Mushroom Magic: Don't Starve, Embrace The Fungi

Mushrooms in Don't Starve are a non-renewable resource that can be used as food or filler in Crock Pot recipes, or given to a pig to produce manure. There are three types of mushrooms: red, green, and blue, which can be harvested to receive a red cap, green cap, and blue cap, respectively. Each mushroom has different effects on health, hunger, and sanity, so players need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of consuming them. For example, raw blue mushrooms are good for regenerating health and hunger, while cooked green caps make up for lost sanity. Mushrooms can also be farmed using Mushroom Planters, and they will regrow after 5 to 10.5 minutes of rain.

Where to find the different types of mushrooms

Mushrooms in Don't Starve are naturally generated objects, with three types to find: Red, Green, and Blue. Each type has a different effect on health, hunger, and sanity. They can be used as vegetable food, filler in Crock Pot recipes, or fed to pigs to produce manure.

Red Mushrooms are identifiable by their red caps and are typically found in Grasslands or Forest biomes. They can only be picked during the day, as they bury themselves underground at night and dusk. Red Mushrooms have the worst effects of all the mushrooms, both raw and cooked. They are good for feeding to pigs, luring Gobblers, and using as Crock Pot filler.

Green Mushrooms are found in Forests, Savannas, and Marshes, and are identifiable by their green caps. They can only be harvested at dusk, as they bury themselves during the day and at night. When cooked, Green Mushrooms make up for lost sanity, so they are good to combine with raw Blue Mushrooms for a full vegetarian diet. Raw Green Mushrooms are good for depleting sanity or lowering enlightenment, which can help the player avoid Gestalt attacks.

Blue Mushrooms are found in Grasslands and Marshes and are identifiable by their blue caps. They can only be picked at night, as they bury themselves during the day and dusk. Raw Blue Mushrooms are good for regenerating health and hunger.

In addition to the three types of mushrooms, there are also Mushtrees, which are a mixture of mushrooms and trees. They can be found in Caves or during a full moon on the surface in Reign of Giants. Unlike regular mushrooms, Mushtrees cannot be picked or dug up, they must be chopped down with an axe. There are three types of Mushtrees: Red, Green, and Blue, which correspond to the regular mushroom types.

It's important to note that mushrooms are a non-renewable resource, as they do not regrow after being picked. However, they will re-grow after rain, and can be dug up with a shovel to obtain two caps, although this will destroy the mushroom spawn.

How mushrooms impact sanity, health, and hunger

In the game Don't Starve, mushrooms are considered vegetables, but they are technically body parts of fungi and not plants. They can be used as food or filler in Crock Pot recipes, or given to a pig to produce manure. There are three types of mushrooms: red, green, and blue, which can be harvested to receive a red cap, green cap, and blue cap, respectively. Each mushroom has different effects on health, hunger, and sanity, so players need to be aware of their advantages and disadvantages before consuming them.

Red mushrooms are typically found in grasslands or forests and can only be picked during the day. They have the worst effects of all the mushrooms, both raw and cooked. Green mushrooms are found in forests, savannas, and marshes and can be identified by their green caps. They are only harvestable during dusk; during the day and night, they bury themselves underground. Blue mushrooms are found in grasslands and marshes and can be identified by their blue caps. They can only be picked at night.

Eating an uncooked blue mushroom gives you -15 sanity and +20 health. On the other hand, eating a cooked green mushroom provides you with +15 sanity and -1 health. Raw blue mushrooms are good for regenerating health and hunger, and cooked green caps make up for lost sanity. Thus, a combination of raw blue mushrooms and cooked green mushrooms can be a well-rounded diet for vegetarian characters. Red mushrooms, on the other hand, are useful for giving to pigs, luring gobblers, and using as Crock Pot filler. Raw green mushrooms can deplete sanity, which can help players avoid Gestalt attacks.

Mushrooms can also be obtained from Mushtrees, which are a mixture of mushrooms and trees found in caves or during a full moon on the surface in Reign of Giants. Unlike regular mushrooms, Mushtrees cannot be picked or dug up and must be chopped down with an axe. After being chopped down, they will drop respective loot depending on the type of Mushtree.

How to farm mushrooms

Mushroom farming in Don't Starve Together involves using Mushroom Planters. There are three types of mushrooms in the game: red, green, and blue. Each has different effects on health, hunger, and sanity, so it's important to understand these implications before consuming them. However, when combined effectively, mushrooms can be a very synergistic food.

Red mushrooms, identifiable by their red caps, are typically found in grasslands or forests and can only be picked during the day. They have the worst effects of all the mushrooms, both raw and cooked. They are good for giving to pigs, luring gobblers, and using as a Crock Pot filler.

Green mushrooms, with their green caps, can be found in forests, savannas, and marshes. They can only be picked at dusk, as they bury themselves underground during the day and night. Eating a cooked green mushroom gives you +15 sanity and -1 health.

Blue mushrooms, identified by their blue caps, are found in grasslands and marshes and can only be picked at night. Eating an uncooked blue mushroom gives you -15 sanity and +20 health. Raw Blue Mushrooms and cooked Green Mushrooms make a full diet for characters that can eat vegetarian meals.

All three types of mushrooms will re-grow after 5 to 10.5 minutes of rain. They can also be dug up with a shovel at any time to obtain two caps, but this will destroy the mushroom spawn. Mushrooms do not grow during winter.

In addition to the standard mushrooms, there are also Mushtrees, which are a mixture of mushrooms and trees. They can be found in Caves or during a full moon on the surface in Reign of Giants. Unlike regular mushrooms, Mushtrees cannot be picked or dug up; they must be chopped down with an axe.

How to cook mushrooms

In the game Don't Starve, mushrooms are considered vegetables, but they are technically body parts of fungi. They can be cooked or eaten raw and have different effects on health, hunger, and sanity. There are three types of mushrooms: red, green, and blue. Each type has different effects, and players need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of consuming them.

Red mushrooms are typically found in grasslands or forests and can be identified by their red caps. They are only harvestable during the day and have the worst effects of all the mushrooms, both raw and cooked.

Green mushrooms are found in forests, savannas, and marshes and can be identified by their green caps. They are only harvestable during dusk; during the day and night, they will bury themselves underground. Eating a cooked green mushroom gives you +15 Sanity and -1 Health.

Blue mushrooms are found in grasslands and marshes and can be identified by their blue caps. They are only harvestable at night. Eating an uncooked blue mushroom gives you -15 Sanity and +20 Health.

Mushrooms can be used as vegetable food or filler in Crock Pot recipes, or given to a pig to produce manure. They can also be farmed using Mushroom Planters. When combined effectively, mushrooms are a very synergistic food.

• Raw Blue Mushrooms and cooked Green Mushrooms make a full diet for characters that can eat vegetarian meals.
• Red Mushrooms are good for giving to Pigs, luring Gobblers, and using as Crock Pot filler.
• Raw Green Mushrooms are good for depleting sanity or for lowering enlightenment, which can help the player avoid Gestalt attacks.

How to identify mushrooms

In the game Don't Starve, there are three types of mushrooms: red, green, and blue. Each type has a differently coloured cap, and they can be harvested to receive a red cap, green cap, or blue cap, respectively. They can be used as vegetable food or filler in crockpot recipes, or given to a pig to produce manure. Each mushroom has different effects on health, hunger, and sanity, so players need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of consuming them.

Red mushrooms are found in grassland or forest biomes and are only harvestable during the day. Green mushrooms can be found in forests, savannas, and marshes and are harvestable during dusk. Blue mushrooms are found in grasslands and marshes and can be harvested at night.

When it comes to identifying mushrooms in real life, it's important to note that there are many factors to consider beyond just colour and size. Here are some tips to help you identify mushrooms:

• Note the substrate, or the material that the fungus is growing from. Some fungi grow in soil, on living trees, or on rotting wood. Knowing the substrate can help you understand the mushroom's ecology and get closer to identification.
• Examine the underside of the cap, where you'll often find the fertile surface where spores are formed, called the hymenial layer. Look for gills, which are small ridges or folds under the cap. Some gills end when the stem begins, while others run down the length of the stem or fork into a Y-shape. These details are key to identification.
• Observe the spore colour. By laying the cap of a fresh mushroom on a sheet of paper and waiting a couple of hours, you can create a spore print. Many field guides are organised by spore colour, so this can be helpful for identification.
• Look for mushrooms at different stages of development, as the same species can look different at various phases.
• Some mushrooms display a chemical reaction when exposed to certain substances, while others are distinguished by microscopic characteristics.
• Consult a highly-rated guidebook specific to your region for more information on mushroom identification.

Frequently asked questions