Sons of the Forest

Sent to a remote island to find a missing billionaire, you survive a helicopter crash and search a wilderness inhabited by hostile groups and mutated creatures. Gather resources, craft equipment, build shelter, and use a GPS to explore above and below ground. Kelvin can assist with assigned tasks as the investigation uncovers what happened on the island.

Sons of the Forest opens with a mission to locate a missing billionaire on a remote island. A helicopter crash scatters the team, leaving the player to regroup, gather equipment and begin searching the landscape. The island holds forests, coastlines, streams, caves and underground facilities, with hostile inhabitants and mutated creatures encountered along the way. A GPS provides a map and marks points of interest, but it does not turn the search into a fixed sequence of errands. The player chooses where to travel and which leads to follow, while basic survival needs keep each excursion grounded in preparation. The premise differs from The Forest: this is an organized search for a missing executive and family, carried out by a field operative, rather than a survivor looking for his child after a passenger plane crash.

The opening also introduces Kelvin, another survivor of the helicopter crash. He can receive written commands through a notepad, such as gathering selected materials, bringing supplies to a location or helping finish a structure. That assistance changes how a camp can be maintained: the player can leave Kelvin working on a simple task while exploring or building elsewhere. He is not a combat partner who replaces the need to prepare for danger, and his usefulness depends on what is requested and what resources are available. Virginia is encountered differently. She approaches cautiously and can become an ally over time; once she accompanies the player, she can help in combat. Their distinct behavior makes companionship part of the island's systems, with Kelvin responding to direct instructions and Virginia acting more independently.

Building combines hand-placed construction with more detailed interaction with materials. The player can establish a basic shelter and then expand it into a cabin, defensive perimeter or larger seaside compound. A blueprint identifies the shape and materials needed, while more direct construction lets logs and other pieces be positioned and cut to fit. An axe can be used to shape logs, including making openings for windows and floors. These steps tie the design of a base to the terrain and the supply of timber gathered from the island. Kelvin can be assigned to help complete a structure or gather materials, making a large project easier to coordinate. The seasons affect the same planning: food and resources become more important as winter approaches, and meat can be collected and stored for colder months.

Crafting takes place through an inventory interface that presents materials and possible combinations. Collected items can be combined into weapons, tools and supplies, while equipment found around the island can open further possibilities for exploration. The player has access to firearms, axes, stun batons and improvised options, but ammunition and other resources still have to be managed. Survival also involves finding food and water and responding to changes in temperature and energy. A stream may provide food, while a camp can offer a place to cook, rest and store supplies. The balance shifts with the trip: carrying weapons and tools prepares for threats, but gathering and moving materials takes time. Crafting, shelter and exploration therefore form one continuous loop instead of separate modes.

The island's caves and underground spaces extend the investigation beyond the visible map. Some routes lead to equipment or information needed to reach other areas, while bunkers contain enclosed spaces that contrast with the exposed forest above. Exploring below ground is more constrained than crossing open terrain: visibility is limited, passages may narrow or descend, and threats can be close before they are seen. A GPS and discovered markers help orient travel across the surface, but the player still has to decide when to leave a safe camp and what equipment to take. Notes, objects and locations add context to the missing-person search without spelling out every connection at once. Revisiting a place with new equipment can change what routes are accessible and what details make sense.

The island's inhabitants are not limited to one kind of enemy. The Steam description distinguishes mutated creatures that can appear nearly human from others with less familiar forms, and arms the player with a range of weapons for protection. Encounters can interrupt resource gathering or make a route unsafe, which gives defensive construction a practical role. Walls and traps can help protect an occupied area, while co-operative play allows teammates to share items and work together on defenses or underground exploration. The player can also set aspects of the experience through available game settings, which affect how survival and hostile characters shape a session. Regardless of approach, a camp does not eliminate the need to watch the surroundings: expeditions for food, materials or clues take the player away from its protection.

Progress emerges as the player follows leads, uncovers equipment and decides how much of the island to map before returning to the search. The GPS makes distant points of interest visible, while caves, facilities and scattered objects provide routes into the story. At the same time, the basic cycle continues: gather supplies, improve equipment, maintain shelter and prepare for the next outing. Kelvin's commands can support gathering or construction; Virginia can accompany the player and contribute in fights; other players can share the same work in co-op. These systems let the search expand from a crashed helicopter into a wider investigation without forcing every action into a mission marker. The result is an open survival structure in which the main objective remains clear, but the route, pace and amount of preparation are chosen by the player.