All Ways to Level Up Dino Kid in 99 Nights in the Forest Guide

The Dino Kid update introduces one of the most interactive companion systems in 99 Nights in the Forest. After rescuing Dino Kid from captivity, your next objective is helping him grow stronger by earning experience points through several different activities. Unlike regular NPCs, Dino Kid requires constant attention.

You’ll need to feed him, recover his missing belongings, and respond whenever he needs your help. Reaching higher levels not only unlocks achievements but also turns Dino Kid into a useful camp companion who can gather resources automatically. If you’re looking for the fastest way to increase his level, here’s every method you can use.

Maintaining Dino Kid’s happiness does more than provide additional EXP. Several event badges require him to remain protected over multiple nights, but unhappy nights don’t count toward your progress. Even if your camp survives until morning, failing to meet his basic needs means you’ll have to spend additional nights working toward those achievements. Checking on him regularly prevents unnecessary delays while leveling.

1. Feed Dino Kid Whenever He’s Hungry

The most reliable source of experience comes from feeding Dino Kid. As time passes, his hunger meter gradually decreases. Once he becomes hungry, place food near him and interact to feed him. Timing is important because feeding him while his hunger bar is already full won’t provide any experience, meaning valuable food items would be wasted.

Because of this, it’s best to check on him regularly instead of giving him food immediately after every meal. Not every meal grants the same amount of experience. Better-quality dishes reward significantly more EXP.

• Small cooked foods 15–20 EXP
• Cooked Steak Up to 50 EXP
• Stew Up to 70 EXP

Stew provides the highest experience reward per feeding, making it the most efficient food if your goal is reaching Level 5 as quickly as possible. Once you’ve established a stable base, crafting a Crock Pot should become one of your priorities so you can cook Stew consistently.

2. Find Dino Kid’s Missing Trinkets

Besides feeding, recovering Dino Kid’s lost possessions provides huge experience bonuses. After beginning his event, the investigation board near your campfire starts revealing clues that point toward each missing item. The search area becomes more accurate as you continue upgrading your campfire, making later searches much easier. Returning each trinket rewards a large amount of EXP.

• Lunchbox 100 EXP
• Yo-Yo 150 EXP
• Crayon 350 EXP
• Plush 750 EXP

These rewards are significantly larger than feeding bonuses, so collecting every trinket is one of the fastest ways to increase Dino Kid’s level.

The difficulty increases with each collectible. The Crayon frequently appears inside dangerous areas, including the military base, while the Plush is hidden inside a locked cage found in one of the new map locations. To retrieve the Plush, you’ll need Cultist Gems, making it the final and most challenging collectible during the event.

3. Take Care of Dino Kid’s Needs

Dino Kid occasionally becomes unhappy while living at your camp. Whenever this happens, speak with him to discover what’s bothering him. Solving his problems not only improves his mood but also rewards additional experience. Ignoring these requests slows your progress and may also affect badge completion later in the event. Throughout your adventure, Dino Kid may ask for help with several basic needs.

• Warm Him Up If he’s feeling cold, increase your campfire’s coverage so his tent falls within its warmth. Helping him stay warm rewards around 100 to 150 EXP.
• Let Him Rest Sometimes Dino Kid simply needs sleep. Preparing his bed inside the tent satisfies this requirement and provides another experience bonus.
• Heal His Injuries If Dino Kid becomes injured, use a Bandage to heal him. Besides earning additional EXP, healing him ensures he remains healthy for future event progression. Each completed request generally rewards between 100 and 150 experience points.

Why You Want to Level?

While leveling Dino Kid doesn’t immediately grant equipment or rare items, each level makes him increasingly valuable around your base. The biggest milestone is Level 5. After reaching this level, Dino Kid automatically helps collect logs by cutting nearby trees. This passive resource gathering saves valuable time, especially during later nights when defending the camp becomes much more demanding. Because wood is required for building, repairs, and survival, this ability quickly becomes one of the most useful rewards from the event.

Leveling Dino Kid is one of the main objectives introduced in the latest 99 Nights in the Forest update. Although it takes time and consistent care, the rewards are well worth the effort. Feeding him, recovering his lost trinkets, and responding to his needs all contribute toward faster leveling while also unlocking achievements and improving your camp’s overall efficiency.

If you plan to complete every Dino Kid objective, reaching Level 5 should be your first major milestone, as it unlocks his automatic log-gathering ability and brings you one step closer to earning every event badge.