99 Nights in the Forest Missing Children: How to Find and Rescue All 4

Four children are missing in 99 Nights in the Forest, and rescuing them is one of the best things you can do in a run. This guide shows how to find each cave, what guards it, what to bring, and what to do once the child is back at camp. The details are as of October 2026, and the sources do not agree on every number, so treat the level ranges as a search guide, not a rule.

Why rescue the children?

Each rescued child helps your run. The Click reports that rescued children raise the multiplier for how many days you gain after a night, which makes reaching Day 99 faster. The sources disagree on the exact number of days each child adds (one lists different amounts for the first three children, another lists a flat bonus), so check the message that appears when you rescue one. A rescued child also settles near the campfire in a tent, and the tent color is fixed to the child: Dino Kid red, Kraken Kid blue, Squid Kid yellow and Koala Kid purple.

Step 1: Upgrade the campfire

Caves show up on your map as you upgrade the campfire. Pixel Twelve gives these rough levels:

• Dino Kid: usually campfire level 2, sometimes clearer at level 3.
• Kraken Kid: usually level 4, sometimes level 5.
• Squid Kid: usually level 5, sometimes level 6.
• Koala Kid: level 6, the hardest of the standard rescues.

The forest layout changes from run to run, so there are no fixed coordinates.

Step 2: Find the cave

1. Check the missing-person poster at camp for a direction and distance clue.
2. Explore in daylight to clear the map fog.
3. Mark the cave icon and your route before you start fighting.
4. Listen for crying, which is a sign you found the right cave.

Step 3: Beat the guards and take the key

Each child is held behind a locked gate in a colored cave. Defeat all the guards and the last one drops the key.

• Dino Kid: five wolves with red collars, red key.
• Kraken Kid: four alpha wolves with blue collars, blue key.
• Squid Kid: two bears with yellow collars, yellow key.
• Koala Kid: six bears, grey key.

Some older guides describe the guard colors or the Koala Kid key a little differently, so if something in your run looks different, trust the game.

Tips for each fight

• Dino Kid: Bring a spear, a pistol or another reliable weapon. Pull the wolves away from the group one at a time.
• Kraken Kid: Bring a ranged weapon, spare ammo and healing. Split up the alphas so they cannot hit you from several sides.
• Squid Kid: Bring armor, extra ammo and healing, plus bear traps if you have them. Fight one bear at a time and never fight with a cave wall blocking your escape.
• Koala Kid: Do not start without solid armor, plenty of ammo and more than one healing item. Clear the bears in controlled pulls. You can finish over more than one day.

If night is coming, retreat to camp. The Click also advises doing later rescues only with good weapons, food and healing, because those areas have stronger enemies.

Step 4: Free the child and bring them home

Open the cell with the matching key, carry the child back to camp, and use the same route you came by. That is the rescue part done.

Step 5: Befriend them

AllThings.how says that after a rescue, each child needs a trinket before you can befriend them. It lists the Crayon for Dino Kid, the Seashell for Kraken Kid and the Dreamcatcher for Koala Kid, and it did not name one for Squid Kid. Trinkets come from chests, dungeons, cabins, sheds and cultist buildings. Cultist strongholds have the most loot but also the hardest attacks, so go prepared. The Chest Luck campfire offering is said to help with trinket hunting.

A befriended child must be kept fed. Cook meat before feeding it, so build a campfire early and a Crock Pot later. The same guide says that reaching level 5 for a child upgrades their tent and makes room for furniture. Injured children need treatment too, not only food.

Quick checklist

• Campfire upgraded to the level that matches the child
• Poster checked and cave marked
• Weapon, ammo, armor and several healing items packed
• Daylight left to finish, or a plan to retreat
• Cooked food ready for the child afterwards