If you’re like me and grew up playing The Forest before switching over to Roblox horror games like DOORS and Dead Rails, you probably raised an eyebrow when 99 Nights in the Forest claimed to be “based on a true story.” That tagline grabbed my attention instantly. However, unlike most horror clickbait, this game had something to it. In this guide, let’s learn the true story of 99 Nights in the Forest and figure out what exactly this game is pulling from reality.
Is 99 Nights in the Forest Based on a True Story?
One of the original promotional images for 99 Nights in the Forest on Roblox boldly stated that it is inspired by a true story. No official explanation from the developers ever followed. However, every time you enter the game, a notification at the top shows the message: “The game is based on a true story. Some details have been changed.”
Naturally, that turned the Roblox community into mini detectives. While we didn’t get an exact real-world match, two major inspirations likely inspired the game’s plot and gameplay: The Forest (a PC video game) and the 2023 Amazon plane crash survival story.
Real Inspiration of 99 Nights in the Forest: 2023 Colombian Amazon Crash
In 2023, the Colombian military launched a major rescue effort called Operation Hope. Operation Hope was started to find a small aircraft in the Amazon rainforest that had crashed in May, where all the adults died. However, four children aged 13, 9, 4, and just 11 months survived the crash and were alive for 40 days in the jungle.
13-year-old Lesly, using her Huitoto indigenous skills, kept her siblings alive. Just like in 99 Nights in the Forest on Roblox, they ate wild seeds, fruits, and cassava flour. They also built shelters from branches and avoided predators like snakes and jaguars.
This shows the exact inspiration of the game’s story. However, instead of playing as these children, you play as rescuers, trying to find them. You will find a crashed plane on the game map that is from this true story. While story and plot-wise, this IRL story resembles the Roblox horror game, there is more to it.
How The Forest Game Influenced 99 Nights in the Forest
As you can see from the true story, the supernatural deer part is not real. That is where The Forest video game comes in. Anyone who has played The Forest probably saw the similarities right away. Like 99 Nights, it begins with a plane crash and centers around survival, crafting, and sheltering from horrors in a hostile forest.
In The Forest, you play as Eric, a father looking for his son Timmy after a crash. The game slowly reveals the presence of mutants and a disturbing lab experiment gone wrong. Just like in 99 Nights, you have to scavenge, build defenses, and fight horrors at night.
In Roblox 99 Nights in the Forest, a creepy deer is the main villain instead of mutants. Despite that, the plot, hostile elements, and the co-op feature show that the influence is obvious.
The Canon Lore of 99 Nights in the Forest
For those who wish to dive deeper into the lore, 99 Nights in the Forest even has its own backstory. The forest was once a research facility experimenting on animals. A mutant deer escaped and became violent, causing cults to form around it. The forest in this Roblox game is now home to wild predators, worshippers, and anomalies.
That is where the lore of Wendigo comes in. Wendigo is the monster that is the imaginary part that was added to the game with the real story. It is a spirit that has a deer-shaped head and a giant human-like stance. You must avoid this same monster in 99 Nights in the Forest.
You’re one of many survivors brought in to rescue the four lost children while battling these supernatural forces. Notes like the Hunter Logs and Ranger Diaries scattered across the forest show the hints of this lore. You can even find clues that bullets don’t work on the Deer, and it’s light that keeps it away.
99 Nights in the Forest True Story: Conclusion
So, in conclusion, I will say that 99 Nights in the Forest is a hybrid of a real story with fictional characters. The devs used a real survival miracle as the base. Then, they added fear, mystery, and chaos, which makes the spooky adventure worth exploring.
It works. The true story gives it weight. The horror and the multiplayer add that classic Roblox panic, like Evade or DOORS. 99 Nights in the Forest true story isn’t fully real. But it’s inspired by something that was. And that makes the game hit harder. Especially when the platform is filled with brainrot and skibidi toilets.
What are your thoughts on the story of 99 Nights in the Forest? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
