7 Days to Die Beginner Guide (V3) – Survive Your First Week
New to 7 Days to Die, or coming back after a long break? The first week decides everything: by the evening of day 7 the first blood moon horde comes for you. This guide walks you through each day so you are fed, armed and safely behind walls when it arrives.
Day 1 – Get your bearings
You spawn with almost nothing. Don't run into the nearest town – first build the basics.
- Punch grass and bushes for plant fibers and pick up small stones. Craft a stone axe right away; it is your first tool and weapon.
- Make a bow and some arrows as soon as you have feathers – a ranged weapon keeps zombies off you.
- Collect wood from trees and dead bushes. You need a lot of it.
- Follow the starter quests. They teach the basics and point you to your first trader, who gives you a reward and your first real quests.
- Before night falls, find shelter: a small house you can block off, or a few frames and a bedroll somewhere high.
Day 2–3 – Food, water and the trader
Water is the first thing that kills new players. Collect murky water from lakes and boil it at a campfire, or loot bottled water. Hunt animals for meat and cook it – raw meat makes you sick.
Visit the trader in the nearest town. Trader quests are the best early progression in the game: they pay dukes, give items and move your quest tier up. Most quests send you to a point of interest (POI) close to the trader – clear it, grab the loot, come back. Read the full trader quest guide.
Choosing your first perks
Every level gives you a skill point. Spend the first ones on things that make survival easier:
- Your main weapon's perk – the attribute that matches the weapon you like (Perception for rifles and spears, Strength for clubs and shotguns, Agility for bows and pistols, Fortitude for machine guns and fists, Intellect for turrets and batons).
- Better Barter / Living Off the Land / Master Chef style perks – cheaper trader prices and more food are worth a lot early on.
- Mining or salvaging perks if you plan to build big.
Don't spread points across everything. One strong build beats five half-built ones.
Day 4–5 – Your first real base
Pick a spot that is easy to defend and close to resources – near a trader and a road is ideal. Place a land claim block (LCB) if your server uses them: it protects your blocks from other players and shows you where your base is. See land claims explained.
Start with a solid, simple structure. Cobblestone is a big step up from wood; concrete and steel come later. Put down a forge, a workbench and some storage boxes.
Day 6 – Prepare for the blood moon
On the evening of day 7, every zombie in range comes for you, and they keep coming until morning. Use day 6 to get ready:
- Ammo, lots of it. More than you think you need.
- Repair materials and a repair tool, so you can fix blocks between waves.
- Food, water and medicine for the whole night.
- A defensive position – a raised platform or a simple kill corridor works better than a box you hide in.
Our blood moon horde base guide shows how to build one.
Day 7 – Survive the night
The horde arrives after dark and leaves at dawn. Stay calm, keep the zombies in front of you, repair between waves and don't jump down to loot until the sun is up. Survive it once and you've learned more than any guide can teach you.
Common beginner mistakes
- Exploring at night. Zombies run in the dark. Do your trips during the day.
- Ignoring water. Always carry a few drinks.
- Taking quests you can't handle. Higher-tier POIs are packed with sleepers – stay at tier 1 and 2 until you are geared.
- Building in the open with wood. Wooden walls don't last one blood moon.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first in 7 Days to Die?
Collect plant fibers and stones, craft a stone axe, build a bow, follow the starter quests to your first trader and find shelter with a bedroll before night.
When is the first blood moon?
With default settings the first blood moon horde arrives on the evening of day 7 and lasts until morning. Servers can change the frequency.
How do I get clean water?
Boil murky water from lakes or rivers at a campfire with a cooking pot, or loot bottled water. Later you can build dew collectors.
Which attribute should I level first?
The attribute that matches your favourite weapon – one focused build is stronger than spreading points everywhere.
Put it into practice on NASTY Z
Wipe-proof vault, live web map, player market, siege mode and 173 battle honours. Free to play, V3.3, EAC on.