The Forest

This reference section of the guide is for bits and pieces which don't quite fit into the Walkthrough section, but which you might want to know anyway.

The game chooses a random crash site at the start of the game, from a pool of twelve options. Some of these starting positions are better than others, although you are at least always given some luggage and plenty of natural resources to get you started.

Here are the sites you can be given (in order of farthest from the south-east corner of the map to closest), how to identify them when you see them, and then how to reach the large cannibal village and the Hanging Cave from each point. If you manage to identify the starting point you are given from my descriptions, and you don't like it, you can just restart the game in the hope of being given a better one - this is particularly useful if you're playing on harder difficulties.

1. SITE 1: This crash site is the farthest away from the large cannibal village. The plane's exit faces almost due east, and slightly south. If you run directly forward you will very soon arrive at the ledge overlooking the west side of the geese pond. This therefore means that you're very close to the Lawyers Cave, the Submerged Cave, and the Waterfall Cave. Follow the direction the tailfin is pointing and you will reach the west coast very soon, and from there you can just follow the coast around to the south-east until you eventually reach the large cannibal village. Cache 5 is very close to the crash site, in the woods to the south-west.
2. SITE 2: Facing north-west, and sitting on a brown area of ground, you can run directly forwards from this crash site to reach the shore, with the Sahara Shipping Crates directly ahead. The tailfin points at the large campsite south of the geese pond, and there you can save and rest, saving you from having to build a Shelter, etc. There are plenty of supplies around this crash site, including the campsite; and there are several Caves nearby. This is also the best site from which to start a speedrun, since you can just go due south to find the Submerged Cave's Entrance 1 (SW), thereby getting to the Rebreather as soon as possible.
3. SITE 3: This crash site is far from the large cannibal village, but extremely close to the Sinkhole. Follow the direction the tailfin is pointing (due east) to find the Sinkhole on the left. This therefore means that by turning approximately 45 degrees to the right you will definitely be heading towards the south-east corner of the map. Alternatively, you can head due west upon exiting the plane to find the geese pond and the various Caves surrounding it.
4. SITE 4: This site faces east and a little north. There are very few luggage cases to be found, or anything else of use. The geese pond is to the north-west; and both of the Submerged Cave's southern Entrances are to the south-west. Turn slightly to the right upon leaving the plane, then run past the left side of the single white boulder next to the four slim trees (you are now facing due east). Continue in that same exact direction and you should soon arrive first at a pond with two blue tents, and then at the Dead Cave's Entrance 1 (W). This Entrance has three brown crates in front of it: stand next to the one farthest away from the rock wall, then line it up in front of you so that the crate to the right of the Cave Entrance is directly beyond it, in a straight line down the centre of your screen. This gives you your compass direction to arrive exactly at the Hanging Cave's Entrance 1 (SE).
5. SITE 5: This time the plane exit faces south, and by continuing in that direction you can quickly find the bay where the Yacht is moored, with all the benefits that brings. There is not much luggage around the plane, but there's a lot more on the beach. From here you can just follow the shore to the east to find the large cannibal village. As with site 2, this crash site is a good roll for speedruns, since the Submerged Cave's Entrance 2 (SE) is very close by, to the north-west.
6. SITE 6: This is a decent roll. The plane faces south and a little west. There is a nice, flat space outside the plane, with luggage everywhere. Turn right upon stepping out of the plane to find a little pond with some aloe next to it. The large cannibal village is due east: just turn toward the sun.
7. SITE 7: This one appears to the south-east of the Sinkhole, and the exit faces north. There are a few luggage cases on the down-slope at the exit, and a few more to the north-west, at the foot of a huge tree beside a pool. By moving in the direction in which the tailfin is pointing, and veering slightly to the left as you move down the grassy hills and into the south-east woods, you will arrive at the large cannibal village. The two cannibal huts on the plateau are nearby, as is the Dead Cave's Entrance 3 (E), and that means you ca

This section of the guide covers constructing a base in The Forest, including details on crash site locations and building mechanics.

Crash Site Locations:

1. Site 8: Located in the south-east of the map. The plane exit faces east-south-east. Walking downhill leads to Dead Cave's Entrance 3.
2. Site 9: This far-south site faces south-east. It offers quick access to the south coast, Cache 1 to the east, and a large cannibal village.
3. Site 10: A recognizable crash site where climbing back into the plane requires building a platform. The plane faces south-east, leading to the coast and a large cannibal village to the east.
4. Site 11: The plane faces south-east (slightly more south). A depression is immediately to the east. The south coast is quickly found by moving away from the exit. The large cannibal village is extremely close to the north-east. The plane exit is high, requiring a jump or climbing onto the plane's structure to re-enter. Cache 1 is on the cliff edge to the east.
5. Site 12: You land directly in the large cannibal village. The plane's exit faces south-west. Moving forward leads to the cliff edge where Cache 1 is located. The Hanging Cave, Map, and Compass are a short run away.

Construction Mechanics:

In single-player mode, building your base is a core sandbox feature. You collect raw materials to construct buildings, tools, and defenses. Most blueprints are found in the Survival Guide from the start, with more discovered later.

To build, open your Survival Guide, navigate to the desired structure, check its resource cost, and place the blueprint using the mouse. You can rotate blueprints with 'R' before placing. To cancel a misplaced blueprint, press and hold 'C'.

Building requires significant resource gathering, especially logs, sticks, and rocks. While the process is simple, it is time-consuming.

Building a Base - Considerations:

• Site Selection: Flat ground is not necessary as blueprints generally level themselves.
• Resources: Chop trees on hills above your base to let logs roll downhill. The Modern Axe is more efficient than the Plane Axe for felling trees. The Chainsaw is effective but requires fuel.
• Water Source: Build near a fresh water source (pond, stream) unless you have a turtle shell for rainwater collection.
• Wildlife: Look for wildlife icons on the Map, indicating a good site for a constant supply of food and hides.
• Central Location: Building centrally, like near the Sinkhole, provides easy access to multiple Caves. Building on the map's edge is more time-consuming to reach places but can increase security. Caves offer respawning resources.
• Defense: Deep water is a strong defensive measure as enemies cannot enter it. The sea is a poor option due to distance from the map's center and lack of fresh water. Water bodies in the map's center offer a compromise, allowing quick escape.
• Rafts: Building near water allows for a Raft, providing safe travel.
• Activity Zones: Most game action occurs in the southern half of the map.
• Enemy Patrols: Avoid building on enemy patrol routes. Look for huts, fetishes, or totems in the vicinity as indicators of high enemy activity.

Before planning your base, create an archive save to allow for rewinding.