Being a dad in The Forest is tough. The players' digital son gets kidnapped by cannibals after a plane crash in the middle of nowhere. Such a situation can lead to panic, especially for those who are new to the game.
But as always in such situations, panic is also an enemy here, and knowing what to do on the first day of survival in The Forest is almost key to lasting through the playthrough. The game, after all, can be brutal at times due to the lack of directions and the freaky enemies. These survivalist tips for The Forest ought to provide a valuable and reverberating advantage.
Updated September 17th, 2022, by Sid Natividad: The Forest remains one of the most nerve-wracking and definitive survival games. It's like the video game version of The Descent, which is one of the most underrated horror films in existence. Needless to say, there can never be too many The Forest tips.
Because the game isn't just horrific for newcomers— it can also be a brutal affair, especially for anyone who isn't used to survival games. Tips for The Forest are thus, always welcome. We've added even more for beginners of the game, so that finding their in-game son is a little less tragic.
Don't Feel Pressured For Efficiency & Min-Maxing
A common goal for players in survival games is to gain knowledge of the most cost-effective methods of obtaining resources or gaining an advantage. However, for first-time players of The Forest, this can arguably take the fun out of the game. Thus, beginners are advised to "get a feel" for the game's mechanics first and perhaps even die a couple of times (inadvertently).
This way, they can get a sense of just how unforgiving and delicate their situation is in the game. Gunning for efficiency right away or min-maxing in this survival game will take the horror out of the equation. And that's a pretty big part of the experience in this survival game.
Work Your Way Up The Crafting Menu
Speaking of min-maxing, some players might feel it necessary to hoard resources until they have enough for the best of the best in the crafting menu, skipping the smaller tools. This could get counterproductive easily. Because those smaller tools and structures allow for more safety.
Working up to the crafting menu gradually also lets players get familiar with just which structures and tools are the best for certain situations. Don't worry about resources, most of the trees and the animals respawn and regenerate overnight. They're practically unlimited.
Practice Headshots With The Bow
When it comes to self-defense, players will want to minimize getting into melee combat since it's not exactly a visually-satisfactory way to fight in the game. Granted, fighting in the first person in games is always janky. That's why players need to utilize the safety of bows and spears.
They might do less damage than the Modern Axe or the Katana in-game, but well-placed headshots against some cannibals will take them down and even spook their comrades. Moreover, it lets players conserve their health and armor. So always opt to use the bow; a good way to practice is by hunting birds.
Avoid Playing During Nighttime
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Nighttime in The Forest is pitch-black and true enough to how light is absent in rural areas when the sun is down. Exploration is almost impossible too and lighting up a torch will only attract mutants or cannibals. Plus, it's easy to get lost since there are no visual cues and landmarks.
It's just too much trouble exploring at night, so players will want their characters to just sleep during that in-game period. It's not worth trying to maximize energy and going out at night. Besides, sleeping is a good way to trigger tree, plant, and animal respawns.
You Can Turn Off Building Damage
Building structures and walls only for mutants or cannibals to wreck them in a skirmish is one of the most exhausting struggles in The Forest. Thankfully, players can opt to preserve their carefully-built mini-forts. There's an option in the gameplay menu to disable building damage.
This way, only players can dismantle their buildings. Such a setting is recommended for beginners, so they can manage their resources better. Do be aware that tree houses or forts can still get wrecked if the tree they're built upon gets cut or destroyed.
Mark The Crash Site
The first thing players will want to do is get away from the crash site as soon as possible. In a few minutes, it has a high chance of getting swarmed by cannibal mutants. If players are in a hurry, they can simply build a marker on the crash site, so they can come back to it later.
Stick Markers are accessible through the crafting menu, and they require:
- Stick - 2
- Rock - 2
- Cloth - 1 (find some in the suitcases)
There are plenty of those materials around the crash site.
Follow The Morning Sun
After grabbing whatever they can from the luggage and the plane's remains, players will do well to follow the morning sun. This can lead to a fertile place filled with fruits, accessible water, and good resources, generally.
This doesn't always work. The sun has to be in the east, meaning mornings only. Because east of the island is where the good resources are usually located, making it a prime spot for building a base. The location that players will want to look for is a cliffside near where the river meets the open water.
Procure A Spear For Hunting
After finding a good spot for building at least a bed (for saving), players will then have to worry next about food. Hunting is the most reliable source of food here, and it's way too difficult to hunt with the default hatchet. That's a job for a spear. Spears are easy enough to build in The Forest. Players will only need two Sticks.
After that, hunting game meat such as rabbits, lizards, or even deer (just throw the spear at them), becomes a lot more manageable. Players will need more Cloth and Bone if they want stronger spears but for hunting only, the Weak Spear will do.
Always Choose To Dry Most Of The Meat Instead Of Cooking
So now that players have some meat, it's best to portion or ration it properly. Of course, cooking a small portion to alleviate hunger is mandatory. Players will have to stop there if they want to get more out of the raw meat they have. The rest is best left for the Drying Rack.
Because dried meat typically lasts longer than cooked meat, even in this video game. Moreover, players can eat dried meat without cooking it and not incur any penalties. So in the long run, players will do better to dry their meat. To craft the Drying Rack, players will need five Sticks.
Do keep in mind that mutants can rob the dried meat or even destroy the Drying Rack, causing all the dried meat to disappear. So it's best to plan out a wall or enclosure for the next few days.
Not All Berries Or Mushrooms Are Edible
Apart from meat, berries or other fruits are also great sources of fullness or even hydration. This two-for-one effect makes berries quite valuable and there are plenty of them in the eastern parts of the island. But players shouldn't get ahead of themselves in gobbling these berries. These are the ones that are poisonous elements of nature:
- Snowberry Bush (white)
- Twinberry Bush (dark blue with orange leaves)
Basically, the only ones that are safe to eat are Blueberries and Blackberries. Any fruit that looks weird is poisonous. Now, for Mushrooms, it's a little tricky, these two Mushrooms will give more than an LBM:
- Jack Mushroom (yellow with a circular cap, different from the other yellow one with a flowery cap)
- Amanita Mushroom (red with small white dots)
Prioritize Crafting A Log Sled
Players will need to plan ahead as early as the first day and in the next few days, they'll have to build a wall or other stronger structures. Chopping trees for wood and hauling them by the shoulder is easily one of the most draining activities in the game. That's why the Log Sled has to be built as early as the first day.
It only costs 21 Sticks. Players can move this sled around to collect logs, so they don't have to haul them one by one. One cool trick for the Log Sled is to position it where the tree trunk will fall so that some of the logs will fall right into the sled. The Log Sled can also fit rocks and other crafting materials, so players won't be weighed down.
Don't Eat Before Sleeping
Now, at the end of the day, the player character might not have a full belly. All that stick collecting and game hunting can be exhausting, after all. Some players might be tempted to feed him before going to bed, but this is usually a waste of food.
While the game depletes both Fullness and Thirst during sleep, it only does so at a certain threshold (so that characters don't wake up on the verge of dying). That means there's nothing to worry about if the player character isn't full or is semi-hungry before going to bed. Just eat up some quick meals in the morning, preferably berries.
Cannibals Don't Always Attack On Sight
There are some unfortunate scenarios or instances when players will encounter cannibals while running around on the first day or collecting materials. At times, they even pop up near the camp at night. The initial instinct is to attack them, of course, but it also pays to wait and see first.
Some of these cannibal mutants are just curious. As early as the first day, they don't always attack on sight, especially if they're met outside the player's camp or base. Those who stumble upon the base but don't attack can pose a problem as they might be scouts, but that has less chance of happening at night if players don't build out in the open or extinguish any fire.
The Forest is available on Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4.