99 Nights in the Forest: The True Story Explained

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Uncover the dark truth behind this popular Roblox game

Co-authored by Axire Game and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: September 6, 2025 Fact Checked

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Is “99 Nights” real?

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Is the Deer real?

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Is “99 Nights” based on “The Forest”?

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Bottom Line

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When you load the game “99 Nights in the Forest” on Roblox, a screen appears saying that the game is based on a true story. But can there really be any truth behind a game that features a walking deer and murderous cultists? Surprisingly enough, the game does seem to draw inspiration from real-life events. We’re taking a deep dive into the inspirations behind the plot of 99 Nights to find out what’s real—and what isn’t.

Is “99 Nights in the Forest” real?

“99 Nights in the Forest” may have been inspired by the true story of 4 siblings who survived for 40 days in a Colombian forest. However, the game includes mostly fictional elements, like a Deer that may have been inspired by the Wendigo or Not-Deer, and Cultists that are reminiscent of the game “The Forest.”

Section 1 of 4:

Is “99 Nights in the Forest” based on a true story?

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The game is likely inspired by a true story of children surviving in the forest. The primary objective in “99 Nights” is to rescue 4 children who are lost in the woods. This seems to be based on the story of 4 children who survived a plane crash in May 2023. The adults on board were killed, but the 4 children, ages 13, 9, 4, and 1, managed to survive in the Colombian jungle for 40 days before being rescued.^{[1]
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- A crashed plane in the game resembles the actual Cessna plane that crashed in Colombia.
- That said, most of the details in the game are fictional. For instance, the children in the game are held captive in caves that are guarded by wild animals, and cultists try to prevent rescuers from finding the children.

Section 2 of 4:

What is the inspiration for the Deer?

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The Deer is likely drawn from the legend of the Wendigo. The main villain in “99 Nights” is a creature called the Deer that spawns at night. It’s likely based on the Wendigo—a tall, thin spirit, often depicted as having antlers. Both the Deer and the Wendigo hunt people at night in the forest.^{[2]
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- In the game, weapons don’t hurt the Deer. Light (from flashlights or campfires) will stun it, giving players time to get away. Similarly, Wendigos are depicted as difficult to kill—some legends say they can only be killed if their hearts are burned in a fire.
- The story of the Wendigo originates from the Algonguin people of North America. It’s not said to haunt the rainforests of Colombia, so the mythology here doesn’t exactly match up with the true story of the 4 children who survived the plane crash.
- The Deer may also reference the “Not Deer”—an Appalachian legend of a deer with predatory front-facing eyes and oddly-jointed limbs.^{[3]
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Section 3 of 4:

Is “99 Nights” based on the game “The Forest”?

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“99 Nights” and “The Forest” do share some similarities. In “The Forest,” a plane crash leaves a father and son stranded in the woods. The father has to search the woods for his son while avoiding attacks from mutant cannibals.
- The Cultists in “99 Nights” are similar to the cannibals in “The Forest”—mostly because they’re both creepy forest dwellers who are trying to kill you. In both games, the enemies also get progressively more aggressive.
- Both games also feature abandoned research labs, indicating that the odd creatures in the games may be the result of genetic experimentation.

Section 4 of 4:

Bottom Line: Is “99 Nights in the Forest” a true story?

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The in-game story of the missing children does have some parallels with the children who survived the plane crash in Colombia. But other details of the game, like the presence of the Deer, Cultists, and research facility, were likely inspired by North American mythology and other video games.