Shortly after launching Sons of the Forest, you’ll find yourself on a beach with little gear to sustain you. Soon after, you will notice that your thirst, hunger, and rest decrease rapidly. Managing these three attributes is key to staying alive in Sons of the Forest, and while they’ll be easier to manage later in the title, meeting these needs is key to surviving the first week. Here’s our guide to getting your stay at Sons of the Forest off to a smooth start.
Related: How to start a multiplayer game in Sons of the Forest
How to Get Water in Sons of the Forest
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Food and water are related in terms of need at first, but it’s a relatively easy task. You can drink any water if you’re standing inside with nothing equipped (press “G” to unequip anything), then you’ll get an on-screen prompt to press “E” to drink. It goes without saying, but don’t drink sea water or water from murky puddles – the safest water to drink comes from a stream a little inland from where it will be washed with various supplies. Go up the river, drink two glasses and your thirst will be quenched for the day.
How to cook and eat food in Sons of the Forest
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The second task is food, and it will be a long term task throughout your stay in Sons of the Forest. Berries are not a sustainable food: they offer too few nutrients to depend on them beyond the first day. Build a spear out of two sticks, a ribbon, and your knife, and stab the seagulls, squirrels, and bunnies you see hanging around. The bow and arrows are not found until you can explore a bit. You’ll then need to cook it: hold “E” next to a lit campfire to throw the item into the campfire and watch it closely; if cooked too long, it will be inedible. Hold ‘E’ while looking at the food at the campfire to eat it immediately.
You will need two of these cooked meats per day to satisfy your hunger. Once you’ve eaten for the day, build a drying rack with 13 sticks and place the rest of your meat there. Meat takes about a full day to dry, but it will spoil much slower than cooked meat – this cured meat will turn into rations, allowing you to explore the island further without worrying about starvation.
How to rest at Sons of the Forest
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You may notice that your rest doesn’t always decrease at the same rate. Your rest depends on how full your thirst and hunger bars are: fuller need bars mean your need for rest will decrease much more slowly. Once you’ve reliably solved the water and starvation issues, you’ll want to open your survival guide (‘B’), then hold ‘X’ to advance to advanced crafting – a small hut can be easily Completed in a day if we use Kelvin to help with resource gathering. For starters though, building a quick shed out of two poles and a tarp is your best bet to ensure you keep your rest at its best.
How to heal in Sons of the Forest
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For the early stages of Sons of the Forest, the best thing you can do to heal yourself is to find medicine in various caches. Some crates that have washed up with the remains are guaranteed to have medicine, and others can be found in various tribal encampments that dot the map. Consuming a medicine will trigger health regeneration – being hit during this regeneration will completely negate the effect. However, it’s a reliable way to regain full health if you’ve been knocked out recently.
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