The early game of Deep Verdant is its tensest stretch. Here is how to get through the first three nights with resources to spare.

Deep Verdant is at its most dangerous — and its most exciting — in the first three nights, before you have a stable base or a reliable food supply. The key is to resist over-building and focus on the essentials.

Secure water and a heat source before anything decorative, keep your first shelter small and defensible, and do not explore further than you can retreat from before dark. Caution early buys you freedom later.