In Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest there are 16 sunning spots, four in each Clan territory, and resting at every one with the same cat unlocks the Sunbathing Pro achievement. The game has no manual save button. According to players on the Steam forums, it autosaves when you reach a fast-travel outpost or your den. There are also four secret bosses, one in each corner of the map: Brutal Brock the badger (ShadowClan), Ruthless Reynard the fox (ThunderClan), Mouthclaw’s Legacy the snake (WindClan) and the Pack Leader dog (RiverClan).
This beginner guide pulls together what the community has worked out in the first four days since the October 23 launch. It draws on Trailmark Games’ own Steam announcements, the most-used Steam community guides and the fan-run Warriors Wiki, and every tip below names its source. Checked October 27, 2026, 14:00 UTC.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest beginner essentials
- Saving: there’s no save option in the menus. Players report autosaves at Clan outposts (the fast-travel points) and in your den. Visit one before you quit.
- Quitting on PC: since Steam patch 1.1 (October 26) the exit key is Esc instead of P.
- Sunning spots: there are 16, four per territory. Each one raises your stamina and can teach you a move, according to a Steam guide by Mitch Match.
- Secret bosses: there are four, each fought in three rounds. Players say they are fixed at level 18, so they’re best tried at level 16 or higher.
- Combat stances work like rock-paper-scissors: Defensive beats Offensive, Offensive beats Trick, and Trick beats Defensive.
- What carries over: universal and Ancestor moves follow you to every save. Clan moves stay with the Clan that taught them.
- Level cap: 20. Players report that going from 19 to 20 takes 10,000 XP.
If you still need release times, editions or the Switch vs Switch 2 question, our Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest launch guide with prices and editions covers them.
How to save in Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest
The game has no “Save” entry in the menus. That’s the most common question on the Steam forums, where one launch-day thread asks where the save option is. The players who answered say saving is automatic: it happens at fast-travel points and in your den. One of them walked into the den, quit through the settings menu, and found the cat waiting on the main menu. The Warriors Wiki says each Clan territory has several outposts, and those are the fast-travel points.
Trailmark hasn’t published an official explanation of the save system, so here is the safe routine that follows from those reports:
- Before you stop playing, walk into your den or reach a Clan outpost.
- Open the pause menu and exit to the main menu. Don’t close the game or turn off the console while you’re mid-quest.
- Check that your cat appears on the main menu before you quit to the desktop or home screen.
There’s a reason to be careful. Some Steam forum posters report losing progress after a crash, and others say a save loaded with the wrong level. If that happens to you, Trailmark asks players to include their PC specs when they report bugs on Steam.
PC players should also note one change. Patch 1.1, released on Steam on October 26, moved the exit key from P to Esc. Older guides that say “press P” were written before that patch.
The official map: ShadowClan top left, ThunderClan top right, WindClan bottom right, RiverClan bottom left. Each corner hides one secret boss. Image: Trailmark Games
Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest map: territories and where things are
Trailmark revealed the map early, as a thank-you for 100,000 wishlists (Steam announcement, September 10). Each Clan holds one corner of the Lake Territories, and most of this guide is tied to those corners.
| Territory | Map position | Terrain (store description) | Secret boss |
|---|---|---|---|
| ShadowClan | Top left | Dark pine swamps | Brutal Brock (badger) |
| ThunderClan | Top right, next to the Moonpool | Dense forest | Ruthless Reynard (fox) |
| WindClan | Bottom right | Open moors | Mouthclaw’s Legacy (snake) |
| RiverClan | Bottom left | Marshlands | Pack Leader (dog) |
The Island is in the middle of the lake, between RiverClan and WindClan. The fan-made interactive map on the Warriors Wiki marks 22 outposts, all 16 sunning spots, the four secret bosses and the enemy spawns. It’s the easiest way to plan a route.
Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest sunning spots: all 16 and how to reach them
Sunning spots are warm resting places scattered around each territory. The achievement list calls them “Sunning-spots”: Sunbathing Pro asks you to “discover all 16 Sunning-spots with a single cat”. Two Steam guides, LilKittCat’s “All 16 Sunspots” and Mitch Match’s secret boss, sun spot and move guide, map all 16 with screenshots, and Mitch Match counts four per Clan territory. According to Mitch Match, resting at a spot raises your stamina and also teaches you moves.
Most spots are a short walk from a path. A few need a small puzzle first. Here’s what the guides describe for each territory:
| Territory | Spots | What the guides say you need |
|---|---|---|
| ThunderClan | 4 | Three are a plain walk-up. The one by the bridge needs you to push a log first to cross. |
| RiverClan | 4 | One is a walk-up and one needs you to circle around and drop down. One by a big tree needs jumps across hills and trees, and another needs you to chew a rope tied to a rock first. LilKittCat adds that the Shimmer-Stream spot is reached by jumping across two trees and then a platform. |
| WindClan | 4 | Mostly walk-ups. For the bottom-right one, jump onto a small tree by the path so a pole falls and opens the way. |
| ShadowClan | 4 | One needs you to chew the rope on a rock, walk around and climb the tree you just freed. The rest are walk-ups, though one sits on an easy-to-miss path. |
The achievement counts spots for one cat, so collecting them across different saves won’t add up. And Mitch Match says it isn’t clear yet whether a second cat earns the moves again after your first cat has found them all. If you’re going for 100%, it’s simplest to collect all 16 on your main cat.
Streams, logs and fallen trees: several sunning spots need a log push, a chewed rope or a few jumps to reach. Image: Trailmark Games
Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest secret bosses: locations and how to beat them
Each territory hides one optional boss. They don’t appear in the story, and you find them by exploring the far corners. The locations and fight structure below come from Cr1msonWing’s “Secret Boss Locations” guide, which credits another player, Robotoiger, with finding the RiverClan boss. Mitch Match’s guide adds the more precise spots, and the health figures come from the Warriors Wiki map.
| Boss | Where (per Steam guides) | HP (Warriors Wiki) | Mostly uses | Counter with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brutal Brock (badger) | Top-left corner of ShadowClan, in a rocky den | 208 | Defensive attacks | Trick attacks |
| Ruthless Reynard (fox) | Top-right corner of ThunderClan, in a cave near the Moonpool’s bench | 223 | Trick attacks | Sharp (offensive) attacks |
| Mouthclaw’s Legacy (snake) | Bottom-right of WindClan, in a cave near the road | 208 | Sharp attacks | Defensive attacks |
| Pack Leader (dog) | Bottom-left of RiverClan, under the stone bridge near the travel log | 228 | Sharp attacks | Defensive attacks |
How the fights work. Every secret boss fight has three rounds. In round 1 you face the boss alone. In round 2 one extra enemy of the same kind joins, and in round 3 two do. Cr1msonWing notes that in round 2 you only need to bring the boss down to move on, and that the bosses don’t scale: they’re always level 18.
Strategy players recommend. The 100% achievements guide by VoGnik suggests this plan:
- Round 1: use strong attacks that cost little stamina.
- Round 2: ignore the reinforcements and keep hitting the boss.
- Before round 3: use herbs to top up health and stamina.
- Round 3: switch to moves that hit the whole enemy team.
VoGnik recommends waiting until level 16 or higher. Cr1msonWing calls the Pack Leader the hardest of the four and suggests beating the other three first for the experience. Beating a boss unlocks its signature move.
The secret bosses also count toward King of the Forest (“Defeat 14 Bosses for the first time”). Players think the 14 are the story bosses from all four Clan campaigns plus these four, but nobody has confirmed that yet.
Combat basics: stances, moves and the choices after a fight
Battles are turn-based, with up to three of your cats against three enemies, and the game has 75 moves to unlock (Steam store page). The Warriors Wiki lists the stance effects from the in-game text:
| Stance | Effect |
|---|---|
| Defensive | Effective against Offensive |
| Offensive | Effective against Trick |
| Trick | Effective against Defensive |
| Reckless | 50% more damage dealt, 50% more damage taken |
| Sneaky | Double damage, high chance to miss |
Moves come in three types, and it matters which ones carry over to a new cat. According to the Mitch Match and VoGnik guides:
- Clan moves belong to one Clan. You earn them by raising bonds with Clanmates (and rogues) and by doing that Clan’s side quests. Watch for the small brown and beige speech bubbles between main quests so you don’t miss these conversations.
- Universal moves are shared across all your saves.
- Ancestor moves are also shared across saves. You get them from story bosses and secret bosses, so a second playthrough with a different Clan starts stronger.
After some fights, the game offers you a choice. In “A Final Show of Strength”, sparing the defeated enemy gives 20% more experience, while finishing it gives double fresh-kill, according to the Warriors Wiki. Sparing three enemies also unlocks the Honorable Cat achievement. Early on, take the experience when you need levels and the fresh-kill when your Clan’s prey pile runs low.
Exploring every corner counts: Adventurous Soul asks for all 46 map locations. Image: Trailmark Games
Beginner tips for your first Clan
- Use the Exploration Sage for fetch quests. Some side quests ask for an herb or item without marking it on the map. Frodofox420’s herb-finding guide explains the fix: talk to the Exploration Sage in your camp and pick the quest. Its targets then appear on the map and minimap as purple question marks.
- Hunt with stealth. On PC, press Ctrl to sneak and Space when the prompt appears to pounce, according to VoGnik’s guide. A clean pounce can take prey without a fight, which is what the First Fresh-Kill achievement asks for (ten of them).
- Start den projects before long trips. The Warriors Wiki notes that den decorations take real-world time to build, and that friends who visit your den online can speed them up. Steam patch 1.1 also shortened those build times.
- Unlock the other modes early. Defender Mode (endless battles) and Skirmish Mode (asynchronous online fights) both open once one of your cats earns its warrior name. The StarClan Gallery opens after you finish Prophecy Mode, per the Warriors Wiki. Defender Mode is also where One-Cat Army (20 wins) is earned.
What patch 1.1 changed (Steam, October 26)
Trailmark posted “Control Concerns Received and Are Being Investigated” on launch day, then promised a mouse and keyboard update on October 24. According to the official patch notes, patch 1.1 delivered:
- Camera: mouse and keyboard arrow keys now work at the same time, and X and Y mouse sensitivity sliders were added to the settings.
- Mouse: left-click confirms in menus and interacts with the world, and right-click is bound to crouch.
- Exit: moved from P to Esc.
- Den building times were reduced.
- Fixes for a ShadowClan quest NPC that floated in the air and for a wrong dialogue string in the ThunderClan story.
- Steam Deck: settings were updated for resolution compatibility.
The notes are labeled “Steam”. Trailmark says another patch is already in the works but hasn’t given a date or listed console changes.
If you’re after more games in the same mood, our list of the best cat games on Steam, Switch, PS5 and mobile is a good next stop. You can also browse the best cozy games on PS5 or check the new cozy game releases coming in November 2026.
FAQ
How do you save in Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest?
There’s no manual save. Players report that the game autosaves at Clan outposts (fast-travel points) and in your den. To be safe, visit one, then exit to the main menu and check that your cat is shown before you close the game.
How many sunning spots are there in Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest?
There are 16, four in each Clan territory. Finding all of them with one cat unlocks Sunbathing Pro. According to Steam community guides, each spot also boosts your stamina and can teach you moves.
Where are the secret bosses in Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest?
There’s one in each map corner: Brutal Brock the badger in ShadowClan (top left), Ruthless Reynard the fox in ThunderClan (top right), Mouthclaw’s Legacy the snake in WindClan (bottom right) and the Pack Leader dog in RiverClan (bottom left, under the stone bridge).
What is the max level in Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest?
Level 20, according to Mitch Match’s Steam guide, which says the final level takes 10,000 XP.
Sources: Trailmark Games on Steam (Patch 1.1 notes, map reveal, store page); Steam community guides by Cr1msonWing, LilKittCat, Mitch Match, VoGnik and Frodofox420; Steam discussions; the fan-run Warriors Wiki on Fandom (game, combat and interactive map pages). Checked October 27, 2026, 14:00 UTC.
Live: Follow today’s gaming news as it happens
Featured image: AI-generated illustration
