7 Days to Die: Beginner's Tips for Survival in the Apocalypse

7 Days to Die is not your average zombie survival game; it’s an intricate blend of survival mechanics, crafting, and relentless horde combat set in a post-apocalyptic world.

Known for its steep learning curve and deep gameplay systems, this guide is designed to equip new players with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive.

If you're just starting or revisiting to sharpen your skills, these tips will ensure you make the most out of every moment in this unforgiving world.

What to Do First in 7 Days to Die

Starting in 7 Days to Die can be overwhelming due to its complex mechanics and immediate survival needs. Here’s what you should prioritize:

Complete the Tutorial Quests: These initial quests are more than just an introduction; they lay the foundation for learning key mechanics like gathering, crafting, and building. Completing these tasks also guides you to your first trader, an important NPC for early game resources.

Resource Gathering: Your first goal should be to gather basic resources:

Wood: Punch trees or logs.
Stone: Collect small stones scattered on the ground and mine larger rocks.
Plant Fibers: Gather from grass to craft items like a Bedroll, essential for setting a spawn point.

Setting Up Your First Shelter

Surviving the first night is imperative. The right shelter can mean the difference between surviving and becoming a late-night zombie snack.

Temporary Shelter Setup: Use simple wooden frames to create a small, enclosed structure that provides a safe zone for the night. Reinforce weak points, such as doors and windows, to withstand potential attacks.
Strategic Location Selection: Build near resources but avoid high-density zombie areas like large cities during the initial days. High ground or isolated locations help reduce encounters with wandering zombies at night.

Tips for Early Survival

Crafting, resource management, and strategic planning are core elements of survival in the early game.

Resource Management

Prioritize Versatile Tools: The Stone Axe, crafted from wood, stone, and plant fibers, should be your first tool. It’s useful for gathering resources and can double as a basic weapon.
Managing Food and Water: Hunger and dehydration are constant threats. Hunt small game like chickens and rabbits or search for bird nests for eggs to cook bacon and eggs, one of the most efficient early game meals. Collect and purify water at a campfire using a cooking pot.

Combat and Stealth Basics

Melee vs. Ranged Weapons: Opt for melee weapons like the Wooden Club for close-quarters defense, but keep a Primitive Bow and Stone Arrows for ranged safety. Always aim for headshots for maximum damage.
Use Stealth: Early in the game, avoiding unnecessary fights can be lifesaving. Crouching to stay undetected is effective, especially in dense POIs (Points of Interest).

How to Handle Combat and Zombies

Surviving in 7 Days to Die means knowing when and how to fight. Zombie encounters range from manageable to overwhelmingly intense, so early game combat strategies are important for survival.

Early Combat Tips

Choose the Right Weapons: Start with the Primitive Bow and Wooden Club for initial skirmishes. The bow provides safety from a distance, while the club is effective in close combat. For a quick upgrade, use pipe weapons, which are easy to craft and provide substantial stopping power in emergencies.
Aim for the Head: Maximize your damage by consistently targeting zombie heads. This tactic not only dispatches them faster but also conserves ammunition and weapon durability.
Use Hatches for Defense: Place hatches in doorways to create quick blockades that allow you to hit zombies safely without them pushing through.

Stealth Mechanics

Stealth can be a powerful ally, especially when scavenging for resources in POIs filled with potential zombie threats:

Crouch to Stay Hidden: Crouching (toggle by pressing the default crouch key) reduces your visibility and noise, making it easier to loot buildings without alerting zombies.
Avoid Loud Weapons: Early on, stick to quieter weapons to minimize attracting larger groups of zombies.

Base Building and Defense

A solid base not only keeps you safe but also serves as a hub for crafting, storage, and long-term survival. Here’s how to build a base that withstands the undead hordes.

Choosing the Right Location

Elevation and Proximity: Build on high ground or near cliffs to create natural barriers that slow down zombies. Ensure your base is near resources like wood, stone, and water.
Distance from POIs: Stay close enough to Points of Interest for looting, but avoid building directly in cities where zombie density is high.

Reinforcing the Base

Upgrade Materials: Start with wooden frames and upgrade to cobblestone or concrete as you gather more resources. This gradual strengthening helps withstand tougher zombie hordes during the Blood Moon.
Use Plate Blocks for Extra Protection: Place plate blocks on key areas like windows and doors to add layers of defense without compromising space.

Defending Against the Blood Moon Horde

Trap Strategy: Use spike traps around entry points to weaken zombies before they reach your walls. Ensure these traps are maintained and replaced as needed.
Create Controlled Paths: Guide zombie movement by constructing funnel shaped pathways lined with traps. This strategy ensures you know where they will breach, allowing for targeted defense.

Exploring and Looting POIs

Scavenging is a fundamental part of "7 Days to Die," providing resources and gear to boost your survival odds.

What POIs to Prioritize

Early Game: Target small houses, convenience stores, and medical centers for initial loot runs. These locations often hold items like food, water, and basic weapons.
Hidden Loot Tips: Always check unusual spots such as behind paintings and inside cupboards; developers love to hide valuable items in these places.

Inventory Management

Pack Mule Perk: Invest early skill points in Pack Mule to increase your carrying capacity without being encumbered.
Vehicle Storage: Unlock bicycles and minibikes early to add mobile storage options. Hold the interact button on the vehicle to access extra storage.

Skill Development for Beginners

Allocating skill points wisely can dramatically affect your survival rate and efficiency in 7 Days to Die. Early investments can set the stage for both short-term survival and long-term success.

Skills to Focus on Early

Pummel Pete: Ideal for players who prefer melee combat. This skill boosts damage and stamina efficiency when using clubs and bats, making close encounters more manageable.
Mother Lode: Increases resource yields when mining, chopping, or digging, allowing you to gather materials faster.
Cardio: Improves your stamina regeneration, important for both combat and fleeing from aggressive hordes.
The Daring Adventurer: A must-have for players who plan to complete trader missions, as it improves the rewards you receive.

Balancing Skill Points

While it’s tempting to max out a single skill, diversifying your early skill points helps create a well-rounded character. For example, balancing combat skills with resource gathering perks ensures you can fight and gather effectively.

Engaging with Traders

Traders are the key to progression, offering missions, valuable items, and a way to offload excess loot for profit.

Finding and Using Traders

Locate Your Nearest Trader: Completing your initial tutorial quests often leads to the location of the nearest trader, marking them on your map.
Trader Quests for Quick Progression: Engaging in trader quests is not only an excellent way to earn dukes (the game’s currency) but also provides valuable experience points. Completing these quests boosts your standing with traders and unlocks higher-tier missions and better rewards.

What to Sell and What to Keep

Sell Duplicate Books: If you find a book you’ve already read, sell it to the trader for extra dukes.
Repair Before Selling: Repair items like armor or tools before selling them to maximize their value.

Preparing for the Mid-Game

Once you survive the first few days, it’s time to start preparing for the challenges that come with progressing further into the game.

Improving Your Base

Upgrade to Stronger Materials: Transition from wood to cobblestone, then to concrete and steel as resources allow. This improves your base’s durability against tougher hordes.
Add Defensive Layers: Incorporate plate blocks and reinforce entry points with iron bars or trap doors to add extra protection.

Advanced Looting Strategies

Double Dip POIs: Loot the exterior of a POI before starting a quest there to refresh loot spawns when the quest begins.
Vehicle Crafting and Use: Strive to build a bicycle or minibike early for faster travel and expanded inventory capacity.

Surviving the First Blood Moon

The Blood Moon, occurring every seven days, is a test of your preparation and defensive strategies.

Defense Tips for Blood Moon Nights

Trap Placement: Place spike traps and barbed wire in strategic locations to slow down and damage incoming zombies.
Create a Funnel: Guide zombies into a controlled path using walls and obstacles to manage their flow and pick them off more easily.
Maintain Mobility: Have multiple escape routes planned in case your defenses are breached.

Advanced Base Building Strategies

As you progress in "7 Days to Die," improving your base with advanced strategies is needed to withstand increasingly powerful zombie hordes and adapt to new challenges.

Building for Stability and Strength

Block Mass and Support: Blocks in 7 Days to Die have different mass and support values. For example, wood has a mass of 5 with a support value of 40, while steel has a mass of 20 and supports up to 300. Prioritize upgrading your foundation and critical support blocks to prevent collapses.
Layered Defenses: Use multiple layers of defense such as plate blocks, reinforced walls, and spike traps to slow down zombies and distribute damage.
Upgrade Pathways Smartly: Reinforce pathways leading to your main defense points to prevent zombies from breaking through prematurely. Make sure your supports are upgraded before walls and ceilings to maintain overall stability.

Incorporating Traps and Defensive Tools

Electric Fences and Blade Traps: When resources allow, integrate electric fences and blade traps to add an extra line of automated defense. These tools can weaken zombies before they reach your primary walls.
Hatch Tactics for Entry Points: Use hatches placed strategically in doorways to create controlled choke points where zombies are funneled and easier to manage.

Playthrough Mid to Late Game

The mid-game phase is a turning point that requires clear planning and resource management to sustain growth and prepare for late-game challenges.

Resource Optimization

Farming and Sustained Food Supply: Establish farms using the “Living off the Land” perk to boost yield and maintain a steady supply of food. Plant crops on the roof of your base to protect them from zombies during horde nights.
Efficient Mining: Use the Mother Lode skill and specialized tools like pickaxes to max your resource yield from mining sessions. Focus on gathering iron and clay for crafting items like forged iron and steel.

Crafting and Technology

Invest in Advanced Engineering: This perk unlocks technologies such as the Workbench and Crucible, needed for crafting better tools and weapons.
Power Generation: Establish generators to run electric traps and lights, which can be vital for nighttime visibility and defense.

Securing High-Level POIs

By the time you reach mid to late game, exploring larger POIs becomes important for rare loot and advanced items.

Tips for Successful High-Level POI Runs

Prepare Adequately: Equip yourself with high durability weapons, sufficient food, water, and medical supplies.
Approach Stealthily: Stealth tactics remain important for avoiding detection in high zombie density POIs.
Check for Hidden Loot: Don’t miss hidden compartments behind paintings or in rafters, as these often contain valuable loot.

Multiplayer Strategy

Playing with friends or joining a server adds complexity and excitement to the game. Cooperation can greatly enhance survival odds.

Team Strategies

Designate: Assign specific tasks such as scavenger, builder, or guard to maximize team efficiency.
Shared Resources: Pooling resources allows for quicker base upgrades and better preparation for horde nights.
Coordinated Base Defense: Work together during Blood Moon events to manage defensive lines and ensure that no area is left undefended.

The Art of Survival

Surviving in 7 Days to Die requires a blend of preparation, adaptability, and strategic thinking. By following the tips in this guide, new players can survive the early game, strengthen their base, and gradually progress into the mid and late stages confidently.

Recap of Key Tips:

Complete the tutorial quests to learn the game's basic mechanics and find the nearest trader.
Set up a sturdy shelter and fortify it as you gather better materials.
Balance skill points to develop a versatile survivor who can handle combat, crafting, and resource gathering.
Engage in trader missions for valuable resources and higher-tier loot.
Maintain stealth and manage combat wisely to avoid unnecessary confrontations.

Learn from each gameplay session, and experiment with different strategies. Remember, success in 7 Days to Die often hinges on how well you adapt to the game.

Your Next Step: Take Control of Your Experience

For those seeking a more customized and shared experience, consider hosting your own 7 Days to Die server. This allows you and your friends to tailor the gameplay settings, mods, and face zombie hordes together on your terms.