The Bat Has Woken Up Update Guide – 99 Nights in the Forest

The new cave update in 99 Nights In The Forest doesn’t just add a new zone you casually walk into, it’s basically a death gauntlet disguised as a side area.

The deeper I went, the more it felt like the game wanted me to enter unprepared just so it could bury my corpse somewhere near the first glowing crystal.

From new cultist variants, new ritual-themed subzones, crystal puzzle mechanics, and the Bat Boss, this update genuinely shifts early and mid-game progression.

If you’ve been farming pelts, rushing fire upgrades, and cycling classes for fun, this update forces you to start playing strategically.

Below is a breakdown of everything I figured out while running through the caves multiple times, dying, rage-resetting, farming ammo, and coming back smarter instead of just braver.

How To Prepare Before Entering the Caves

I tried going into the cave with just Cyborg and the default flashlight. I survived about 14 seconds. You can brute force your way in, but realistically, go in with:

• A proper flashlight (basic works early, Strong Flashlight recommended)
• Ranged weapon + melee backup
• Food stocked at least past half a bag
• Fire upgraded to Level 4 before entering
• At least 1 healing item even if you’re confident
• A class that can handle swarms, not just bosses

I stuck with Cyborg because the built-in plasma damage lets you deal with cultist swarms fast while still having distance options. It also helps when you’re stuck in caves with low light because it adds visual clarity even when your flashlight dies.

If you want a more tank-oriented run, Knight is viable, but you will struggle when multiple Juggernaut cultists stack on you, especially in narrow tunnels. Range gives you breathing room.

First Encounter: The Entrance and “Blind Bat” Mechanic

The cave immediately teaches you one rule:

The Bat can’t see you, but it punishes movement and noise.

The first trigger tells you repeatedly that the Bat is blind. It’s not just lore — the fight mechanics rely on positioning and timing. When it screams:

• Stop moving
• Hide behind rocks or walls
• Avoid open corridors

If you’re caught in the open, it won’t always kill you instantly, but the scream triggers all nearby cultists, making it a chain-reaction death.

Your first objective is to flash the crystals to unlock deeper zones. They act like checkpoints and safe-light nodes.

Early Cave Enemies & Why They’re More Dangerous Than Surface Mobs

The cultists here are not the same weak hooded ones above. You get:

• Basic cultists that swarm in packs
• Tank cultists with huge axes (equivalent of Juggernaut variants)
• Ambush cultists that spawn in blind corners
• Bat triggers that spawn mobs when you make noise

The big tank variant deals more damage than most overworld mobs and can jump up cliffs to reach you, so vertical cheese is unreliable unless you parkour to thin ledges or stone outcroppings.

What worked for me:

• Laser Cannon to stagger them
• Spear for finishing when ammo is low
• Flashlight position to control aggro
• Stay near climbable rocks when possible

If you think you can kite them in flat tunnels, you will get pinned and shredded.

Why The Flashlight Matters More Here Than the Gun

Looting for a Strong Flashlight was probably the biggest turning point. The caves work like a hybrid between combat zone and puzzle dungeon. Light sources:

• Reveal pathways
• Trigger bat AI behavior
• Activate crystal checkpoints
• Reduce ambush spawn rates

A weak flashlight forces you to play short bursts of light followed by blind traversal while cultists spawn from darkness.

If you can’t find a strong flashlight naturally, do it the sensible way:

Farm pelts → Wait for Pelt Trader → Buy Strong Flashlight

The trade route is faster than praying to RNG.

Crystal Shrines, Blessings & Permanent Upgrades

The statues weren’t just decoration. After interacting multiple times, I finally realized they give game-affecting buffs, not flavor text.

Some examples:

• Longer daytime
• Shorter night cycles
• Reduced rain chance
• Faction alignment (Deer, Owl, etc.)

These are subtle, long-term progression effects that matter outside the caves, especially for 100-day runs.

Mid-Cave Pacing: Why You Need to Retreat Between Layers

Every checkpoint opens a new subzone, and each subzone escalates. Going deeper immediately is a trap. What worked:

1. Clear layer one
2. Retreat, refill ammo, repair gear
3. Re-enter deeper layer fully stocked

Trying to push all floors in one run is possible only if you’re massively over-geared.

Ammo management was the hardest part. Even with 80 rifle ammo, I nearly ran dry by the third checkpoint because:

• Juggernaut cultists take multiple bursts
• The bat spawns cultists indirectly through noise
• You waste ammo fighting swarms instead of conserving shots

Save bullets for elites, use melee for basic mobs.

Late-Cave Difficulty: Arena-Style Waves & Ritual Rooms

Deeper floors introduce new areas where enemies spawn in ritual patterns. These aren’t random; they’re essentially mini-encounter rooms. Expect:

• Multiple cultists activating at once
• No room to circle-strafe
• Light-based puzzle triggers
• The bat tracking you across rooms

This part genuinely starts to feel like a boss rush gauntlet, not exploration.

The Bat Boss — What We Know So Far

The bat isn’t a traditional boss fight yet (as of this update). It acts more like:

• A roaming hazard
• A sound-triggered mini-boss
• A mechanic that forces stealth and lighting

It appears, vanishes, screams, summons cultists, and punishes reckless movement.

My theory?

Future patches turn this into a full boss encounter once deeper rooms unlock.

The game literally shows sealed doors deeper in the cave with future-update designs.

Best Loadout For Clearing the Cave (From What Actually Worked)

Weapon Setup

• Rifle (burst control + elites)
• Laser Cannon (wave clearing)
• Spear (ammo backup)

Utility Setup

• Strong Flashlight
• Map unlocked early
• 2–5 bandages + 1 medkit minimum

Playstyle

• Push one layer at a time
• Retreat when battery runs low
• Only fight groups where you have terrain advantage
• Save ammo for elites and ambush rooms

What This Update Changes About The Game Long-Term

Before this update, the progression loop was surface-based: collect, survive, repeat. The caves introduce:

• Vertical progression
• Puzzle-combat hybrid design
• Lore and faction systems
• Boss-style enemies with mechanics
• A reason to spec builds instead of just survive

If the next updates expand caves further, this could become the core endgame.

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