Dinkum: How to Catch Spectral Bats and Craft Spooky Event Items

Check the event date and the October update

The Spooky Event is an annual October 1–November 7 event using the player’s system clock. It is not tied to the island’s current season alone. This guide covers the PC October update; a Steam announcement does not establish identical update timing on another client. [1]

For its first 2026 run, the developer specifies availability after the update’s release. An event date on the clock is only one condition; the client also needs the update that adds the event. [1]

Go bat hunting at the right in-game time

Spectral Bats appear around the island at night during the event. If you are checking in daylight, wait for the island’s seasonal night start instead of repeatedly searching the same daytime area. [1]

Night begins at 9 PM in summer, 7 PM in autumn, 6 PM in winter and 8 PM in spring. Use the current island season to select the in-game time for the search. [1]

Steps

1. Catch a Spectral Bat with a Bug Net to obtain a Ghoul Drop. The named Bug Net is the documented collection tool. [1]

Craft event items at Clover’s Tailoring

Visit Clover’s Tailoring after Late to see the event-themed shop interior. The developer associates the changed interior with that time, so a normal-looking shop earlier in the day is not automatically a missing-event problem. [1]

Steps

1. Take Ghoul Drops and the other required materials to the cauldron beside Clover, then craft the desired event item. [1]
2. Use the tailoring-shop cauldron for event recipes unless the item’s description specifically gives another source. [1]

Pick decorations, costumes or the functional reskins

The event includes decorations such as the Ghoul Drop Lantern and Spooky Jackaroo statue, as well as costumes. Collecting a Ghoul Drop is the ingredient step; choose a recipe and check its other materials before expecting a complete item. [1]

Flying Broom Stick and Spooky Pack are differently styled items with the functionality of the Helicopter and backpack. Treat them as the documented functional reskins, rather than assuming the appearance creates a new travel system. [1]

Use the separate event appearance options

Sally’s Salon also offers four Spooky Eye Colors and three Spooky Mouth Options during the event. These character appearance choices are separate from collecting bats and crafting cauldron items, so visit the Salon when the goal is to change the character’s face. [1]