This guide contains spoilers for Sons of the ForestSons of the Forest sends the player to a remote island to search for a missing billionaire and his family. When the player's helicopter crashes, they must scavenge across the island, building shelters and surviving against bloodthirsty cannibals and terrifying mutants. Like the game's predecessor, it is unclear how players beat Sons of the Forest at first glance, especially since doing so requires a few convoluted steps.

If players hope to survive their time in Sons of the Forest, they must first master the game's basic controls, which can stump even experienced gamers. Building structures and interacting with objects follows a different logic than The Forest, so it is worth spending some time after starting the game to figure out how everything works. Players should also take care of Kelvin, their deafened AI companion. Kelvin can do a lot of menial labor and help players establish a baseline to explore the island.

Related: Sons of the Forest Release Date Trailer Shows Off Disgusting Foes

Surviving The Island in Sons of the Forest

A full inventory in Sons of the Forest, including spears, rocks, food, and more.

In order to fight dangerous cannibals and maintain health, players should pack their inventory before worrying about beating Sons of the Forest. Players can carry a ridiculous amount of stuff, with their only inventory limits applying to specific essential items in Sons of the Forest. For example, players can pick up a limited amount of rope before they cannot pick up any extra rope. Collecting sticks, duct tape, and rope are top priorities, but some other important crafting materials include small rocks, cloth, and various human bones.

Weapons are another cornerstone of surviving Sons of the Forest. The most common weapons, which players will spend most of the game with, are crafted spears, clubs, and bows. There are many other weapons players can find around the island, however, including a machete, a pistol, a stun gun, a katana, and more. Each weapon has different stats that cater to different combat styles.

Lastly, players will need to keep their hunger in check by eating food in Sons of the Forest. At first, players will be restricted to berries and hunting for meat, which can spoil. The best way to collect food, however, is to scavenge points of interest for rations. These rations include ramen noodles, MREs, cereal boxes, bacon bites, and canned cat food (although eating that requires a can opener). Since these rations don't spoil, they are the best food for exploring caves in Sons of the Forest.

How To Complete Sons of the Forest

Players enter the golden cube at the end of Sons of the Forest

Sons of the Forest does not tell players how to beat it, encouraging exploration. The big thing players work towards in the early parts of the game is finding the shovel, which will allow them to access previously buried parts of the island and reveal amazing weapons to kill enemies in Sons of the Forest. In order to get the shovel, however, players need to find the rebreather and the rope gun.

The website, Sons of the Forest Map can help players find the caves and paths discussed in this guide.

Item

Map

Location

Uses

Rope Gun

The end of the cave system is accessed by the westernmost spawn point.

Allows the player to use and create ziplines

Rebreather

Inside the cave by the northern beach spawn point, sitting in a pool of water.

Allows the player to swim deep underwater

Shovel

Inside the cave at the intersection of three streams northwest of the mountain spawn, requiring the rope gun and rebreather to access

Allows the player to dig up secrets

These caves are some of the first places players need to go in Sons of the Forest, but only with the right weapons and supplies. The shovel will help players dig up the maintenance and VIP key cards. The key cards are found in buried bunkers on the western half of the island. The maintenance key card bunker is along the river coming down from the beach spawn. The VIP key card bunker is north of the lake emerging from the western cove.

With both key cards, players can find the Golden Armor, a required item to beating Sons of the Forest. Players must journey across the island to its eastern half and find a cave on the eastern side of the large lake. After experiencing a cutscene, players will find a room with the Golden Armor sitting on a blue couch. With that, players can journey through the Exterior Entrance Bunker and even pick up a katana, which would have been an awesome survival weapon if players weren't so close to the game's end.

The Golden Armor will let players open a large door with Demons on the other side guarding a wondrous golden cube. Entering the cube will trigger the final cutscene, after which players get to decide on one of two endings. They can either leave the island with the once-missing billionaire or continue exploring the mysteries the island holds. With that, players have not only survived but beaten Sons of the Forest.

More: Everything You Should Craft First in The Forest

  • Sons of the Forest Poster
    Sons of the Forest
    Platform:
    PC
    Released:
    2023-02-23
    Developer:
    Endnight Games
    Publisher:
    Newnight
    Genre:
    Survival Horror
    ESRB:
    M
    Prequel:
    The Forest
    How Long To Beat:
    12h 1m