To open bunkers and progress through the story in Sons of the Forest, you must acquire three keycards in a specific linear order: the Maintenance A Keycard, followed by the VIP Keycard, and finally the Guest Keycard. Each keycard is found within an underground bunker and unlocks access to subsequent areas or bunkers.
Keycard Overview and Progression
Keycards are essential progression items in Sons of the Forest, acting as gates to story-critical areas, important loot, and deeper sections of the island’s underground facilities. Unlike simple inventory items, these keycards form a strict, linear progression chain, meaning you cannot skip ahead or obtain a later keycard without first acquiring its prerequisite. Each keycard, once collected, permanently unlocks its associated doors and areas. All keycards are located within interior, bunker-style locations.
The progression of keycards is designed to gradually lead players deeper into the game’s narrative and more challenging environments. This structured access ensures that players encounter content in a designed sequence, with each card signaling a shift in the type of areas and challenges to be faced.
| Keycard | Location | Progression Role | Prerequisite Keycard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Keycard | Underground Maintenance A Bunker | Mid progression | None (requires Shovel) |
| VIP Keycard | Food & Dining Bunker | Late progression | Maintenance Keycard |
| Guest Keycard | Entertainment Bunker (Recreational Bunker) | Final story progression | VIP Keycard |
Understanding this progression is crucial for efficient exploration, as attempting to access a bunker without the correct keycard will prove fruitless. Preparing with weapons, armor, and food is advised before entering any bunker, as they are often guarded by mutants and cannibals.
Maintenance Keycard Location and Bunker Access
The Maintenance A Keycard is the first keycard you will typically acquire, as it unlocks access to the bunkers containing the subsequent keycards. Its location is marked on your GPS after interacting with a laptop inside a specific cave, which will display a pulsing orange marker with an “M” inside, northwest of the snowy mountain.
To access the Maintenance A Bunker:
- Locate the entrance: Head to the pulsing orange “M” marker on your GPS. You’ll know you’re in the right spot when you see two golf carts with surveying equipment near a dirt path that crosses a stream.
- Dig for the hatch: Equip your shovel and dig in the dirt between the golf cart and the survey equipment where a shovel icon appears. This will reveal a hidden hatch.
- Enter the bunker: Descend the ladder into the Maintenance A Bunker.
- Navigate the bunker: Upon entering, look behind the ladder for yellow crates and a body to the right. Proceed down the corridor. You’ll encounter an open door on the right leading to an apartment and an icy room further down the hall.
- Collect essentials: Clear the mutant babies in the icy room. Collect the Golf Cart Battery, Light Bulbs, Printer Resin, and Solar Panels from the shelves. The Firefighter Axe can also be found in an open emergency case in the middle of the shelves.
- Find the Keycard: Head into the apartment. Go to the back of the room towards a flashing red computer. On the desk to the right, sharing a wall with a golden armor painting and a 3D printer, you will find the Carl Planter Maintenance A Keycard. Also on this desk, you can pick up a Pistol Rail, Laser Sight, and a note titled “Attention All.” Interacting with the computer will add the Food Bunker’s location to your map.
After collecting the Maintenance A Keycard, you can also find a Tuxedo and the book “Corporate Line” in the ensuite bathroom of the apartment, near a dead body in the bathtub. This keycard is vital as it grants access to the Recreational Bunker (where the Guest Keycard is found) and the Food Bunker (where the VIP Keycard is located).
VIP Keycard Location and Bunker Access
Once you have secured the Maintenance A Keycard, you can proceed to obtain the VIP Keycard. This keycard is located within the Food & Dining Bunker, which will be marked on your map as a dark green pulsing circle with a food icon in the center, northeast of the island.
To access the Food & Dining Bunker and retrieve the VIP Keycard:
- Locate the entrance: Travel to the dark green food icon on your GPS. The entrance is a cave found near two abandoned golf carts.
- Prepare for entry: Before entering the cave, ensure you have a flashlight or torch and a weapon ready.
- Navigate the cave: Follow the path inside the cave all the way down to the bottom.
- Enter the bunker: At the bottom, you will find a hatch in the ground marked “Food and Dining.” Climb down this hatch to enter the underground bunker.
- Explore the initial area: Inside, you’ll find numerous food supplies on shelves and counters, as well as crossbow bolts from dead bodies.
- Use the Maintenance Keycard: Use your Carl Planter Maintenance A Keycard to open the locked door in the back corner of the kitchen.
- Proceed through hydroponics: Pass through the first hydroponics room. In the second hydroponics room, you will encounter mutant babies. On the right side of this room, between shelving at the back, you can find a Crossbow next to a body (look for a blood trail). Collect Crossbow Bolts stuck in the wall near a television and an Energy Mix next to the body.
- Find the VIP Keycard: Continue through the bunker. The VIP Keycard is located on a desk in the employee lounge.
The VIP Keycard is a late-progression item, essential for accessing the Guest Bunker and certain late-game story doors. Its acquisition marks a significant step towards uncovering the deeper mysteries of the island.
Guest Keycard Location and Bunker Access
The Guest Keycard is the final keycard in the progression chain and is crucial for unlocking the nightclub and other key story areas. This card is found in the Entertainment Bunker, also known as the Recreational Bunker, located near the northwest beaches of the island. Accessing this bunker requires the VIP Keycard.
To access the Entertainment Bunker and obtain the Guest Keycard:
- Locate the entrance: The Entertainment Bunker’s location will be revealed on your map after progressing through the story or interacting with specific elements.
- Use the VIP Keycard: Once you arrive at the Entertainment Bunker, you will need the VIP Keycard to gain entry.
- Navigate the bunker: After entering, proceed past the 3D printer room.
- Climb to the bar: Ascend the stairs to reach the bar area.
- Find the Guest Keycard: The Arnold Crand Guest Keycard is conspicuously placed on a table decorated with corpses in the bar meeting area, specifically in the third cubicle on the right. It should be impossible to miss.
With the Guest Keycard in hand, you will have access to the final restricted areas necessary to complete the main story of Sons of the Forest. Remember to always be prepared for combat, as these deeper areas are often heavily guarded.
FAQ
Does this guide show all keycard locations in Sons of the Forest? Yes, this guide covers all three keycards required for story progression: the Maintenance A Keycard, the VIP Keycard, and the Guest Keycard.
Can I get the VIP Keycard first? No. The progression for keycards is linear. You must obtain the Maintenance A Keycard before you can access the Food Bunker to get the VIP Keycard.
Are keycards optional? No. Keycards are mandatory items required to access major bunkers and advance through the main story locations of Sons of the Forest.
Do keycards unlock permanent access? Yes. Once you collect a keycard, it permanently unlocks its associated doors and areas, allowing you to re-enter those locations at any time.
Are all keycards found underground? Yes, all keycards in Sons of the Forest are located inside interior, underground bunker-style facilities.