If you want to survive the latest horror genre game, you’ll need all the help you can get in Sons of the Forest. You’ve got crazy cannibals and mutants hunting you down, scarce food and supplies. Plenty has changed since the first incarnation of this game back in 2014, The Forest, and thanks to the updated building system and diegetic UI, things have been improved. And this time around, you’ll be struggling against mutant cannibals on a remote island while trying to locate a missing billionaire. Playing this game is challenging and you might find yourself getting eliminated a lot, that’s why we’ve got your back with Sons of the Forest tips & tricks for beginners.
Backpack & Hotkeys
First things first, you’ll need to master the inventory system by fully understanding your backpack. Currently, the game does not offer a typical quick toolbar setup with numeric keys, so you’ll need to:
- Press “I” to open your inventory menu
- Click on your backpack
- Hold down “I” to select an item to pick up and use, while equipping or removing them
There are some hotkey shortcuts you can take advantage of, such as:
- “B” to open and close your build book
- “E” to interact with items (quick press to pick up, long press to use or consume)
- “L” for your light source
Get Everything At the Site
As soon as the game starts and you’re in control, make sure to loot everything at the crash site. The most obvious objects are the multiple travel cases nearby that you can open up. Once you’ve gathered everything from the site, only then should you start exploring the area. All of these newfound items will also need to be organized in your backpack, which you should also know how to do at this point. In this game, organization is key.
Keep Kelvin Close
Don’t forget about the other survivor Kelvin because you only have one chance to get him. If you leave him behind, you’ll never see him again. He’ll help you by gathering food (such as fish), he can chop trees down, and there might be other options available as the game grows. He does respawn when you restart your game session, but try to keep him alive, you’ll be glad you have him on your side.
Explore with Caution
Once you’re all equipped and you understand how to use your backpack, you can start exploring around you. It’s totally find to start wandering around, but if you use your GPS, you’ll see multiple icons that will lead you to important locations, in-game narratives, and loot. Not everything is marked on your GPS map though, so you’ll still need to eventually discover things by chance. It’s a good idea to systematically scour the map so that you avoid getting lost and returning to the same areas over and over again when you don’t need to.
Finally, it’s best to keep these activities to the daytime until you’re more experienced and ready to take on the dangers of the night.
Get the 3D Printer
In your game, a 3D printer will randomly spawn on your map in a randomized location. You’ll need to grab one of the early quests that specify for you to locate more remains from the crash site. Purple waypoints will show up on your GPS, but you’ll want to locate the green circle on your map and head there straight away. Not all of these locations will have 3D printers since they’re all different, but keep at it and hopefully your session will have one.
Some locations are easy to access, and some might need to be dug up with your shovel. Once inside, search for printer resin and then use it on the 3D printer after locating that. The first thing you should make is a mask because that will help you fool the cannibals wearing the body parts. Most of them will ignore you when you hold up the mask. Eventually, you’ll be able to make more items like arrows and armor mesh.
GPS Tracker Tricks
Your GPS tracker is rather limited but there two current tricks you can use it for. First, you’ll need to complete the previously mentioned quest that has you look for remains or survivors of the crash with the purple circles. One of the purple circles will lead you to a person who has a GPS tracker. With that, you can get a stick, place it anywhere on the ground and then attach the tracker onto it. Now, you can mark special locations you find and not lose track of them. Secondly, you can also give the GPS tracker to a character like Virginia so you’ll always know where they are in the forest.
Set Up A Tent and Save Often
Resting areas are the only way to save in this game, so make sure you set one up ASAP. Shelter tents will be the easiest and fastest saves spots you can setup and require only a tarp and a stick. The tarp can be found at the crash site (that’s why we urge you to check the entire site and loot it) and you can get sticks from trees and bushes with relative ease.
Set Up Your Homebase Near a Water Source
When it comes time to choose the location of your base, you’ll want to choose an area that’s near a river. This gives you fast and easy access to a water source to quench your thirst and fulfill this basic need, also Kelvin can conveniently help you fish for food. You can also rest a bit easier by having one side of your space less vulnerable thanks to the moving water. Once you’ve chosen your spot, you can set down all of your camping gear and make a fire along with a shelter.
Fighting Cannibal Mutants
As you play Sons of the Forest, you’ll encounter your fair shar of hideous mutant cannibals. As you progress in the game, you’ll better understand how to deal with them, especially as your equipment and gear grows. You’ll also be able to setup traps and walls while getting stronger weapons. In the meantime, use your basic spear, axe, or a bow to take out the small cannibals that crawl and prefer attacking your from the back. The upright-walking mutants are more fierce, especially with their weapons, so either be prepared to exercise your combat skills or run!
Now that you know the Sons of the Forest tips & tricks for beginners, it’s time to get out there and survive! Check out our other articles that help you enjoy this game and answer questions about characters like Virginia and other gameplay elements. Hopefully you’ll be able to do what it takes to make it out of the horrific island alive!
About the author
