Make the counter jump
Four beds each add +1 to the day counter when that night resolves: Old Bed, Regular Bed, Good Bed, and Giant Bed. If you build all four, that is +4 from beds alone. Old Bed is 20 Wood at bench 1. The others need scrap, and the Giant Bed also needs a Cultist Gem. See the crafting guide for the exact rows.
Each rescued child adds a further multiplier. The public survival guide does not print one integer that covers every child, so the on-screen jump is the number that counts. You can still hit day 99 with zero rescues. That path is slower, and it is the condition described for the Self-Preservation badge.
A run does not end at night 99. There is also a badge reported for day 100.
Food that does not depend on luck
Bench 2 Farm Plots grow carrots every 2 days. You can place up to 20. Bench 3 Crock Pot combines food into stew, and stew sits on the hotbar instead of filling the sack. Stand the pot next to the plots.
Cook's seasoning and Chef's recipes make those meals better. They are not required to stop starving. Hunter increases meat drops if the team is feeding the pot with animals instead of carrots.
Fuel after the easy logs
The first fire upgrade is about 5 to 6 logs. Higher levels drink much more. After the opening area is stripped, use:
- Coal and fuel canisters you loot, once logs barely move the bar.
- Wood Rain Storage (5 Scrap at bench 2) so a storm does not ruin the pile.
- Biofuel Processor at bench 3. It turns logs and meat into better fuel. Pelts can go in too if you are not saving them for the trader or the anvil. Place it so the fuel lands in the fire.
- Oil Drill at bench 4 if you would rather wait on oil than keep hauling cans.
- Lightning Rods at bench 3 during thunderstorms.
Filling the fire out to the level that reveals the whole map is the Firemaking IV badge condition. Lower Firemaking badges track the earlier tiers. Exact diamond payouts on those badges are easy to misread from icon-only tables, so claim them in game and read the reward there.