UnReal World is a game all about realism—and that goes for hunting too. It can be tough to find, track, catch and kill any beast in this game. But with this guide, it just became a whole lot easier.

Here’s what beginners need to know and do before starting their first hunt.

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1. Hunt in warmer months

If you started in the summer, as you should for a beginner, you will have a much easier time finding and hunting animals.

The winter gives you the opportunity to use skis, but animals will be more scarce and running through the snow will tire you more quickly—not to mention the need for heavier, warmer clothes that are not suitable for hunting.

As such, aim to hunt in the summer rather than the winter.

2. Choose your equipment wisely

While hunting, it is best to pack lightly, taking as little as possible so you can bring back as much as possible while still maintaining stamina and speed.

Wear light clothing and carry only light weapons. My favourite early setup is two or three javelins and a club. Each of these are easy to obtain or craft, and offer you light, replaceable options that give you ranged attacks as well as bashing damage.

Try not to take anything that slashes or pierces e.g. a sword or spear, if you have one. This will damage the pelt and reduce its value.

3. Find a hunting ground

A good hunting ground will vary on your location and goals, but generally look for:

A single set of hills surrounded by flat ground

Fresh water nearby

Lots of trees

This combination of traits will give you the ideal chances for prey to spawn, for you to spot them and chase them effectively.

If you are planning to hunt multiple creatures, it may be worth finding a freshwater lake and building a small shelter to return to at night.

4. Find your prey

You can seek out prey in a number of ways; looking for tracks on the overmap, asking villagers about the local hunting spots, or even simply stumbling into them.

But by and far the easiest hunting method is to get the advantage of height. Hills and mountains will give you an unobstructed view of the land around, allowing you to spot the various creatures that roam the land.

Don’t waste your time hunting down small, quick creatures like squirrels or foxes. If you are starving, go for it—chase a squirrel into a tree and throw rocks at it until it falls down stunned, then kick it to death. This can also be a good way to train skills.

However, most of the time, these small animals do not yield enough meat to be worth it, and are often far too fast for the player to catch.

On the other hand, big or dangerous creatures like wolves or bears will often seriously hurt or even kill you if you try to hunt them.

Don’t waste your time hunting down small, quick creatures like squirrels or foxes.

Instead, aim to hunt a stag or an elk. These are big enough to be worth the effort, but passive enough to hunt safely.

Reindeer are another option, but they tend to roam in large herds, and their tracks can overlap, making it difficult to single an individual out for hunting.

Once you spot one of these creatures on the overmap, move as quickly as you can towards them. If you are lucky, you will encounter them as soon as you enter the tile where you saw them.

However, if not, search for tracks and hope you get lucky. If you don’t, roam in the tiles nearby and hope that the creature(s) have entered nearby.

If not, return to your hill and search again.

5. Strike hard and fast

Once you’ve found your creature, you will be given the option to encounter them. Do so, and approach carefully.

Once you’ve spotted them, try to move behind where they are looking—quietly! If you can catch a creature unaware and hit them with a javelin or arrow, this is a great start to a hunt. The blood you spill will give you another, easily-spottable thing to follow alongside the tracks, and may even result in the animal bleeding out just a little distance away. If possible, aim for the legs.

More often than not, however, you will spook your prey and they will begin to run. This is where the primary hunting technique comes into play: tracking and tiring out your target.

6. Track the beast

The chase is on! This is easily one of the most exciting parts of UnReal World, but don’t get impatient; the best way of hunting creatures in UnReal World is slowly, surely and with patience.

Begin by following the tracks of your animal. If you can’t find any, try using your Tracking skill to search the area. Do this often, especially if you are only finding a few tracks.

The best way of hunting creatures in UnReal World is slowly, surely and with patience.

If you reach what seems like the end of the trail, go back to the last track you found and use your Tracking skill on it. It should give you a direction. Go in that direction, and you may be able to pick up the trail again.

If you lose the creature completely, don’t despair. Exit out to the overmap and try to find the tracks of your creature again. Wander around the area. If you’re lucky, you’ll find them again and the chase will be back on.

If not, it’s time to cut your losses. Return to your hilltop and start looking for new prey.

7. Tire your prey

Once you are feeling confident in which way the animal has gone, start running intermittently while tracking. Humans evolved to hunt in this manner—chase after prey for long distances, then bash them in the head once the prey is tired and collapsed.

This is the same in UnReal World. The animals you hunt are made to run in short bursts to avoid predators. However, because you are never giving them a break to rest, they are constantly running, stopping briefly, then running again—far too quickly to maintain.

Eventually, this constant pursuit tires the prey out, and they will collapse.

This can take a long time, so make sure you stay on their tracks. Don’t run too much and tire yourself out as well!

Every so often, you may close the distance with your prey before they take off again. If you brought ranged weapons, this is an excellent opportunity to take a shot and try to disable them. Again, aim for the legs.

This is why I encourage all players to keep a ranged weapon in hand at all times while hunting—opportunity only comes along every once in a while!

8. Approach with caution

Eventually, you will find your prey struggling to run, slowing down, or even collapsed from exhaustion.

It may be tempting to rush forward and end this long chase, but you must still approach with caution. A cornered animal is a dangerous animal, and even stags and elks can have a mean kick if you get too close too early.

It may be tempting to rush forward and end this long chase, but you must still approach with caution.

Thankfully, you tiring them out reduces their combat effectiveness. If you have any ranged weapons left, this may be the time to consider using them. Keep in mind, however, that every javelin, arrow or bolt hole in the hide will reduce its quality.

Once the animal has run itself to exhaustion or is obviously bleeding out, move forward and make your final attacks. Aim for the head, as this will do the most damage without damaging the hide too badly, as well as putting the animal out of its misery.

A few strikes later, and the beast will be done.

9. Celebrate!

Congratulations! You’ve killed a beast and can now reap the spoils. Meat and hide are incredibly useful and valuable, and a first kill is often the first step towards a more permanent home in UnReal World, as it allows you to create long-lasting food through smoking.

This may be an excellent time to offer a portion of the meat to the spirits, if you want to stay on their good side—and assuming you have that ritual.

The meat you get from this kill should be enough to last you a long time, freeing you up from constant fishing to build your hut instead. Remember to keep fishing and netting though, as the meat will only last so long!

What is your preferred way to hunt in UnReal World? Do you have a particular strategy? Let me know in the comments below!