Sons of the Forest Secrets & Exploits - VeryAli Gaming (2024)

Sons of the Forest has several secrets, exploits, and hidden achievements. For instance, there’s the insanely popular item duplication glitch that has transferred over from The Forest. There’s also a glitch that lets you get infinite meat and half-logs. And that’s not even to mention the 28 hidden achievements.

In this guide, I go over all of the secrets and hidden achievements in Sons of the Forest.

Some tricks in Sons of the Forest make the game easier. Most of these aren’t exploits, meaning you’re not exactly cheating. They are just some secret mechanisms in the game most people aren’t aware of.

Here are some of the secret tricks you can try out in Sons of the Forest:

Reviving Your Companion

If you choose Kelvin or Virginia as your companion, there is a chance that you may lose them forever in a single-player. You see, while your companions are collecting resources for you, a tree may fall on them or they might get injured otherwise. When that happens, they will crouch down and you will need to revive them.

But what happens if you don’t revive them? Well, in single-player mode, you will lose your companion forever. Hence, you should always press the revive button to revive your companion.

I also recommend another way to bring back your companion if they die. For that, you will need to get into the game files and look for the specific registry that states your companion is dead.

You’ll need to change it so that they’re not dead anymore. This is a very tricky procedure and, if done wrong, can corrupt your game. Hence, it’s best to revive your companion.

If you need help choosing your companion, check out our Sons of the Forest Companions guide.

Unlimited Tarp Trick

This is another one of the secrets that involves your companion. It allows you to get infinite tarps. For this, walk up to your companion and bring up your notebook. Then, go into Build and then Shelter.

Click on Shelter and your companion will build a free tarp for you.

This resets every couple of days, meaning you can do this again and again until you have the number of tarps you need. However, you can skip the waiting process and save and reload the game to get another tarp instantly.

Marking The Map

When playing Sons of the Forest, given the expansive map and the fact that there are zero location markers, it’s easy to get lost. Luckily, there is a way to set a marker on the map to ensure that your friends will always find you.

First, get a Stick and find a place on the ground where you can break the stick. The indicator looks like two pieces of sticks drawn on using a dotted line.

Instead of breaking the stick, however, you must right-click on the indicator. This will change the indicator into a circle.

Then, left-click on the indicator and your character will drive the stick into the ground. Now, grab your GPS Locator and right-click on the mouse to change the icon.

Finally, go up to the place where you drove the stick and left-click on the indicator. This will place the marker. You can see the marker on the map. Now, you can mark important locations this way and never get lost.

Big Head Mode

Although not very useful, it’s a comedic trick that’ll make every character in the game have bigger heads.

To do this, simply go to Settings, then hit Options and navigate to the Gameplay tab. In this tab, look under the Gameplay section to find the Big Head Mode setting. Turn it ON and every character, including animals, will have an enlarged head.

I am not sure why the developers included this in the Settings. It’s probably an easter egg considering it’s certainly not a glitch.

Log Zipline Trick

Another useful secret of Sons of the Forest is that you can transfer logs using the Zipline Gun. For this, you’ll need to first get some logs as well as a Zipline Gun. Then, place the zipline wherever you need to place it.

I would suggest placing the zipline between a location without logs and another that has logs and trees.

Then, grab the log and simply walk over to the zipline and press E. The exact button may have changed depending on your settings. Nevertheless, once you do so, you’ll see the logs traveling down the zipline.

Tracking Your Companion

Keep losing track of your companions Virginia or Kelvin? It happens more than often. However, did you know that you can easily keep track of your companion?

Simply place one of the GPS trackers on the companion and you will be able to see them on your map.

Hot-Swapping Items

Tired of having to open the inventory every time you need to swap items? There’s an easier way to hot-swap your items without having to open the inventory.

To do this, simply press I and keep holding it. This will eventually pull up your backpack. The key may be different on your console.

Now that your bag is open, simply use your mouse to pull out whatever you want to use. To place items in the backpack, you’ll need to press I once to open your inventory. Then, drag the items you need from the inventory to your backpack.

Some exploits in Sons of the Forest do not require you to use cheats. Instead, these get activated when you perform certain actions in the game. They’re mainly glitches that may get patched.

Crate Duplication Glitch

This duplication glitch, as the name suggests, lets you duplicate items you find in crates. For this glitch, you’ll need to first create a tent. The simplest tent will require a tarp and a stick.

Now, save your game and exit to the Main Menu. Then, load the saved game up again. Once the game reloads, all of the crates will get reset and you can get the loot again.

This exploit works multiple times, allowing you to triple and even quadruple your supplies. However, it’s recommended to only use the exploit a few times as it may crash the game.

The best crates to use this exploit on are the crates with the C4 Explosives. These are highly handy in the game and will make the playthrough a lot easier and faster. Another crate you should use this on is the crate with the Flares. Grenades and MREs are also great choices as these items are quite rare and you don’t come across them often.

This exploit may not work on every item. For instance, you cannot duplicate Feathers this way. You should be careful when trying the exploit where it won’t work.

Additionally, this exploit doesn’t work in all locations. It works in the locations where the player can find the Flashlight and Modern Axe as well as many locations in the early game.

3D Printer Glitch

Another exploit you can use is the 3D Printer glitch. This glitch allows you to amass infinite arrows. It requires you to acquire the 3D Printer first. First, acquire the 3D Printer by going into the cave that’s on the western end of the island.

Then, go to the room with the 3D Printer and insert Resin into the 3D Printer. You will get 5 arrows each time you do this. Then, find the bed next to the 3D Printer and save the game.

Now, press Quit and go to the Main Menu. Then, reload the saved game, and the Resin in the room will have respawned. This means that you can multiply whatever you put into the 3D Printer.

The best part is that the cave with the 3D Printer already has some rooms with good supplies. Some of these include Batteries, Cash, Carbon Fiber Arrows, and Wire. However, the exploit won’t work on items that cannot be inserted into the 3D Printer.

Duplicate Meat And Fish

There is another exploit that lets you duplicate meat and fish without having to exit to the Main Menu or use a 3D Printer. For this exploit, you’ll need to put the meat onto the drying rack. You’ll need to insert the meat in rapid succession and keep spamming it.

Do this fast enough and you’ll still have some meat left even after you have inserted it into the drying rack. This will let you have infinite meat and fish and anything else you can put on the drying rack. Additionally, this exploit works when you try to cook meat and fish in a fire.

Half Log Duplication Glitch

Here’s another one of those secrets in Sons of the Forest that involves item duplications. If you want to have infinite logs, you can make use of the duplicate half-log glitch. However, this glitch is not very easy to trigger. When you build a single shelf, there is a slight chance that a half-log will return to you even if the shelf gets built.

As stated, this glitch is more dependent on chance rather than any specific trick. It lets you stockpile on half logs. It is not recommended to meddle with the game to make the glitch occur more often as this could make the game unstable.

Zero Gravity Trick

The Zero Gravity Trick is an exploit that is more just for fun rather than useful. For this, you’ll need to simply combine 1 Stick with 1 Tarp. Depending on the circ*mstances, this will make all the animals as well as the NPCs walk over the tarp.

At the right angle, it’ll make it look like the characters are levitating. It’s a fun little trick that makes the game more interesting. But it won’t happen all the time.

Soft Lock Exploit

Finally, you can soft-lock the game if you perform the correct actions in the right order. First, create a makeshift tent by holding up a Tarp with a Stick. Now, go to sleep in front of it. Then, exit to the Main Menu and reload the saved game.

If you time this right, you will have soft-locked the game.

Soft-locking the game means that, while the game is playable normally, you can’t progress further. This gives you some time to collect items and explore without worrying about progress.

To break the soft lock, you should reload to the last saved game state. If that doesn’t work, you may need to completely reset the console. Hence, you should be incredibly careful when performing this trick.

All Secret Achievements

Besides the exploits and secrets, 28 achievements in Sons of the Forest are hidden. Here are all 28 secret achievements in Sons of the Forest:

• 1%: For this achievement, you must collect $1,000.
• Architect: To complete Architect, you’ll need to craft a building or structure that requires 500 logs of wood.
• Badger: You must dig 100 holes for this achievement.
• Chivalry Is Not Dead: If you reach maximum sentiment with your companion Virginia, you’ll get this achievement.
• City Planner: You’ll need to build a structure that requires 1,000 logs to get the City Planner’s achievement.
• Collector: If you find 50 watches and pick them up, you’ll get the Collector achievement.
• Contractor: If you build a structure that requires 100 logs, you get the secret Contractor achievement.
• Dynamo: If you can wear a full set of tech armor, you’ll get this achievement.
• Every Move You Make: Give your companion Virginia a GPS Locator.
• Fashionista: Once you collect every piece of clothing, you’ll get this achievement.
• Fight Demons: You must stay on the Island to get this achievement.
• Foodie: There are several edibles you can find throughout the game. If you eat each at least once, you’ll get the Foodie achievement.
• Fought Demons: If you leave the Island, you will get the Fought Demons achievement.
• I Dream Of Sushi: Once you eat a minimum of 20 raw fish, you’ll get the I Dream of Sushi trophy.
• I Like Blisters: Dig at least 1,000 holes to get this award.
• Keep Your Friends Close: After completing the main story, if all of your NPC allies are alive, you get this achievement.
• Maker: Use the Printer to print every item at least once.
• MC Crafty: Once you craft all the weapons in the game, you’ll get the MC Crafty achievement.
• Need A Bigger Boat: For this, you’ll need to get killed by a Shark at least once.
• Never Going Home: For this, you must get past the 50th day.
• Pinata: Blow up a Sluggy like a Pinata.
• Sucker For Punishment: If you get kicked by a Heavy Cannibal a minimum of 5 times, you’ll get this trophy.
• Survivor: Get past the first day to get this achievement.
• This Can’t Be Healthy: Drink a minimum of 50 Fi-Z cans to get this achievement.
• This Place Isn’t So Bad: If you get past Day 25, you get the This Place Isn’t So Bad trophy.
• Tradesman: Construct a building that requires at least 50 logs.
• Trusted: Play a Multiplayer Game and become a trusted player.
• What Could Go Wrong: After you survive the 10th day, you get this trophy.

My Recommendations

I would not recommend you perform any of these exploits, as even though they sound rewarding, they can do more harm. Apart from that, most of these exploits might be patched up by developers, which means that you can not utilize them anymore.

But what is important is your overall gaming experience that is tailored with these secrets and in-game lore. I will suggest players focus on these aspects for earning achievements to pursue a completionist playthrough of the game.

Need to craft the best armor? Then check out our official Sons of the Forest Armor Crafting guide.