7 Days to Die Challenge System: Every Objective, Requirement, and XP Payout

Few sandbox survival games hand out free XP for things you were already going to do, but 7 Days to Die does exactly that through its Challenge System. Introduced as a replacement for the old tutorial and journal screen, this feature turns ordinary survival routines into a steady drip of progression rewards. Below is everything worth knowing, plus the full requirement and payout list for every objective.

How the Challenge System Works

The system arrived with 7 Days to Die 1.0 and is built around 12 themed categories. Each category contains 10 objectives, for a grand total of 120 tasks that you can chip away at while playing normally.

There is one rule of the road: every objective inside Basics of Survival must be cleared before any other category unlocks. After that gate, the remaining 11 sets open up and can be tackled in whatever order suits your playstyle.

The full list of categories is:

• Basics of Survival
• Homesteading
• Advanced Survival
• Crafting
• Traders and Quests
• Harvesting
• Gathering
• Farmer
• Healer
• Survivor
• Hunter
• Zombie Slayer

New players will breeze through the early sets focused on gathering, harvesting, and meeting the local traders. Veterans heading into late-game territory can target the higher-paying objectives that demand rare resources or fights with special undead like Cop and Demolition variants.

Reward Structure

Most challenges hand out raw experience points. Payouts scale with difficulty, starting at 100 XP for the tutorial-level tasks and climbing to 10,000 XP for the marathon survival objectives and high-volume kill challenges. The heavier-hitting late-game entries also tack on bonus loot such as ammunition, mods, rare items, reading materials, and even legendary crafting bundles.

Every 7 Days to Die Challenge

What follows is the full inventory of objectives, organized by category. Names match those shown in the in-game Challenges window.

Basics of Survival

This is the gateway tier. Finish all ten to open the rest of the system. Every reward in this set is 100 XP.

• Tutorial Challenge: Open the Challenges window and redeem the tutorial entry.
• Gather Resources: Collect 10x Plant Fibers, 10x Wood, and 5x Small Stone.
• Craft Tools: Craft 1x Stone Axe.
• Stone Axe Harvesting: Use the Stone Axe to harvest 10x Wood and 10x Small Stone.
• Craft Armor: Craft 1x Primitive Outfit.
• Wear Armor: Equip the Primitive Outfit.
• Craft Club: Craft 1x Wooden Club.
• Craft Bow: Craft 1x Primitive Bow.
• Craft Arrows: Craft 1x Stone Arrow.
• Redeem Rewards: Claim every reward in this category.

Homesteading

Everything you need to plant a flag, raise walls, and call somewhere yours. Each objective pays 100 XP.

• Craft Land Claim Block: Craft and place a Land Claim Block.
• Craft Bedroll: Craft 1x Bedroll.
• Craft Building Blocks: Craft 1x Building Block.
• Place Building Blocks: Place the crafted Building Block.
• Upgrade Blocks: Upgrade the Building Block.
• Place Door: Craft and place a Wood Door.
• Place Storage Container: Craft and place a Wood Storage Crate.
• Place Torch: Craft and place a Wall Torch.
• Place Spike Trap: Craft and place a Wood Spike Trap.
• Upgrade to Cobblestone: Upgrade a Wood Block to Cobblestone.

Advanced Survival

The first real bump in payouts. Each objective here is worth 500 XP.

• Spend Skill Point: Spend 1 Skill Point on an Attribute or Perk.
• Hunt Animals: Kill two animals.
• Harvest Animals: Harvest 10x Raw Meat.
• Place Campfire: Craft and place a Campfire.
• Craft Charred Meat: Craft 2x Charred Meat.
• Eat Charred Meat: Eat 2x Charred Meat.
• Drink from Water Source: Drink water from a lake.
• Place Dew Collector: Craft and place a Dew Collector.
• Kill Zombies: Kill five zombies.
• Craft Farm Plot: Craft and place a Farm Plot Block.

Crafting

Workshop-focused tasks that escalate from quick magazine reads to running a full chemistry setup.

• Read a Magazine: Use any magazine. Reward: 500 XP.
• Scrap Items: Scrap five items. Reward: 500 XP.
• Place Forge: Craft and place a Forge. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Craft Forged Iron: Craft 100x Forged Iron. Reward: 2,000 XP.
• Place Workbench: Craft and place a Workbench. Reward: 2,000 XP.
• Craft Pipe Bombs: Craft 20x Pipe Bomb. Reward: 2,500 XP.
• Place Cement Mixer: Craft and place a Cement Mixer. Reward: 2,500 XP.
• Craft Concrete Mix: Craft 100x Concrete Mix. Reward: 2,500 XP.
• Place Chemistry Station: Craft and place a Chemistry Station. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Craft Gas Cans: Craft 100x Gas Cans. Reward: 5,000 XP.

Traders and Quests

Everyone wants to meet the cast. Each trader introduction is worth 500 XP, with bigger payouts as you start running their errands.

• Meet Rekt: Encounter Trader Rekt. Reward: 500 XP.
• Meet Jen: Encounter Trader Jen. Reward: 500 XP.
• Meet Bob: Encounter Trader Bob. Reward: 500 XP.
• Meet Hugh: Encounter Trader Hugh. Reward: 500 XP.
• Meet Joel: Encounter Trader Joel. Reward: 500 XP.
• Buy Items from Traders: Purchase five items. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Sell Items to Traders: Sell five items. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Complete Quests: Finish two trader quests. Reward: 2,000 XP.
• Complete a Quest Tier: Finish a full quest tier for a trader. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Open a Trade Route: Discover and open a trade route. Reward: 1,000 XP.

Harvesting

Salvage and resource-extraction objectives. Some are quick, others require dismantling a small fleet of cars.

• Harvest Honey: Obtain 5x Jar of Honey. Reward: 2,000 XP.
• Harvest Cobblestone: Obtain 10x Cobblestone Rock. Reward: 500 XP.
• Harvest Pipes: Obtain 10x Short Iron Pipe. Reward: 500 XP.
• Harvest Polymers: Obtain 50x Scrap Polymer. Reward: 500 XP.
• Harvest Leather: Obtain 10x Leather. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Harvest Rotting Flesh: Obtain 10x Rotting Flesh. Reward: 500 XP.
• Harvest Car Parts: Obtain 3x Engine, 3x Lead Car Battery, and 4x Brass Radiator. Reward: 2,500 XP.
• Harvest Mechanical Parts: Obtain 10x Mechanical Parts. Reward: 2,500 XP.
• Harvest Forged Steel: Obtain 10x Forged Steel. Reward: 2,500 XP.
• Harvest Electrical Parts: Obtain 10x Electrical Parts. Reward: 2,500 XP.

Gathering

Bulk mining and raw resource collection. Nine of the ten objectives ask for 1,000 to 2,000 units and pay 1,000 XP each.

• Gather Wood: Collect 2,000x Wood. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Gather Clay: Collect 1,000x Clay. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Gather Sand: Collect 1,000x Crushed Sand. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Gather Stone: Collect 2,000x Small Stone. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Gather Iron: Collect 1,000x Iron. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Gather Lead: Collect 1,000x Lead. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Gather Coal: Collect 1,000x Coal. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Gather Nitrate Powder: Collect 1,000x Nitrate Powder. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Gather Oil Shale: Collect 1,000x Oil Shale. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Gather Precious Elements: Collect 50x Silver Nugget, 50x Gold Nugget, and 50x Raw Diamond. Reward: 10,000 XP.

Farmer

Ten identical harvest objectives, each requiring 50 units of the named crop. Every entry pays 2,000 XP.

• Harvest 50x Goldenrod Flowers.
• Harvest 50x Chrysanthemum Flowers.
• Harvest 50x Coffee Beans.
• Harvest 50x Yucca Fruit.
• Harvest 50x Aloe Vera Leaf.
• Harvest 50x Blueberries.
• Harvest 50x Hops Flower.
• Harvest 50x Pumpkins.
• Harvest 50x Ear of Corn.
• Harvest 50x Potato.

Healer

Medical crafting and condition cures. Ignoring this branch is a quick way to bleed out.

• Craft Splint: Craft 10x Splint. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Craft First Aid Bandage: Craft 10x First Aid Bandage. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Heal Bleeding: Cure 25x Bleeding. Reward: 2,000 XP.
• Heal Infection: Cure 10x Mild Infection. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Heal Dysentery: Cure 10x Dysentery. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Heal Broken Leg: Cure 10x Broken Leg. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Heal Broken Arm: Cure 10x Broken Arm. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Heal Concussion: Cure 10x Concussion. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Heal Fatigued: Cure 10x Fatigue. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Heal Laceration: Cure 10x Deep Laceration. Reward: 5,000 XP.

Survivor

A mix of biome exploration and long-haul time objectives.

• Enter Burnt Forest: Step into the biome. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Enter Desert: Step into the biome. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Enter Snow: Step into the biome. Reward: 1,000 XP.
• Enter Wasteland: Step into the biome. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Survivor Short: Survive seven real-time hours. Reward: 2,500 XP.
• Survivor Medium: Survive 14 real-time hours. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Survivor Long: Survive 21 real-time hours. Reward: 10,000 XP.
• Survive 1 Blood Moon: Live through one horde night. Reward: 2,000 XP.
• Survive 5 Blood Moons: Live through five horde nights. Reward: 5,000 XP.
• Survive 10 Blood Moons: Live through ten horde nights. Reward: 10,000 XP.

Hunter

Every animal-kill objective requires 50 of the named target. Each pays 10,000 XP plus assorted reading materials.

• Kill 50x Rabbit.
• Kill 50x Chicken.
• Kill 50x Coyote.
• Kill 50x Deer.
• Kill 50x Snake.
• Kill 50x Boar.
• Kill 50x Wolf.
• Kill 50x Mountain Lion.
• Kill 50x Bear.
• Hunt Animals: Kill 500x animals in total. Reward: 10,000 XP and reading materials.

Zombie Slayer

The endgame grind. All objectives pay 10,000 XP, but the bonus loot shifts depending on the target.

• Kill Any Zombies: Kill 500x Zombie. Bonus: ammo.
• Kill Zombie Vultures: Kill 500x Zombie Vulture. Bonus: ammo.
• Kill Lumberjack Zombies: Kill 50x Lumberjack Zombie. Bonus: explosives.
• Kill Spider Zombies: Kill 50x Spider Zombie. Bonus: mods.
• Kill Big Mama Zombies: Kill 50x Big Mama Zombie. Bonus: mods.
• Kill Tourist Zombies: Kill 50x Tourist Zombie. Bonus: mods.
• Kill Mutated Zombies: Kill 50x Mutated Zombie. Bonus: mods.
• Kill Cop Zombies: Kill 50x Cop Zombie. Bonus: rare items.
• Kill Wights: Kill 50x Wight Zombie. Bonus: rare items.
• Kill Demolition Zombies: Kill 50x Demolition Zombie. Bonus: legendary crafting bundles.

Making the Most of It

The Challenge System rewards consistency more than perfection. New survivors can treat it as a guided checklist for early-game milestones, while veterans get to convert their existing grinds into bonus XP and supplies. Track one or two objectives that align with your current goals and check the Challenges window before logging off, since redeeming rewards is the only step that actually pays out.