SONS OF THE FOREST: BUILD A HOME, LOCK THE DOOR

8.0 of 10 bananas. Co-op survival horror on a cannibal island: build a base log by log, give orders to your companion Kelvin, and survive the night. Building is the best in the genre, but the story is thin and it is a PC only game.

By the Alpha. Steam listing. Updated Oct 23 2026.

Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: PC only, on Steam (Endnight Games, published by Newnight; early access February 2023, full release February 22 2024). The button on this page is the Steam store page, 29.99 dollars at my Oct 23 check. There is no console version, so no Amazon game listing exists for it.

Sit with me a moment. The troop learned long ago that a good nest is worth more than a fast escape. Sons of the Forest is a game about building that nest while something watches you from the trees.

What It Wants To Be

You are dropped on a remote island to find a missing billionaire, and the helicopter crashes. The island is full of cannibals and worse things below ground. You gather logs, build shelters and walls piece by piece, hunt, and explore caves. You can play alone or with up to seven friends. Kelvin, a soldier who survived the crash, follows your orders to gather and build, and Virginia, a mutant with extra limbs, may become an ally if you treat her well.

What Works

Building is the star: you place every log yourself, and the physics make a cabin feel earned. Kelvin is genuinely useful and oddly lovable. The island is beautiful by day and frightening at night, when enemies start to test your walls. With friends, it becomes one of the best co-op survival nights on PC.

What Breaks

Listen well. The story is thin and the ending lands flat for many players. Late game, when your base is strong, the danger fades and the island can feel empty. Some enemies and caves are more confusing than scary. And it is PC only, so console players are out of luck.

Who Should Play

Play it if you love survival building, especially with friends on PC. Skip it if you want a strong story, or if you play only on console.

Related: Valheim, Subnautica, Lethal Company.

Sources: Steam store page, Sons of the Forest on Wikipedia.

Store note: no Amazon link on this page. Sons of the Forest is a PC game sold on Steam, so Steam is the only button. This is not an affiliate link.