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Sons of the Forest Guide: The Best Tips for Beginners

Sons of the Forest Guide: The Best Tips for Beginners

Sons of the Forest is the sequel to the popular survival title The Forest and once again drops you into a wild island full of mutants, mysteries, and scarce resources. Even more than a year after release, many players are starting for the first time — or returning after Early Access and need a refresher on the basics. To keep you from failing right away due to hunger, cold, or enemies, here’s a compact, practical beginner’s guide.

Sons of the Forest settings: Choose difficulty and custom options optimally

Settings menu in Sons of the Forest with difficulty levels and custom options Before you jump in, take a look at the main menu. You can choose preset difficulties from “Easy” to “Hard,” or use **Peaceful** mode for relaxed **base building**. Under **“Custom”** you can fine-tune settings — such as **loot amounts**, **day and season length**, or whether **player-built structures** can take damage. Tip: For your first hours, moderate enemy strength, longer days, and normal loot are ideal.

Understand spawn points: Make the most of forest, mountain, and beach

Starting locations on the island: forest, mountain, and beach with different resources Your crash site is random — each option has pros and cons:
  • Forest: Near rivers with fresh water, fish, and plenty of wildlife — very beginner-friendly.
  • Mountain: Beautiful but harsh. First, head downstream to find resources.
  • Beach: Loot in boats and crates. Later, move your base inland.

If you don’t like a spawn, restart. At the crash site, you’ll find food, drinks, and basic gear in the suitcases — take everything.

Companions Kelvin and Virginia: Use your AI helpers effectively

Companions Kelvin and Virginia as helpful AI partners in the game Shortly after the crash you’ll meet **Kelvin**. Through the **notepad menu**, you can assign him to **gather resources**, **make a fire**, **build a shelter**, or **follow you**. Keep an eye on him: Kelvin can **die** — and you’ll lose a huge help. Later you’ll encounter **Virginia**. Don’t attack her — she’s shy but friendly and will gradually become a powerful ally.

Pro tips:

  • Have Kelvin farm sticks and stones while you explore.
  • Build him a safe base (not directly on cannibal patrol routes or near villages).
  • Kelvin is invaluable in solo runs — use him actively.

Inventory, crafting, and shortcuts: Master the fundamentals

Open inventory with survival kit, GPS tracker, axe, and crafting mat Press **I** to open your inventory. In the **survival kit** you’ll find a **small axe**, **lighter**, **GPS tracker**, and a **survival guide** — open it right away. Use: - **Quick slots 1–9**: Assign frequently used items to the number keys. - **Backpack quick-select (hold I)**: Equip your favorite tools faster without opening the full inventory. - **Crafting on the tarp**: Place items in the center and combine them via the **gear icon**.

A spear is perfect early on: 2x stick + 1x duct tape + knife. Great for hunting and reach against attackers. Also keep the GPS tracker handy to mark important locations and find bunkers/caves.

Shelter & base building: How to build safely and smart

Makeshift shelter with tarp and stick plus expanded log storage Open the guide book with **B**. There are two building styles: - **Blueprint system** (like the first game): Pick a recipe, place the silhouette, add resources. - **Free placement system**: Place materials directly in the world — very flexible.

Switch views with X. To start, a simple tarp + stick tent is enough for saving and sleeping. You’ll often find a tarp at the crash site; get sticks by chopping small bushes with the axe.

Safe building tips:

  • Build near a river (water source), but not directly on main patrol routes.
  • Place storage early (sticks, stones, logs) so Kelvin can stack efficiently.
  • Keep seasons in mind: In winter, water freezes and animals are scarcer — stock up ahead of time.

Food, water, and hunting: Survive quickly and efficiently

Hunting and cooking: berries, fish, and meat as early food sources Your HUD in the bottom right shows **hunger** and **thirst**. Here’s how to stay supplied reliably:
  • Drinking: From rivers and streams. Never seawater! Later, build containers or use collection systems.
  • Berries: Convenient, but some are poisonous. Learn the safe varieties before snacking in bulk.
  • Hunting & fishing: Use the spear to catch fish in rivers; small animals (rabbits, birds) provide early meat.
  • Cooking & drying: Grill meat over a fire; avoid raw or spoiled meat. Snacks are for emergencies.

Bonus tip: Always keep some cooked meat and energy bars in your inventory, and save often — especially before caves and fights.

Conclusion: Start your adventure safely with this guide

Sons of the Forest remains a top-tier survival game and outshines its predecessor in many areas. With the right settings, a smart starting location, solid resource management, and help from Kelvin and Virginia, you’ll master the opening hours with confidence. Want to jump in with friends? You can rent a server here: Rent a Sons of the Forest server now — collecting, building, and exploring is even more fun together.


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Sons of the Forest: Building System Guide – Blueprints, Free Build, Base Building

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