Taming in 99 Nights in the Forest is a two-step loop: pacify a target with the flute mini-game, then feed what it asks for to advance a taming stage. Repeat until every face icon over the animal turns green and flips to pink hearts. Once tamed, you can make the animal follow, sit, or leave your world entirely, and you can rename it. You can keep two pets at a time.

Play the flute mini-game correctly

Equip a Taming Flute and start taming on a target animal. A vertical bar appears with a light-green target zone and a red marker. Hold to push the marker up; release to let it fall. Keep it inside the target zone to fill a yellow progress bar. Hitting 100% completes that attempt and pacifies the animal long enough to feed it.

Stronger animals shrink the target zone and demand more attempts. The minigame temporarily freezes the chosen target so you can focus on the bar.

Stages, faces, and feeding

Each successful mini-game attempt unlocks a feeding step. The animal will ask for specific food items. After you feed it, one “face” above the target turns happy. The number of faces indicates how many full loops you must complete (mini-game + correct foods). When every face is happy, they convert to hearts and the animal becomes yours.

Common tames and what they need

Animal Flute tier Taming cycles Food per cycle
Bunny (Rabbit) Tier 1 (Old) 1 Carrot ×1
Wolf Tier 1 (Old) 3 Steak ×2
Alpha Wolf Tier 2 (Good) 4 Steak ×1, Stew ×1, Corn ×1
Bear Tier 3 (Strong) 5 Rib ×1, Stew ×1, Pumpkin ×1
Arctic Fox Tier 1 (Old) 3 Steak ×1, Chili Pepper ×1
Mammoth Tier 3 (Strong) 5 Pumpkin ×2, Cake ×1
Lava Mammoth Tier 3 (Strong) 5 Pumpkin ×2, Cake ×1

Also tamable: Scorpion (Tier 1; needs Steak and Morsel; multiple cycles), Polar Bear (Tier 3; multiple cycles), and Kiwi (Tier 1; single Berry in one cycle). Exact counts can vary by balance updates; rely on the on-screen prompts during feeding.

Tip: Animals like Bear and Mammoth are rare spawns. Plan your route and carry all required items before you engage the mini-game so you don’t time out the pacified window.

Flute tiers and where to get them

  • Old Taming Flute (Tier 1): Covers entry-level creatures like Bunny, Wolf, Scorpion, and Arctic Fox.
  • Good Taming Flute (Tier 2): Needed for mid-tier animals such as Alpha Wolf.
  • Strong Taming Flute (Tier 3): Required for top-end tames like Bear, Mammoth, and Lava Mammoth.

Taming Flutes can be found in an upgrading/domestication cabin and in chests. Tier gates apply: you cannot complete the mini-game on an animal that exceeds your flute’s level.

Pet controls and behavior

Action What it does
Follow The pet follows you and joins combat when you damage an enemy or are hit.
Sit Halts movement and makes the pet passive; useful for staging or protecting a location.
Release Despawns the pet so you can tame another. This is how you rotate companions.
Rename Lets you assign a custom name to the selected pet.

You can maintain two active pets at a time. If you want a new one, use Release on an existing companion first.

Zookeeper class basics

Zookeeper is a taming-focused class tied to the Taming Update. It costs 70 Diamonds in the Daily Class Shop and starts rounds with an Old Taming Flute. Its perks speed up flute leveling, increase health restored when feeding pets, and make taming faster with the flute. The class does not raise the default pet limit.

Limitations and known quirks

  • Two-pet limit: You’re capped at two tamed companions. Special event modes may temporarily lift this cap.
  • Feeding prompts rule: Always match exactly what the animal requests after each mini-game cycle; the request can change between cycles.
  • Glitches: Some players report issues feeding Chili to Arctic Fox or getting Mammoth to accept food in specific cases. If a prompt won’t accept an item, disengage and try again later.
  • Rarity: Bear and Mammoth are among the hardest to find.

Once you have the right flute and a backpack full of the proper food, taming is consistent: nail the bar, feed on cue, repeat until the faces flip to hearts. Lock in two reliable followers for roaming runs, and don’t hesitate to release and retame if your needs change.