BIGFOOT: Hunter & Monster Guide

How to survive, gather evidence and win in BIGFOOT — as a hunter team against the AI or a player-controlled Bigfoot, and as the creature itself. Covers maps, weapons, equipment, team roles, and what the upcoming overhaul is expected to change.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the live build 5.1.1 (November 2023 hotfix) with a large rework in development (previews July 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status check: BIGFOOT is still in Early Access on Steam. The last public patch was 5.1.1 (9 November 2023), which followed the Ross Lake Park map release. Since then CyberLight Game Studio has grown from 2 to 12 developers (December 2025) and has been previewing a major update: reworked maps starting with Ross Lake, rebuilt foliage, updated weapons, and a new procedural water system (July 2026). No release date for that update has been announced as of late September 2026.

Quick Start

1. Two ways to play: hunters vs an AI Bigfoot (solo or up to 4 players online) or hunters vs a player Bigfoot (up to 5 players online total).
2. Hunters win by proving Bigfoot exists or by killing it. Collecting enough evidence is a valid win — you do not have to fight.
3. Stick together. A lone hunter at night is Bigfoot's favourite meal.
4. Light and vision matter. Night vision equipment and flares keep you from being ambushed in the dark.
5. Collect ammo and supplies early. Search camps, trailers and buildings before dark.
6. Other predators exist. Wildlife can hurt you too; do not ignore it just because it is not Bigfoot.
7. As Bigfoot, eat to get stronger and use darkness, traps and ambushes.
8. Bigfoot recovers only when not taking damage. Hunters should keep pressure on once engaged; Bigfoot players should break contact to recover.
9. Learn one map first. Each park has its own landmarks, routes and safe buildings.
10. Join the Discord if you want to follow the rework — the developers post work-in-progress there more often than on Steam.

Maps

Map tips:

• Learn where supplies spawn (camps, cabins, vehicles and trailers).
• Know your escape buildings. Bigfoot can break some doors (the trailer door was made breakable again in the October 2023 update), so no building is completely safe.
• Use high ground and open clearings to spot Bigfoot coming; avoid tight, dark tree lines at night.

Hunter Equipment

Weapons

Values may change with the upcoming weapon rework, which the developers say improves models, textures and mechanics.

Tools

Hunter Mechanics Worth Knowing

These come from the patch notes, and most players never read them:

• Revive at Stonehenge. Since update 4.1 you can bring back a fallen teammate by finding 4 totems and bringing your friend to the altar. Totem spawns have been randomized since 4.4, so you'll need to search each match.
• Carry the wounded. You can run while carrying an injured friend (added in 4.4), so drag them to safety instead of leaving them.
• Stamina is real. Hunters have a stamina bar, so sprinting everywhere leaves you slow when Bigfoot shows up.
• Fire hurts Bigfoot. Bigfoot loses strength in contact with fire (4.4). Burning also drains your stamina, though, so don't stand in it yourself.
• Windows cost HP. Breaking through a window by jumping deals 10 damage, and jumping through an already broken one deals 1. Use them to escape only when you have to.
• Random spawns. Bigfoot's spawn points and weapon spawns are randomized, so you can't route the same way every match.
• Experience for evidence. Hunters earn experience for evidence they find, so photos pay off even in a lost match.
• Flickering lights mean Bigfoot is nearby (the effect came back in 5.0.3), so treat a flicker as an early warning.
• Wildlife: elk and boar (4.1) and bison (4.4) roam the parks. Predators attack Bigfoot too, and a shot can set animals off.
• Pause: only single-player can be paused. Online, the world keeps running.

Playing as a Hunter

Team roles (for a 4-player squad)

Evidence-first strategy

1. Gather supplies and weapons in daylight.
2. Set traps on routes near your base area.
3. Use the drone and night vision to track Bigfoot.
4. Take evidence when it appears, while teammates cover you.
5. Retreat together to a lit or defensible position after a sighting.

Fighting Bigfoot

• Focus fire. Every hunter shooting at once keeps constant pressure, which stops Bigfoot from recovering.
• Heavy rifles over spray. The AWM rewards careful shots; the M4 was toned down in 5.1.1.
• Watch for thrown objects. Bigfoot can throw items (and rip out road signs to charge into battle).
• Listen for the howl. A howl means Bigfoot is active and nearby.

Playing as Bigfoot

• Feed to become stronger; a starving Bigfoot is easy prey.
• Use darkness. Night hunting is where you are strongest.
• Ambush and retreat. Hit a lone hunter, then disappear to recover — you only replenish strength when you are not taking damage.
• Set traps on routes hunters must use.
• High jump lets you reach positions hunters do not expect.
• Rage gives extra toughness (10% damage resistance, added in 5.0.1) for a decisive push.
• Throw objects at groups to scatter them. Each throw has a 5-second cooldown and costs 5 power, so don't spam it.
• Howl has a 45-second cooldown (cut from 90 in 2021). Use it for fear and to push hunters around, not on a timer.
• Break doors — hiding hunters are not safe inside trailers, and Bigfoot can break out of a closed building too.
• Traps work both ways. If you step in a hunter trap, a quick-time breakout event frees you, so mash it quickly.
• Avoid fire. Flames drain your strength, so circle around burning areas instead of charging through.
• Close-range blindness is survivable. Bigfoot can still hit while blinded by a flare if a hunter is close enough, so punish anyone who flares you from point-blank range.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (Hunters)

• Splitting up to loot faster.
• Wasting flares before night falls.
• Chasing Bigfoot into the dark without night vision.
• Forgetting the evidence win and trying only to kill it.
• Ignoring wildlife. Other predators can finish a wounded hunter.
• Standing in doorways where Bigfoot can grab you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (Bigfoot)

• Fighting the whole group at once.
• Staying in the fight while being shot — you cannot recover while taking damage.
• Skipping food early.
• Using the howl too early and giving away your position.

Advanced Tips

• Drone discipline: keep one hunter on the drone while others hold position; call directions clearly.
• Trap chokepoints between supply areas.
• Bigfoot: stalk the flares. A flare shows exactly where hunters are.
• Solo play: vs AI, play very carefully — no teammates to cover you while taking photos.
• Performance: the 5.0 update moved the game to Unreal Engine 5; if performance is poor, lower foliage and shadows first.

Update History (key patches)

What's Coming

From 2024–2026 developer posts:

• The team grew from 2 to 12 developers.
• Ross Lake rebuilt: forest, trees, rivers, waterfalls, buildings, vehicles and lighting; foliage matched to the real area.
• Weapons updated (models, textures, mechanics).
• New Water System rebuilt from scratch with procedural rivers, lakes and waterfalls.
• The other maps have also been reworked and are "in the final stages" before being revealed.
• Earlier dev posts (2024) described a backend overhaul, a player statistics profile with a "pentagon" of skills per character, Daily Trails (daily challenges), a character upgrade skill tree paid for with Wild Points, deterministic weapon recoil patterns, and a behaviour-report punishment system (cheating bans, chat mutes, penalties for frequently leaving early). None of these are in the live build yet, so treat them as planned until the update ships.

FAQ

Is BIGFOOT still being developed? Yes. The last patch was in November 2023, but the studio has been previewing a large update throughout 2026.

How many players can play? Up to 4 hunters vs AI Bigfoot, or up to 5 players total when one plays as Bigfoot.

Can I play solo? Yes, single-player against the AI Bigfoot is supported, and it's the only mode you can pause.

Can I revive a dead teammate? Yes. Find the 4 totems and bring your friend to the Stonehenge altar (added in update 4.1).

Do I need an Epic account? No. Since update 5.0.1 (October 2023) you don't have to log in to Epic manually.

How do hunters win? By collecting enough evidence of Bigfoot's existence or by killing it.

What is the best weapon? The AWM for damage as of patch 5.1.1; carry a shotgun or pistol for close range.

When does BIGFOOT leave Early Access? No firm date has been announced; check the Steam page's Early Access section.

Sources

• Steam store page — BIGFOOT
• Steam news — BIGFOOT (Ross Lake Park, 5.1.1 hotfix, 2025–2026 dev updates)
• CyberLight Game Studio
• Steam News API — BIGFOOT patch notes 2021–2026