In Sons of the Forest, there are three keycardsâthe Maintenance A Keycard, VIP Keycard, and Guest Keycardâthat are essential for unlocking secured doors and restricted areas within underground bunkers, with each keycard providing access to different progression points. Keycards are used automatically when interacting with compatible card readers and locked doors, do not need to be manually equipped, and are not consumed after use.
Overview of Keycards and Their Use
Keycards in Sons of the Forest are critical progression items that grant access to hidden underground bunkers and advance the gameâs story. These three distinct keycards are the Maintenance Keycard, Guest Keycard, and VIP Keycard. Each keycard unlocks different parts of the bunker network, allowing players to find additional equipment, story locations, and progress routes. The acquisition of these keycards is linear, meaning that obtaining later keycards often requires prior keycards to be found first. All keycards are located within interior bunker-style locations. As of June 22, 2026, this linear progression remains critical for unlocking the full game experience.
| Keycard | Progression Role | Unlocks Access To |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance A | Early/Mid | Recreational Bunker (Guest Keycard), Food Bunker (VIP Keycard) |
| VIP | Late | Story-critical areas, high-value loot |
| Guest | Early | Early restricted areas, narrative exploration |
This system ensures players gradually delve deeper into the islandâs mysteries. Keycards are not optional; they are required to access major bunkers and story locations, providing permanent access once collected.
Maintenance A Keycard Location and Access
The Maintenance A Keycard is typically the first keycard players will acquire, serving as a crucial stepping stone for deeper exploration. Its location is marked on your map as a pulsing orange âMâ icon, northwest of the snowy mountain, after interacting with a laptop inside a cave while obtaining the Shovel. To locate the Maintenance A bunker, look for two golf carts with surveying equipment near a dirt path that crosses a stream.
Upon arrival, ready your shovel and dig where the shovel icon appears in the dirt, specifically between the golf cart and survey equipment, until a hatch is revealed. Descend the ladder into Maintenance A. Behind the ladder, youâll find yellow crates with resources and a body to the right. Proceed down the corridor. An open door on the right leads into an apartment, and further down the hall is an ice-over room. Head for the icy room first, eliminate the mutant babies, and then pick up the Golf Cart Battery on the left side of the room. On the shelves at the back, collect Light Bulbs, Printer Resin, and Solar Panels. The Firefighter Axe can be found in an open emergency case in the middle of these shelves.
Next, enter the apartment. Head to the back of the room towards the flashing red computer. Here, you can pick up the Pistol Rail, Laser Sight, and a note from Hank titled âAttention All.â Interact with the computer to add the Food Bunkerâs location to your map. The Carl Planter Maintenance A Keycard is on the desk to the right, shared with a 3D Printer and a Golden Armor painting. This keycard will grant you access past security doors at the Recreational Bunker, where you will find the Guest Keycard, and the Food Bunker, where you will find the VIP Keycard. Before leaving, consider sleeping in the bed to save your game, grabbing the Corporate Line book from the dead body in the ensuite bathroom, and collecting the Tuxedo from the shelving unit behind the body.
VIP Keycard Location and Access
Once you have obtained the Carl Planter Maintenance A Keycard, you can proceed to acquire the VIP Keycard. The location of the Food Bunker, where the VIP Keycard resides, will have been marked on your map as a dark green pulsing circle with a food icon, typically in the northeast of the island. This marking appears after interacting with the laptop inside Maintenance A. The entrance to this bunker is a cave found near two abandoned golf carts. Before entering, ensure you have a flashlight or torch and a weapon ready.
Follow the path inside the cave all the way down to the bottom, where youâll find a hatch labeled âFood and Diningâ in the ground. After descending the hatch into the underground bunker, search the room for plenty of food supplies on shelves and counters, as well as Crossbow bolts from dead bodies. Use your Carl Planter Maintenance A Keycard to open the locked door in the back corner of the kitchen. Pass through the first hydroponics room to reach the second, where you will encounter mutant babies. In the second hydroponics room, go to the right side of the room. Youâll find a Crossbow next to a body thatâs between the shelving at the back of the room; look for the trail of blood on the ground to discover the body. Before leaving this area, be sure to collect the Crossbow Bolts that are stuck in the wall by the television and the Energy Mix next to the body. Continuing into the next room, collect Crossbow Bolts off the two bodies found by the back shelving. The VIP Keycard is located deeper within this bunker, requiring careful navigation through additional rooms and potential threats.
Guest Keycard Location and Access
The Guest Keycard is another early access item that unlocks specific restricted areas, often serving as a starting point for narrative exploration. This keycard is found within the Recreational Bunker, an area accessible after obtaining the Maintenance A Keycard. The Recreational Bunker contains security doors that the Maintenance A Keycard will open, allowing you to reach the section where the Guest Keycard is situated.
The Guest Keycard is located in a controlled interior space, specifically in the third cubicle on the right within a bar meeting area inside the Recreational Bunker. Its placement emphasizes careful exploration rather than direct combat for early keycards. This keycard is crucial for progressing into the gameâs initial layers of restricted access, setting the precedent for how bunkers function. Unlike the VIP Keycard, which is a late-progression item found in deeper, more hostile environments, the Guest Keycard is relatively straightforward to reach within its designated interior location once the Recreational Bunker is accessed.
FAQ
How many keycards are there in Sons of the Forest? There are three keycards in Sons of the Forest: the Maintenance A Keycard, the VIP Keycard, and the Guest Keycard.
Do keycards get consumed after use? No, keycards are not consumed after use and provide permanent access to the doors they unlock.
Do I need to equip keycards to use them? No, keycards are used automatically when interacting with compatible card readers and locked doors.
Which keycard do I need first? The Maintenance A Keycard is typically the first keycard players will acquire, as it unlocks access to areas containing the other two keycards.
Where can I find the Maintenance A Keycard? The Maintenance A Keycard is found on a desk in an apartment within the Maintenance A bunker, which is located northwest of the snowy mountain.
Where can I find the VIP Keycard? The VIP Keycard is found deeper within the Food Bunker, which is located in the northeast of the island. Access to the Food Bunker requires the Maintenance A Keycard.
Where can I find the Guest Keycard? The Guest Keycard is found in the third cubicle on the right within a bar meeting area inside the Recreational Bunker. Access to the Recreational Bunker requires the Maintenance A Keycard.