When I first started to play the game, many questions came to my mind, like:

What should I do?
Am I alone?
How do I survive?

And many of these questions just dissolved while playing, but many others didn't, and that's why you're here, to solve things out.

Many of the things that I posted here came from The Forest Gamepedia, which you can find here[theforest.gamepedia.com]:, Therefore, this guide's for people who wanna know some personal experiences and tips that may not be at the Wiki.

So, let's get started.

Zoneing describes the control by authority of the use of land, and of the buildings thereon.

Originally posted by kristoferianh:

Go left from the beach (the one you're usually close to when you crash) and along the cliff until you reach a giant tree. Build your camp as close to the cliffs that are in front of the tree as possible. I've not encountered one enemy while I've been in my camp, and even when the cannibals begin searching farther in their patrols, they are over 100 feet away from the camp. Plus the camp is spawn point for lizards, and has dozens upon dozens of trees.

This says pretty much it, but also there are some tips-to-follow when finding a new place to start playing, and fighting against darkness:

• At the start it seems best to scavenge everything you can from the Plane and the luggage around it and get away from it as fast as possible.
  
• If you can't sleep through the night it might indicate that Mutants are near your campsite, be careful (indicated by a loud sound).
  
• It may be a good idea to eat something before going to bed.
  
• Sprinting then crouching will provide the speed of running without the cost of energy. Use it when you need to run anywhere quickly.
  
• You don't want to be near mutant campfires, many games I've played ended because of being near one of these and, it's not pretty, at all.
  
• Always try to find some quick food, you will need it.
  
• Using the map below, localize where you should set-up by looking for the good spots on the map. You can always try looking a place by yourself using your very own instincts!
  
• You can actually beat the mutants down! (I mean, just if it's required), mix a rock with some cloth and you'll have one of the best initial weapons in the game, give it a try.
  
• Always try not to fight Mutants, seems like a good idea.
  
• Traps will reset when you leave and re-enter the game or (recent patch) by pressing E to reset them.
  
• Traps can be triggered accidentally by the player and some animals.
  
• Effigies scare away enemies, but only when they are on fire, and it is day. They might come back with more Mutants though. You can build them via the Survival Guide.
  
• The tall huts (Mutants camps) on the island can be used as simple shelters by placing a wall with a door in front of them and a fire pit in front of the door.
  
• The Mutants will easily spot big buildings or a fire in the dark.
  
• If you notice an area nearby your camp that Mutant patrols often pass through, build Traps in that area. The patrols tend to repeat similar patterns of movement and utilizing this will increase your chances of effectively killing them off with Traps.
  
  
  
  

Before night approaches, you are advised to build a shelter of any sort, which can be placed by using the survival guide and clicking on the icon next to the object that you wish to construct. It is then up to you to place the shelter and to find the necessary resources to complete it. A few trees must be cut down and a few rocks must be found as well. Once the shelter is complete, you should explore the forest, whether it be for food, water, weapons, or a safer location. If the player is attacked by the mutants, they may find themselves knocked unconscious and moved underground into a dark cave (see "death cave" in Caves section) sometimes, the death cave exit is literally right behind the plane crash.



Be careful during the day, as small mutant scouting parties can be regularly spotted. To avoid the mutants, make it a frequent habit to stay out of open areas and away from fires, especially at night. The mutants are more active at night and will investigate visible fires, despite being frightened by light (fires alert them to the player's presence but they usually keep their distance from the light).

It is also worth noting that the mutants react to the player's presence. They will more frequently scout out areas that have buildings, traps, fires, and effigies. The more of an impact the player makes on his surroundings, the more the mutants will notice. They will also become more aggressive in response to the player's encroachment: a large fortress with effigies and fires will mean frequent attacks and the appearance of deadlier mutants like the "Spider Mutant" (see "Virginia" in Caves section).



Restore your stamina by eating food, sleeping or resting on the wood bench. You can also drink cans of soda for an instant boost of stamina, however, they are a limited source and should only be consumed in an emergency.

Attempt to find the Flare Gun as soon as possible. In addition to being in the starting cave, it can be found with one of the dead pilots near the cockpit of the plane or in the abandoned sail boat at the beach. The boat can spawn in different locations and holding different items on it. The flare gun is very effective at killing mutants with one hit but the unlimited ammo glitch has been patched.

Survival Tips:

• Big Fortress
  This method of survival is the most obvious. In it, you gotta construct a large base with numerous traps, defensive walls, effigies, and fires to keep away and kill as many mutants as possible. It works moderately well but the mutants become more aggressive to this approach: mutant attacks will evolve into small-scale invasions with dangerous enemies like the spider mutant (see "Virginia" in Caves section). This strategy takes a significant amount of preparation and hard work.
  
  
• Stealth and Hiding
  This is a much more challenging approach but it can be more rewarding in terms of survival length. There are two different variations of this strategy: staying mobile and staying far away from mutants.
  
  Covering your fires with wooden walls will also keep them from investigating the lights at night.
  
  
• The mobile solution relies on ideas of `leave no trace': the mutants can't hunt down you if you don't have predictable patterns of movement or don't have one single sleeping spot. This works well at evading mutants but makes it difficult to satisfy basic survival needs. The mutants will also not get more aggressive to this strategy.
  
  
• Distance solution
  The distance solution is the idea of staying as far away from the mutant patrols as possible. The difficulty in this strategy is finding the perfect spot. If you are too secluded, they won't have supplies. If you're in an open area, the mutants will see his fire. The perfect spot is near trees and bushes for supplies but is also hidden mostly from view. There are spots along the coast, especially near the boat, that satisfy these requirements (see the map picture above). If you see a nearby patrol after coming back to your base, try to avoid sight using bushes and trees.
  
  
• Mini-Island Approach
  Proceed on cutting down sticks and leaves (for bonfires and some materials needed for a raft), and cut down logs and push them down the shore (for the raft). Build a raft to get rid of the shark's dangerous jaw. A Log holder and a Stick holder can be placed on a raft which provides great space and luxury when travelling through the sea. Once your raft is built, go find the nearest mini-island. On the island, turtles spawn in very large numbers during the night, which gives off Generic Meat, which takes a very long time before it spoils (maybe 3-4 days). Also, turtle shells can be made into water collectors, which are the best source of clean water. During the day, collect resources such as logs, sticks, and leaves in the forest, to build a fire during the night and keep yourself warm when it is raining. When nighttime comes, collect Generic meat from the turtles that spawn in the mini-island and cook their meat. This strategy is the most efficient and safest because food shortages will never be a problem, and mutant attack is impossible because mutants can't swim.

The cave system is much larger than just the area where you spawn when you die, you can always use this[theforestmap.com] map to help finding stuff.

Things of interest:
Death cave - the first time you die you wake up in a cave with a fire and two tables. There are various supplies on the table, axe, food medicine etc. You will also find rags in here. There is a flare gun at the other end of the cave from the tables. There is hole you can crawl out of near the tables to exit (there will be a crouch prompt).

As you come out of the death cave, the next big cave has 3x mutants that drop from the roof and attack you. To exit this cave there is a large uphill exit.

There is a very large cave with creepy music (dead end) that has a lot of hanging bodies. In fact there are several caves with hanging bodies but only this one has music. As you look at each body a status message will appear like "1/130 passengers found". Thus there must be 130 bodies hidden in the caves. I sadly do not know what happens when you find them all.

Near the music cave you will find 2x circuit boards on the ground near a path fork.

There is another cave that has 2x super mutants. These guys have multiple arms and legs and appear to flail the arms around to try and hit you.

Here's some information about these Cannibals:



From left to right:
Cowman[theforest.gamepedia.com]
Virginia[theforest.gamepedia.com]
Armsy[theforest.gamepedia.com]

There's actually a way to get inside the big hole in the map, see the image below:


Here's my friend falling from the edge, somehow, he didn't die, but when i tried doing it, i died.

You gotta find your way down by falling on those little edges there are all over the hole surface, trying not to die or losing much HP.

Stone Axe
The Stone Axe is a melee weapon that can be crafted by the player. Sticks can be found strewn across the forest floor or can be acquired from cutting down small trees. Rocks can be found strewn across the forest floor and the beach. Rope can be found in cannibal villages, caves, and boats.

1 Stick + 1 Rock + 1 Rope = 1 Stone Axe

Arrows
Ammunition for the bow, they can be lit on fire with your lighter. Feathers can be harvested from killed birds, be it in the forest or on the beach. Sticks can be found strewn on the forest floor and from lumbering small trees.

1 Stick + 5 Feathers = 5 Arrows
4 Twinberry + 1 Arrow = 1 Poison Arrow

Bow
Used to launch arrows, good for hunting. You can find sticks on the ground and from cutting down small trees, cloth can be found in suitcases, and rope can be found in cannibal villages, caves, and boats. Or, you can craft rope with five cloth.

1 Stick + 1 Cloth + 1 Rope = 1 Bow

Club
A club is made with a stick and skull. You can make a skull by cooking a cannibal's head on a fire, or finding them scattered around in the caves and The Island.

1 Stick + 1 Skull = 1 Club

Upgraded Stick
May be used as a weapon or as a torch. Sticks can be found strewn on the forest floor, and can be harvested from small trees. Cloth can be found in suitcases, on the beach and on cannibal "clotheslines."

1 Stick + 1 Cloth = 1 Upgraded Stick

Upgraded Rock (this was the weapong I talked about)
May be painted and/or used as a weapon, but cannot be used in place of a normal rock in crafting.

1 Rock + 1 Cloth = 1 Upgraded Rock

Spear
Can be used as both a held weapon and a projectile

2 Stick = 1 Spear

Upgraded Spear
Can be used as both a held weapon and a projectile

1 Spear + 3 Bones + 2 Cloth = 1 Upgraded Spear

Incendiary Spear
Can be used as both a held weapon and a projectile

1 Upgraded Spear + 1 Cloth + 1 Booze = 1 Incendiary Spear

Molotov
Thrown at natives and similar to the bomb, it is surely a one hit kill and can kill multiple enemies with one throw. It will explode as soon as it comes in contact with the ground, although it will go through cannibals and structures. Both of the items required are found in suitcases and around the beach.

1 Cloth + 1 Booze = 1 Molotov

Bomb
Bombs are throw-able explosive devices. The coins are found near the plane and in suitcases as well as inside the cannibal camps/caves, most easily found on the beach(You can dig them up using a stick on the ground as well as throwable rocks). The circuit board is not rare and found near the plane and inside boxes at the beach (re-spawns after a short period of time) and also found in caves, villages, and campsites. Booze is found in the plane as well as on the beach, suitcases, and villages.

1 Booze + 5 coins + 1 Circuit Board + 1 Watch = 1 Bomb

Head Bomb
Thrown at natives and similar to the bomb (Does not travel very far when "thrown"), is a one hit kill and can kill multiple enemies if they are close.

1 Head + 1 Bomb = 1 Head Bomb

Sticky Bomb
Like the name suggests, it sticks when it touches something after thrown. It can be used to cut down a small amount of trees, but is also more useful in killing a group of cannibals.

1 Tree Sap + 1 Bomb = 1 Sticky Bomb

Rabbit Shoe
Just a Rabbit Shoe.
3 Rabbit Skin + 2 Rope = 1 Rabbit Shoe
Rope
Rope can either be found on the island or crafted by combining strips of cloth.

7 Cloth = 1 Rope

Stealth Armor
An enhanced version of the standard lizard skin armor. It lowers your visible range to the cannibals, and it can be crafted using Lizard Skin and Leaves. Leaves are incredibly common and obtained from any tree or bush, and lizards roam in packs.

1 Lizard Skin + 15 Leaves = 1 Stealth Armor

Bone Armor
Double the protection of lizard armor and looks sexier.

6 Bones + 3 Cloth = 1 Bone Armor
Herbal Medicine
Very useful when low on medicine and poorly equipped. It heals for the same amount as medicine found in suitcases, and can be crafted using Aloe and Marigold. These are most commonly found past the treeline, some distance from the beach. Up to eight meds can be stored in the inventory.

1 Aloe + 1 Marigold = 1 Herbal Medicine

Energy Mix
Very useful when low on energy, and works as a natural replacement for soda. It restores the same amount of energy as soda, and can be crafted using Chicory and Coneflower. These are most commonly found among the trees.

1 Chicory + 1 Coneflower = 1 Energy Mix

Water Skin
Used for transporting water with you.

1 Rope + 2 Deer Skin = 1 Water Skin

Rabbit Pouch
Allows you to gather berries to eat later or for crafting.

2 Rabbit Skin = 1 Rabbit Pouch

Blue Paint
Allows you to paint things blue.

2 Blueberries + 1 Tree Sap = 1 Blue Paint

Orange Paint
Will allow you to paint things orange.

2 Marigold + 1 Tree Sap = 1 Orange Paint

Quiver
Allows you to carry 20 more arrows.

3 Rabbit Fur + 1 Rope = 1 Quiver

There are 4 types of upgrades that can be applied to many weapons to upgrade the speed or damage and also to add a fire effect to attacks. Each upgrade requires tree sap which can be obtained by chopping down trees, even partially. You can get teeth from killing a cannibal, feathers from birds, cloth from camps and suitcases and booze can be found along the beach. The booze upgrade needs testing; however, it is theorized that by adding broken glass to a weapon, it will increase raw attack damage, add 'cutting' damage or add a poison effect to attacks. A total of 30 upgrades can be applied to a single weapon (v0.15).

Speed Upgrade
1 Feather + 1 Tree Sap + Weapon = 1 speed upgrade

Damage Upgrade
1 Tooth + 1 Tree Sap + 1 Weapon = 1 damage upgrade, or

1 Booze + 1 Tree Sap + 1 Weapon = 1 damage upgrade, or

1 Bone + 1 Cloth + 1 Weapon = 1 damage upgrade (for the spear)

Fire Upgrade
1 Cloth + 1 Weapon = 1 fire upgrade

Useful for fighting off multiple enemies at once. If a cannibal is caught on fire then they are as good as dead so long as they are not a spider (Virginia) or octopus mutant (Armsy)
Especially useful for fighting off many starving cannibals as they will ignite from one hit each and eventually die from the fire.
The Bow and Arrows don't need such upgrade. You can fire off burning arrows anytime by using a lighter when holding a bow but remember, each burning arrow uses up a Cloth.

And to end this guide here's a full list of all the known materials that can be used for crafting:

• Aloe
  
• Arm
  
• Batteries
  
• Blueberry
  
• Bone
  
• Booze
  
• Cash
  
• Chicory
  
• Circuit Board
  
• Cloth
  
• Coins
  
• Coneflower
  
• Deer Skin
  
• Feather
  
• Flashlight
  
• Head
  
• Leaves
  
• Legs
  
• Lizard Skin
  
• Log
  
• Marigold
  
• Rabbit Fur
  
• Rock
  
• Rope
  
• Skull
  
• Stick
  
• Teeth
  
• Tree Sap
  
• Twinberry
  
• Wrist Watch

That ws pretty much it, thanks for commenting and reading this far, see you next time!