The Dino Kid update turns 99 Nights in the Forest into a caretaking loop layered on top of the usual survival grind. You rescue a new survivor from a guarded dungeon, feed him, hunt down his lost belongings, and keep him happy across the nights. In return he chops trees and hauls logs for your base, and clearing the whole event unlocks six badges plus Cultist rewards. The event runs through July 25, 2026.
Quick answer: Craft a Map, follow the bench clue to Dino Kid’s dungeon, clear the Alpha Wolves, unlock the gate with the red key, and walk him back to camp. Interact with him and choose Befriend, then feed him and return his four trinkets (Lunchbox, Yo-Yo, Crayon, Plush) to hit Level 5 and trigger the final Cultist attack.
How to rescue Dino Kid
At the start of a run, the bench near the campfire holds a clue system that tracks Dino Kid and everything he has lost in the forest. The first clue points to his dungeon. Unlike the other missing kids, he is locked inside a cave guarded by Alpha Wolves, so the approach is a fight, not a simple pickup.
You will know the rescue worked when a message reads that a missing child has been rescued and the day counter jumps by two. After befriending him, the next clue reveals and his status becomes visible from the tent.
How to level up Dino Kid to Level 5
Three actions raise Dino Kid’s EXP: feeding him, returning his trinkets, and handling his mood. Level 5 is the target for the Babysitting badge, and reaching it is also when he starts collecting logs on his own.
Feeding
Food is the steady EXP source. His hunger bar drains over time, and you feed him by dragging food near him and pressing E when the bar is low enough. A full hunger bar means feeding does nothing and grants no EXP, so time it. Building a Crock Pot and cooking Stew is the fastest way to stack feeding EXP, since Stew returns the most of any food.
| Food | EXP |
|---|---|
| Small food (Cooked Morsel, etc.) | 15–20 XP |
| Cooked Steak | Up to 50 XP |
| Stew | Up to 70 XP |
Finding the four trinkets
Four of Dino Kid’s belongings are scattered across the map, and each clue appears through the bench tracker. The search radius narrows as you upgrade the campfire, so a bigger fire makes items easier to pin down. Return each trinket to Dino Kid for a large EXP payout.
| Trinket | EXP |
|---|---|
| Lunchbox | 100 XP |
| Yo-Yo | 150 XP |
| Crayon | 350 XP |
| Plush | 750 XP |
The Crayon is the toughest to reach and tends to sit in hard areas like the military base. The Plush is locked in a cage in a new map region and cannot be grabbed for free. Picking it up triggers the event’s final Cultist attack, covered below.
Handling his needs
Dino Kid’s mood shifts during a run. When he turns sad, check the cause and fix it. Each need you address adds EXP and keeps his mood stable, which also protects your Tape badge progress.
| Problem | Fix | EXP |
|---|---|---|
| Too cold | Expand the campfire range to cover his area | +100–150 XP |
| Needs sleep | Make his bed in the tent | +100–150 XP |
| Injured | Use a Bandage to heal him | +100–150 XP |
Note: If Dino Kid is unhappy at night, that night does not count toward the Dino Kid Tape badges. Keep his hunger up, build his bed when prompted, and widen the fire so cold never sets in.
The Plush cage and the final Cultist attack
The Plush sits inside a locked cage in a new area, and opening it costs Cultist Gems. The unlock menu, labeled “What will you steal?”, offers three difficulty tiers with different costs and rewards. Whatever you choose, taking the Plush marks you for a Cultist attack the following night.
| Difficulty | Cost | Reward on the challenge tier |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 1 Cultist Gem | — |
| Hard | 3 Cultist Gems | — |
| Challenge | 3 Cultist Gems | Gem of the Forest |
The mega attack arrives the next night in three waves under a time limit, and it is the hardest fight in the event. Survive it on the toughest setting and you earn a Gem of the Forest plus 3 Cultist Gems. Clearing it after collecting all four trinkets is also what awards the Warding badge.
Every Dino Kid badge and how to earn it
Six badges are tied to the event, tracked from the badge board near Dino Dad’s desk in the lobby. Completing all six unlocks Dinosaur Egg furniture. There is no direct item drop for leveling him up on its own; the payoff is his automatic log collecting and the badge set.
| Badge | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Playtime | Give Dino Kid 10 different items with unique interactions |
| Babysitting | Reach Level 5 |
| Warding | Defend Dino Kid from the hardest Cultist attack after finding all four trinkets |
| Dino Kid Tape 1 | Protect Dino Kid for 5 nights (unhappy nights don’t count) |
| Dino Kid Tape 2 | Protect Dino Kid for 25 nights (unhappy nights don’t count) |
| Dino Kid Tape 3 | Protect Dino Kid for 60 nights (unhappy nights don’t count) |
Tip: Handing Dino Kid various items unlocks unique reactions, and ten different ones clears the Playtime badge. Since the Tape badges only tally nights where he is content, the fastest route through Tape 1, 2, and 3 is simply never letting his mood drop, which the feeding, bed, and campfire steps above already handle.
