While Sons of the Forest is a horror game, it is also a survival game at its core. Players are sent with a search and rescue team to an abandoned, mysterious island, but they crash-land with one other survivor. Their main goal is to escape the island and survive against the cannibals and nature.
Players must also keep themselves healthy by eating, sleeping, and staying hydrated. Food is important because it affects their overall strength and stamina, and it can be used to restore health if cooked. Hunting is an option, but players who have settled at a base can grow plants if they don't want to go far. They can grow medicinal plants as well, so gardening is an important activity to master in Sons of the Forest.
How to Grow Plants in Sons of the Forest
Players can grow plants as soon as they land on the island. Planting seeds straight into the ground is not an option, but players can build wooden planters for their crops.
The blueprints for planters are inside the Survivalist Handbook, accessed by pressing "B." There are two kinds of planters, including the following:
- Standing Planter (18 Sticks)
- Wall Planter (16 Sticks)
Players can select which one they want to build and place it. Then, they'll need to create it using sticks. Players can get sticks by picking them up, cutting down small trees with an axe or chainsaw, or telling Kelvin to gather them. Kelvin can also be commanded to finish building the structure.
Each planter only holds one kind of seed, so players must build multiple if they want to have a variety of plants. Berry bushes are a good food source, but players can also make Energy or Medicine mixes if they have the correct ingredients.
How to Get Seeds in Sons of the Forest
Seeds can be harvested by picking berries or destroying plants. The entire forest contains plants, including edible and medicinal species that players can forage. The plants that produce seeds include the following:
- Aloe Vera
- Arrowleaf
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- Chicory
- Devil's Club
- Guarana Berry
- Fireweed
- Horsetail
- Salmonberry
- Yarrow
All harvested seeds will appear in the inventory automatically, and to plant them, players must approach a planter and wait for the leaf icon to appear. Interacting with the planter pulls up any seeds that can be placed.
Crops take approximately two to three game days to grow to full size. They do not require water and will grow no matter where players place them. Kelvin and Virginia will eat from them automatically if they are edible plants.
Sons of the Forest is available now in early access for PC.