In 7 Days to Die, the core cycle revolves around surviving the “Blood Moon” zombie hordes that attack every 7 days. Your first big wall is the night of Day 7. This page lays out “when to do what and what to prioritize” from the moment you start the game until you clear your first Blood Moon.
If you’re ever unsure, just keep these three things in mind: “Never run out of water and food,” “Don’t push your luck at night,” and “Build a defensible spot before Day 7.” That’s all you need.
Day 0 (Right After Starting): What to Do in the First 30 Minutes
- Get three stone tools together … Pick up a few stones and craft a stone axe, stone spear, and a bone knife. With just these, you can handle early-game harvesting, combat, and salvaging.
- Scout your surroundings … Get a sense of the nearby trader (the tent icon on the map) and small POIs (houses, ruins) you can use as a place to sleep.
- Watch your hydration and body temperature … Running too much makes you thirsty. Deserts and snowy areas require temperature management, so the forest / pine forest biome is safest early on.
Days 1–2: Move Your Tools Closer to Iron
- Gather iron: Mine rocks (iron ore) and smelt it in a campfire with a cooking pot or a forge. It’s the most important early-game material.
- Crafting priorities: Iron pickaxe / iron axe → your harvesting speed becomes a whole different story. After that, armor and a bow.
- Stabilize your food supply: Cook meat, make use of canned goods, and secure crop seeds when you find them. Dying from hunger and dehydration is the most common cause of death early on.
- Read magazines: From the V2 line onward, the flow is to collect magazines to unlock recipes rather than relying on perks. Loot furniture, bookshelves, and mailboxes.
Days 3–5: Settle On a Base and Reinforce It
- Commit to a single defensible spot: The second floor or higher of an existing POI, or a box-shaped shack on flat ground. The golden rule is to limit your entrance to a single point.
- Double up your walls: Wood → reinforced → (if possible) concrete. Blood Moon zombies will punch and break your walls.
- Footholds and escape routes: Set up a rooftop, ladders, and an escape route for emergencies.
- Trader quests: The trader’s “clear it out” requests let you rack up experience, gear, and money all at once. Knocking out a few during the day makes you much stronger fast.
For detailed base-building info, check out the Base & Defense guides as well.
Day 6: Preparing for the Blood Moon
- Make spare ammo and melee weapons. Arrows, bullets, blunt weapons, and so on—enough to keep your options from running dry.
- Secure healing items (bandages, first aid kits, painkillers).
- Plug the holes in your base: Inspect windows, gaps, and weak walls. Place lights to secure your line of sight.
- Fill up on food and water, and go into the night with your fullness and hydration maxed out.
The Night of Day 7: Your First Blood Moon
- Don’t force yourself to wander out. Hole up in your base and deal with the zombies coming to your entrance.
- Funnel them into one point and hit them: Fighting them one at a time in a corridor or on stairs is the safe approach.
- Manage your stamina: Swinging nonstop leaves you winded. Repeat the cycle of backing off to recover → hitting them again.
- When morning comes (around 4:00), the zombies slow down and vanish at daybreak. If you can hold out, you’ve cleared it.
After You Make It: On to the Next Week
- Repair broken walls and reinforce for the next Blood Moon (Day 14).
- Upgrade your perks, gear, and base by one tier.
- Once you have some breathing room, broaden your playstyle with trader runs, vehicles, adding MODs, and more.
Related: Beginner Guides List ／ Base & Defense ／ If you want to play on a server, How to Play on Official Servers