There are many survival games out there, from Minecraft to Subnautica. Each new game to the genre offers a unique take, and The Forest is a fantastic example. It provides an intense experience for you, blending exploration and survival with horror.
The Forest is set on the mysterious Peninsular; an island inhabited by wildlife, lovely trees, and… cannibals. You crash land onto this beautiful place and must struggle to survive for as long as you can. It is an incredible game that fans of the horror survival genre must check out. But, before you get lost in the wilderness, it is best to be prepared for what you are about to face.
Updated April 12, 2022, By Luke Ackroyd: The Forest is a fantastic game worth checking out if you get the chance. Although there has not been an update for the game in quite a while, there are still new players stepping into The Forest for the first time, especially with Sons Of The Forest set to release later this year. Before venturing into this dangerous world, knowing how to play The Forest is helpful. You’ll want to know how to avoid The Forest patrol routes of the dangerous cannibals and have a few other game tips at hand to get the most out of your experience. This article has been updated with more The Forest tips and tricks to help newcomers get to grips with this challenging experience right away.
13 The Map And Compass Are Incredibly Useful
Trying to navigate the island can be quite disorientating at first, so finding both the map and compass should be one of the primary goals soon after starting your playthrough. The map is filled out the more you explore, giving you a layout of both the island’s surface and cave systems. With both of these items, you will be able to make your way to critical locations without worrying about getting too lost.
You can find the map and compass quite quickly. When you are first killed in the game, you will awaken in a cave system (A cave known as the Hanging cave). Near where you spawn in this cave, you will find a dead explorer. The map and compass will be on their body. You can also find this specific cave system entrance near the main cannibal village, but be careful as the cannibals will heavily guard it.
12 Stick Markers Will Help You Avoid Getting Lost
Even with a completed map, you can always make use of some handy markers to give you a clear idea of what direction to head towards. The Stick Marker is quite simple to construct for this purpose. You need two sticks, two rocks and a single piece of cloth. Once the marker is built and placed on the ground, you can select what color flag it will make on your HUD.
These flags will always be visible, allowing you to easily make your way back to whatever location you had placed the marker down. It is a great idea to put a marker down wherever you decide to set up camp. You could also put down additional markers near supply caches you’ve left around and other temporary bases you have. With these markers, you’ll have no worries about getting lost.
11 Skull Lamps Are A Permanent Light Source
Being able to see in the dark can be pretty handy. Unfortunately, light sources such as campfires will eventually return you to darkness. This is where Skull Lamps are a great alternative. Unlike campfires, these lamps will stay lit permanently. They are also not too difficult to craft. To make a Skull Lamp, you need three sticks, five sap, and a skull.
These creepy lamps certainly fit with the game’s spooky atmosphere and will make it seem like you are fully embracing life on the Peninsular. But it is important to note that light sources will attract attention from patrol routes. So, although it is helpful to have some light sources around, be wary of having them too close to where you plan to sleep for the night. They are best used for lighting up the caves.
10 It Is Important To Loot The Airplane
The game begins with a plane crash. The crash zone is different each time, although the map stays the same. It can be tempting to rush out of the plane and explore the wilderness, but it is crucial to collect a few valuable items first. Be quick, though, as cannibals will be drawn to the area.
You should loot everything you can around the plane. There will be suitcases near the crash site that are often full of valuable equipment and food. You might find snacks, meds, batteries, and more inside them. Each suitcase will also contain two or three pieces of cloth which are used for a wide range of equipment.
9 It Is Vital To Keep Track Of Your Basic Needs
You will not stand a chance unless you quickly get a handle on your hunger, thirst, and energy. Your character’s fullness and hydration will constantly decrease over time. Making sure to have a constant supply of food and water is vital. You will also need to make sure you are well rested each day or risk being too weak to complete physical activities.
Luckily, you are provided with a survival guide with a variety of tips and advice inside. Keep referring back to this guide to keep track of all these vital stats. Once you have figured out how to survive, you can focus on more exciting matters.
8 Consider Your Playstyle When Building A Base
A core aspect of The Forest is base building. To begin with, you might have to settle for a temporary shelter. But as the game progresses, you can even construct a log cabin. There are many approaches to building a base.
You could try building a giant fortress with lots of traps and walls. But, this will encourage frequent attacks on the base and increase the difficulty. There is also the stealth approach, where you keep on the move. But, this will put a lot of pressure on resource management. A third approach is to build away from patrol routes but not too far from vital resources. Finding the perfect spot is tricky and requires you to use a lot of trial and error, considering what you want out of their survival experience.
7 Enemies Are Reluctant To Attack At First
At first, the cannibals on the island are not aware of your presence. But an encounter with the cannibals is inevitable. The regular cannibals will not attack right away, opting to curiously observe instead (they might growl a little, though). Starving mutants, however, will attack immediately.
The game paces itself quite gradually. As the days pass, the tribes of the island will begin to see you as more of a threat. Their patrols will grow in numbers and become more frequent. Easier to defeat cannibals, such as the starving and regular mutants, will eventually stop spawning, replaced by pale and painted cannibals instead. So, please make use of the early days, as attacking enemies will only increase their hostility faster.
6 Don’t Go Out At Night
It is a bad idea to explore during the night. There are plenty of patrols during the day, especially as the game progresses, but this is nothing compared to how many cannibals there are at night. It is easy to get outnumbered, especially when playing solo.
Alongside this, any light source will draw enemies towards you. So, unless you want to wander around in the dark, it is probably best to stay home. It is also a good idea to put walls around campfires and hide the light source from passing patrols.
5 There Are Ways To Confuse The Cannibals
Taking on the cannibals can be pretty daunting, but there are ways to avoid combat. You can discover red paint at various locations, such as near the main village. Wearing this paint has the potential to pacify the cannibals. They will stare and possibly worship your character instead.
Another way to scare the cannibals is to construct an effigy. These effigies can be crafted by combining sticks, rocks, and body parts. Cannibals will run away from an effigy, but only if it is daytime and on fire. It acts as a useful deterrent, but only temporarily.
4 Make Sure To Upgrade Your Gear
As the game increases in difficulty, it is essential to stay one step ahead of the dangerous mutants. You can find many ways to improve your gear to help with this endeavor. For example, combining booze and sap with a weapon will provide it with a permanent damage increase, as the weapon now has glass shards attached to it. Other upgrades include speed boosts and temporary fire and poison attack bonuses.
Alongside weapons, it is essential to upgrade armor from Lizard Skin Armor to Bone or Creepy Armor where possible. Your base should also be upgraded with stone fences and traps.
3 You Can Play With Up To Eight Players
Although The Forest describes the protagonist as a lone survivor, this does not have to be the case. The game allows for up to eight players to join. Although, it’s unclear if all eight are simultaneously the parent of little Timmy…
By playing in a group, a lot of tension can be taken out of the game. A tribe of cannibals is not as threatening when up against a gang of grizzled gamers. But, an enormous joy of survival games has always been having the ability to work together with friends. So, grab some buddies, and take on the island as a team.
2 There Is An Optional Story To Enjoy
Technically, you can completely ignore your son’s kidnapping. Instead of worrying about your family or considering how to escape the island, you can settle down and accept your new life in the wilderness. Perhaps the forest was your true home all along? This is a survival game at its core, after all. But, by ignoring this call to action, you will miss out on a fantastic story.
Not to spoil anything, but there is a lot more to this creepy island than first meets the eye. Scattered across the island are many unique locations, from a lone yacht to a mysterious sinkhole. The more you explore the island, the story begins to piece together slowly. It is incredibly satisfying to find out the answers to the island’s many mysteries. So, don’t skip out on the narrative.
1 There Are Many Mods To Try Out
The Forest is a unique, unsettling experience, but it is also a fantastic game to return to and play again and again. Even once the story is completed, you might not entirely be ready to leave your new island home. The best way to extend the replayability of The Forest is to download a variety of exciting mods to mix up the gameplay.
There are mods out there that can both increase and decrease the difficulty of the game. You can extend the days and nights, have more space in your backpacks, increase the number of enemies and even turn the entire island into a winter wonderland. One of the best mods has to be the Infinite zipline, which allows you to zip all over the island and treat the place more like an adventure park… that also happens to be full of deadly mutants. No matter your preference, there are plenty of fun aspects of The Forest to enjoy.
NEXT: Is There A Forest 2 Coming Out? Survival Horror Games That Need A Sequel
