How to tame creatures in Smalland: Survive the Wilds

Smalland how to tame - the character is standing next to a ladybug which is carrying bags on either side of its body
(Image credit: Merge Games)

If you want to know how to tame in Smalland: Survive the Wilds, you've come to the right place. Befriending the locals isn't something you might have thought about doing, considering the majority of them do their best to kill you the minute they spot you coming through the grass. Not all insects are hostile though, and even some that are can be tamed with some know-how.

Smalland: Survive the Wilds is an early-access survival game which shrinks you down and throws you into a world where you'll need to scavenge resources like flint or chitin to make better tools or weapons. Then you can survive against impossibly large insects of the world you inhabit. Failing that, bribing them with treats is also an option, so here's how to tame in Smalland: Survive the Wilds. 

How to tame in Smalland 

In order to tame an insect or animal, you'll need to present it with a tasty treat. This can't be just anything edible either, it must be a treat specifically designed for what you want to befriend. Not every insect or animal can be tamed in Smalland either, so you shouldn't waste your time trying to locate the recipes for treats that don't actually exist.

(Image credit: Merge Games)

The taming process requires you to bring the target's health down to half, then offer them their treat. You should then be able to interact with them. It's also worth noting that not all those listed can be used as mounts. Ladybugs, for example, will carry extra bag space and follow you around.

Here is a list of what can be tamed in Smalland, as well as the NPCs that give the recipes for their treats (if applicable):

  • Ladybug: Ladybug Travel Kit
  • Grasshopper: Grasshopper Treat
  • Gecko (Skadi): Gecko Treat
  • Wolf Spider (Lissandra): Wolf Spider Treat
  • Damselfly (Tuhala): Damselfly Treat

The treats for the first two on the list are fairly straightforward to unlock. The Ladybug Travel Kit becomes available to make once you build a workbench, and the Grasshopper Treat is a recipe given by the cauldron. If you want to tame a gecko, a wolf spider, or a damselfly, you'll need to speak to the various NPCs found across the map, get them to pinpoint the location of a boss for you, kill it, then return to them to get the recipe for the treat as a reward. 

Sarah James
Senior Guides Writer

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.