Key takeaways
- No. The developers have never said 99 Nights in the Forest is based on a true story.
- An early cover image said 'based on a true story', which started the rumour.
- Fans link it to the 2023 Amazon plane crash where four children survived 40 days in the jungle, but that is a fan theory.
- The game is made by Grandma's Favourite Games, three friends from New Zealand, and came out in 2025.
- It crossed over into Fortnite in Chapter 7 Season 4 (August 2026).
The short answer
No. 99 Nights in the Forest is not based on a true story, as far as anyone can show. The developers have never said it is. The rumour comes from an early cover image that said “based on a true story”, and fans then tied the game to a real event.
Where the “true story” idea comes from
Fans point to the 2023 Colombian Amazon plane crash, where four children survived 40 days in the jungle before they were found. The game also has four missing children in a forest, so the comparison spread fast. But the developers never linked the two, and the four kids in the game (Dino, Kraken, Squid and Koala Kid) have nothing to do with the real children.
Some writers also see the influence of the survival game The Forest. Again, that is an observation, not something the developers have said.
The story inside the game
The game’s own premise is short: a deer was seen walking on two legs, four children went missing a week later, the forest was closed off, and you have 99 days to get to the bottom of it. The longer “lore” you see in videos and on the wiki’s lore page is fan theory, and the wiki marks it as not canon.
Who made 99 Nights in the Forest?
The game is made by Grandma’s Favourite Games, a studio of three friends from New Zealand. It was created on Roblox in March 2025 and blew up that summer. Roblox rates it Minimal for mild fear and violence.
Is 99 Nights in the Forest in Fortnite?
Yes. A crossover came to Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4, which launched on August 20, 2026. It was the first Roblox game to cross over into Fortnite.
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Try it on BloxStonks99 Nights in the Forest CodesWorking 99 Nights codes for free Diamonds.→Questions
Is 99 Nights in the Forest a true story?
No. The developers have never confirmed any true story. An early cover image said 'based on a true story', and fans connected it to real events, but there is no official link.
What is 99 Nights in the Forest based on?
Its own story: a deer is seen walking on two legs, four children go missing a week later, and the forest is closed off. Fans compare it to the 2023 Amazon plane crash and to the survival game The Forest, but neither is confirmed as a source.
Who made 99 Nights in the Forest?
Grandma's Favourite Games, a three-person studio from New Zealand. The game was created on Roblox in March 2025.
Is 99 Nights in the Forest coming to Fortnite?
It already did: a crossover came to Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4, which launched on August 20, 2026.
How we checked this
Every live number (in green) comes from our own 99 Nights in the Forest data and updates with it. Game facts were checked against the sources below and written in our own words. Read our editorial policy.
- Destructoid: 99 Nights in the Forest true story explained
- Wikipedia: 99 Nights in the Forest
- Roblox groups API: Grandma's Favourite Games
- GosuGamers: Fortnite crossover
What changed
- First version.
We build the BloxStonks value lists, calculators and trackers, and write guides from the same data. Every number in our articles is pulled from our own game data when the page is built, so it updates when the game does.
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