Camp Whittlewood introduces players to the Bark Scouts through retro RPG-style exploration, unsettling campfire lore, and seemingly innocent camp activities. As a newly arrived camper assigned to the Squirrel cabin, your first day consists of settling in, exploring the grounds, competing in camp events, and surviving an eerie encounter at the abandoned mill.
This walkthrough covers every objective and interaction required to complete the opening day of the game.
Leaving Home and Arriving at Camp Whittlewood
Your journey begins at home as your parents see you off for your Bark Scout weekend:
- Check Your Belongings: Open your bag to inspect your Scout ID card. Your camper profile lists your name as Conus, blood type O positive, and your cabin assignment as Squirrel.
- Board the Bus: Head outside, present your Bark Scout ID to the bus driver, and say goodbye to your parents to travel to Camp Whittlewood.
- Meet the Camp Staff: Upon arrival, you will meet Counselor Green and Counselor Haley, alongside fellow campers such as Billy and Tiffany.
- Listen to the Camp Lore: Speak with Mr. Whittlewood near the central campfire. He reveals the dark history of the grounds: decades ago, a wildfire swept through the logging camp. When rescuers arrived, the workers were gone, replaced only by twisted wooden statues carved with screaming expressions. Legend holds that the woodcarver still stalks the forest.
Settling Into Squirrel Cabin (Night 1)
Before turning in for the night, orient yourself with the campground layout and grab an important tool:
- Navigate the Smile Path: Signposts mark the trail network. Heading north leads toward the Lakeshore and camp office, east leads to the dining Lodge, and south directs you to the camper cabins.
- Collect the Spile: On your way to the cabins, inspect the wooden crate resting along the trail to pick up a tree-tapping spile.
- Locate Squirrel Cabin: Enter the Squirrel cabin on the southern path.
- Record Your Progress: Interact with the cracked mirror inside your cabin to access Journal Slot 1 and save your game.
- Sleep: Interact with your bed to sleep. You will witness a brief nightmare featuring a carved wooden statue studying something atop a sawhorse before waking up to morning announcements.
Breakfast at the Lodge
Counselors call all Squirrel cabin campers to the Lodge for breakfast to start the first full day of activities:
- Follow the Smile Path north and east directly to the main dining Lodge.
- Head inside to grab your morning meal. The fireplace inside generates heavy smoke that stings your eyes, and several indoor seats are covered in sticky soda.
- Walk outside to find an empty bench away from the other campers to quietly finish your breakfast.
- Once finished, regroup with the counselors and other scouts outside near the cabins.
Activity 1: The Flag Scavenger Hunt & Tug-of-War
The first official scout activity is a perception test where campers scour the grounds for hidden flags.
| Flag Location | Environmental Clues |
|---|---|
| Archery Range | Near the open target practice area and arrow racks. |
| Cabin Grounds | Tucked near the edges of the central camper paths. |
| Lakeshore Dock | Near the old man fishing, who complains about northern construction runoff. |
| Camp Office Area | Outside the building housing the snack vending machine and large fish tank. |
After retrieving the flags around the grounds, return to the counselors at the gathering point. Finding the flags establishes you and Billy as top scavengers and team captains for the subsequent tug-of-war contest.
Pick your teammates when prompted. Upon winning the event, the counselors reward you with the Magnifying Glass, a permanent inventory tool for scouting.
Activity 2: The Smile Trail Hike & Leaf Identification
Counselor Haley gathers everyone on the Smile Trail for a nature hike and issues a Leaf Book. You must explore the trail to identify and gather three specific foliage specimens:
- Japanese Maple: Inspect the distinct red-leafed tree along the forest path to take a sample.
- Hydrangea Bush: Locate the blue floral bush tucked just off the main trail. Be careful around this section, as an unset, rusted bear trap rests nearby on the ground.
- Redwood Violas: Search near the yellow-flowering shrubs displaying inky ruffled lobes to gather your final botanical specimen.
The Old Mill Incident
After gathering the necessary leaves, follow the trail to an old logging structure off the designated path:
- Enter the Mill: Step inside the dilapidated wooden building.
- Solve the Crate Obstacle: Locate the wooden crates covered in sticky pitch. Push and pull the crates into position beneath the high window opening.
- Climb to the Window: Climb atop the crates, taking note of the massive rusted saw blade mounted on the interior wall.
- Escape the Structure: Hoist yourself up and drop out through the window opening to the ground outside.
Once you land outside, the trail will be completely deserted—the counselors and fellow campers have moved on without you.
Returning to Camp and Ending Day 1
Make your way back down the trail toward the cabins. As you pass through the trees, Billy and other campers spring out from hiding, laughing at your reaction and revealing that your abandonment was an orchestrated prank based on the woodcarver ghost story.
Return to the Squirrel cabin area:
- You will find you missed the barbecue dinner while trapped at the mill.
- Speak briefly to the fellow camper sitting outside who noticed your absence and criticized the counselors' lack of attention.
- Head inside Squirrel cabin, record your progress at the mirror journal, and interact with the bed to sleep. Resting marks the conclusion of Chapter 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you save your game in Camp Whittlewood?
Progress is recorded manually by interacting with the cracked mirror mounted on the wall inside your assigned cabin (Squirrel cabin). This opens your memory journal slots.
Can you skip dialogue or cutscenes?
Yes. Dialogue and specific cutscene segments can be fast-forwarded or skipped by pressing the corresponding interaction key (default E on keyboard controls). Inventory management is mapped to the bag button (default X).
What key items must be collected during Chapter 1?
During the first chapter, you will obtain the Bark Scout ID Card, the tree-tapping Spile from the trail crate, the Magnifying Glass from the tug-of-war event, and the Leaf Book with its three required plant specimens.
