade to Good Taming Flute
- Start collecting more advanced resources
Phase 3: Advanced Taming (Nights 41-70)
- Tame Arctic Foxes and Alpha Wolves
- Upgrade to Strong Taming Flute
- Explore different biomes for rare animals
Phase 4: Endgame Pets (Nights 71-99)
- Tame Bears, Polar Bears, and Mammoths
- Hunt for rare visual variants
- Build your perfect two-pet team for the final nights
Common Mistakes I Made (So You Don’t Have To)
Let me save you some frustration by sharing the biggest mistakes I made when learning to tame animals:
- Not stocking enough food – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been halfway through taming a bear only to realize I’m out of pumpkins
- Ignoring the face system – I used to wonder why my animals weren’t becoming pets after one successful tame
- Forgetting about pet limits – I wasted so much time trying to tame a third animal before realizing the two-pet cap
- Not using the right flute – I once spent an hour trying to tame a bear with an Old Flute before realizing I needed to upgrade
- Neglecting resource management – Early on, I’d use all my resources immediately instead of saving them for taming
FAQ: Your Taming Questions Answered
How many pets can I have at once?
You can have 2 active pets at a time, unless you have a Strong Flute (which allows 3) or play as Zookeeper, Beastmaster, or Necromancer classes (which have no cap).
What’s the best animal for combat?
In my experience, Bears are the best overall combat pets due to their incredible tanking ability and area damage. For speed and early game, Wolves are fantastic.
How do I find rare animals like Kiwis?
Kiwis spawn randomly in any biome but are extremely rare. I’ve had the most luck finding them around Campfire level 6 areas.
Can I lose my tamed animals?
Your pets will follow you until you die or release them. They won’t run away or get lost on their own.
What happens if I fail the taming minigame?
If you fail, you can try again immediately. Just make sure you have enough food resources for multiple attempts!
Are there any animals I can’t tame?
Yes, Guard variants of animals cannot be tamed. Also, some animals require specific flute levels that you might not have yet.
How do I get rare items like Cake?
You can either craft Cake if you have the Chef class, or find slices in buildings and spawn points far from your campfire.
Can pets help me find resources?
While pets don’t directly help find resources, some players believe they serve as mobile indicators for nearby threats, which can indirectly help with resource gathering safety.
Final Thoughts: Why Taming Changed My Game
I’ll be honest with you – before I discovered the taming system, 99 Nights in the Forest felt like a lonely, brutal survival experience. But now? It’s completely different. Having a pack of loyal animals by my side transforms the game from a desperate struggle for survival into an epic adventure where I’m the master of my own beast army.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching your carefully tamed bear tank hits from a group of cultists while your wolf flanks around and tears them apart. Or exploring a new biome with your trusted companions, knowing they’ve got your back no matter what horrors the forest throws at you.
The taming system adds this whole new layer of strategy and progression that keeps me coming back night after night (pun intended). Whether you’re a casual player looking for some cute companions or a hardcore survivor aiming to tame every creature in the forest, there’s something in this system for everyone.
So grab that flute, stock up on some carrots and steaks, and start building your own animal army. Trust me, once you experience the forest with your furry friends by your side, you’ll never want to go back to surviving alone again.