Smalland is a survival crafting game where you play as a tiny creature (about 2cm tall) in a massive backyard ecosystem. Everyday objects like garden tools, flower pots, and rocks become towering landmarks, while insects ranging from friendly ladybugs to hostile spiders become the wildlife you hunt, tame, and ride. The vertical traversal system using ropes and tamed flying insects adds a dimension most survival games lack. Building bases in elevated locations like on mushroom caps or inside hollowed logs protects against ground-level threats and flooding rain.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key synergies |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
The Garden
Key resources: Starting resources, tameable ants and crickets, safe base locations, tutorial areas Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Chitin Bow upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
The Swamp
Key resources: Rare mushroom materials, unique insects, challenging combat, elevated building sites Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Chitin Bow upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
The Shoreline
Key resources: Shell materials, shore-exclusive resources, hermit crab drops, tidal zone exploration Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Chitin Bow upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
The Wastelands
Key resources: Rare materials, strongest tameable insects, endgame weapon components, boss encounters Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Stinger Sword max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
The Underground
Key resources: Crystal resources, cave-exclusive insects, endgame materials, hidden areas Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Stinger Sword max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (The Garden — The Swamp)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials — you'll need them later
- Focus on Chitin Bow once accessible
Mid Game (The Shoreline)
- Push Chitin Bow to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Stinger Sword
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (The Wastelands — The Underground)
- Max out Stinger Sword — this is your top priority
- Complete your build's core gear set
- Craft endgame consumables
- Optional: upgrade secondary equipment for variety
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment — Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials — Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear — Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring The Shoreline farming — This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early — Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Tame a grasshopper before exploring beyond The Garden — its jump ability lets you escape any ground-level threat by leaping to elevation.
- Farm The Shoreline during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build — some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Smalland: Survive the Wilds Guides
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Smalland: Survive the Wilds Overview
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Best Builds
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Tier List
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Walkthrough
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Beginner's Guide
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Tips & Tricks
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Weapons Guide
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Combat Guide
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Boss Guide
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Maps & Locations
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Smalland: Survive the Wilds, check out these related guides:
- Palworld Crafting Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
- Rust Crafting Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
- ARK: Survival Evolved Crafting Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
