Sons of the Forest tips you need to know before playing

Sons of the Forest is a cryptic game, and we're breaking down everything you need to know to get started in this guide

If you’ve been dropped into a scary forest with a man named Kelvin, then you’re playing Sons of the Forest, and you will need to be careful. There are cannibals and genetic mutations alike out there, and surviving against them will be tough work. Luckily, we’ve got the tips you need.

If you’re totally new to Sons of the Forest, then you’ll need the tips in this guide. We’ll be breaking down the basics of how to survive, the items you’ll need, and how you can build up a strong home base to return to after your trying missions into the wilderness. All of that and more in this Sons of the Forest tips guide.

Sons of the Forest tips you need before starting

Crash site supplies

The first thing you should do in Sons of the Forest is scour the crash site for items. There are item caches everywhere, and you’ll need much of it to survive in the wilderness, so make sure to collect everything.

Survival basics

Thirst, hunger, and sleep are the three elements to survival, and you’ll need to keep an eye on things in Sons of the Forest, otherwise you’ll die. Not good. You can see a meter for each just above your minimap.

You can drink water at pretty much any fresh water source – and most of them are fresh water sources. You can find berries everywhere for food, but it’s simple to task Kelvin with finding fish, and then cooking them up over a campfire. Sleep, meanwhile, requires some kind of shelter. You can sometimes find tents in the wilderness, or you can make your own temporary shelter with tarp and a stick. Of course, it’s better to make a long-term log cabin somewhere.

Building a home

You will need to decide where to build up your home base, and it should be near fresh water. This will give you a steady supply of fish and water, and along with a nice place to sleep, that’s all of your basics covered. Cannibals will be more commonplace near the water though, so keep that in mind.

Kelvin’s tasks

Kelvin need to be put to work, but luckily he doesn’t mind much. He should keep you supplied with sticks, rocks, logs, and all kinds of other things. You will need all of them to build a good base in Sons of the Forest, and it’s a lot easier when you’re not doing all of it by yourself. Just don’t bother having him build anything, he’s more likely to destroy it.

Save yourself

The game does not autosave, I repeat, Sons of the Forest does not have an autosave function. You need a place to sleep in order to save, like a tent or a cabin, so make sure to save whenever you’re near one.

Peace talks

If you see a mutant cannibal running around your home base, your first instinct will probably be to kill it. That’s how it usually works, right? Well, not in this game. In fact, attacking will just increase the amount of aggression they show towards you. If you see a cannibal or mutant, simply do not do anything. Only attack if you get attacked first – otherwise, ignore them entirely.

Crafty business

Crafting is a simple process of opening up your inventory, throwing together a bunch of items that you think will work together, and if the cog icon turns solid, you can combine them. Easy. A knife, duct tapes, and sticks can create a long, sharpened spear. Yarrow and Aloe Vera can create a Health Mix. The list goes on. Expect the list of craftable items to vastly expand with future updates.

Virginia, my beloved

There’s a woman roaming the forest that has at least three legs, three arms, and she’s a bit odd. Despite appearances though, you will quickly discover she is non-hostile, and you should not attack her. Stay peaceful when around her, and she will eventually donate food, and even accept items you give her, like weapons. After that, she’ll essentially act as a loyal watchdog for your home base. Another great reason to be a bit more peaceful.