Guides/Getting Started in Hamlet

This is a survival guide written for players starting out in the Hamlet DLC, which deviates in some aspects from the formula shared by the other DLCs in addition to adding many new features. This guide is for features and strategies exclusive to Hamlet. For players who have not played Don't Starve before, see this guide. This guide only covers the first few days of the DLC.

Day 1
The first thing you will notice after waking up is your spawn point. Similar to Shipwrecked, the pieces of debris around you can be hammered for resources. More importantly, however, is a machete on the floor. This machete is vital to your survival, as the Tall Grass must be harvested with it. Begin harvesting Saplings as you would normally, and hack at the tall grass with your machete. Flip Stone Slabs to obtain flint for tools.

Your first priorities should be a Pickaxe and a Torch, and if you have any spare flint, an Axe. Try to avoid straying into the Deep Rainforest for now, and instead search for a Cave Cleft. Inside, there is likely to be at least one Stilagmite, which you should mine for more flint, rocks, and a gold nugget.

Back on the surface, make a Science Machine and a Hammer. Build yourself some essentials, such as a Log Suit, a Spear, and a Backpack. If you still have flint to spare, think about making a spare machete so that you won't run out of grass. Once you're done building everything, hammer the science machine and keep exploring.

Day 2
Today should be spent exploring, as well as revisiting your spawn point to hammer the debris around it. Of specific note are the Deflated Balloon and the Monogrammed Luggage, for a free piece of cloth and a razor. If you come across the Painted Biome, explore it and pick up any gold and iron on the ground, while keeping a safe distance from Gnat Swarms. If you come across the Cultivated Biome, make a note of it and keep exploring.

Day 3
Today, it's time to head into the city proper. Head through the cultivated biome and look for the slated turf and aristocratic pigmen. The pig civilization uses Oincs as currency, and traders will give you oincs in return for certain items. The items they accept can be determined by their appearance. The best way to make money early on is to use your razor to trim Hedges for clippings, which can be exchanged with the blond-haired pig in return for one oinc apiece with no cool-down. Another fairly efficient way of making money is to give refined goods, such as rope or boards, to the mechanic pig, who can be identified by his hammer. However, most traders only accept goods once a day, so it's important that you look for duplicate types of traders if you want to make a lot of money fast.

Once you've gotten about 50 oincs, look for Swinesbury City Hall. In here, you can buy the Deed of home ownership to give yourself a safe haven: the Slanty Shanty. If you haven't found it already, the deed can be read like a Message in a Bottle to reveal the location of the house. Inside the house, you are completely protected from darkness. The first time you enter, put your Deed on the shelf or on the floor, as you no longer need it to access the house. Inside will be two pieces of charcoal on the floor, as well as a cinder-block shelf, a rope light, and a fish mounting. The mounting can be hammered to obtain one oinc as well as a raw fish, so it can be used in case of emergency as a food supply.

Spend the rest of the day making more money, as there's another use for oincs that you should exploit tomorrow.

Day 4
All around the city, you may notice a variety of shops. These shops will allow you to buy supplies in exchange for oincs, from food to rare items. Buy some supplies, gather other supplies, and build a science machine inside or near your home. Build some treasure-hunting tools and start looking in the ancient pig ruins dotted across the landscape. The artifacts you can recover from inside can be given to the museum keeper pigman for 10 oincs apiece.

Days 5+
Keep exploring the world, try a foray into the deep rainforest, and prepare for Humid Season by making yourself a Pith Hat. Make sure to keep a steady supply of food and resources, and look for the ruins in the deep rainforest that lead to other islands.

Note
This guide was written fairly quickly to rectify the lack of a Hamlet guide. As a result, it's fairly bare-bones. Feel free to add any missing pieces of advice and correct any mistakes made.