Prerequisites for the Ending
To reach any of the Sons of the Forest endings, you must first complete the main story objectives. This involves a series of critical steps that lead you to the game’s final sequence. You’ll need to collect various keycards, such as the Maintenance Keycard, VIP Keycard, and Guest Keycard. These are essential for accessing different areas and progressing through the narrative.
A crucial location you’ll need to reach is the eastern bunker, specifically the VIP Luxury Bunker located in the northeast of the island. This bunker may appear as a gold “VIP” icon on your map if you’ve interacted with a laptop in the Residential Bunker. Inside this bunker, you will eventually open the Gold Arm Door. Beyond this door lies the Golden Cube sequence, a pivotal event in the game’s story.
Once you have successfully navigated through the Golden Cube sequence, your character will awaken back on the shoreline. A helicopter will be waiting nearby, and your backpack will be lying on the sand a short distance away. At this point, the game presents you with a final choice, which, along with how you managed your companions throughout your playthrough, will determine which of the three possible endings you experience. It’s advisable to create a new save slot before making your final decision, as some endings prevent you from returning to that specific save file on the island.
The Three Endings and How to Achieve Them
Sons of the Forest offers three distinct endings: the Bad Ending, the Good Ending, and the Secret/Best Ending. Each outcome depends on your final decision on the beach and your interactions with companions.
Bad Ending: Stay and Fight Demons
This ending occurs if you choose to remain on the island. After completing all story objectives and the Golden Cube sequence, you’ll find yourself on the beach with a helicopter and your backpack. To achieve this ending:
- Complete all story objectives and the Golden Cube sequence.
- On the beach, walk past the helicopter and pick up your backpack.
- The helicopter will then depart without you, leaving you behind on the island with the other survivors.
Choosing this path unlocks the “Fight Demons” achievement.
Good Ending: Leave the Island
The standard good ending involves escaping the island. Similar to the bad ending, you’ll be on the beach with a helicopter and your backpack after the Golden Cube sequence. To achieve this ending:
- Complete all story objectives and the Golden Cube sequence.
- On the beach, ignore your backpack and proceed directly to the helicopter.
- Board the helicopter immediately.
If Kelvin is alive and has been kept as a companion, he will join you on the helicopter. If Kelvin died earlier in your playthrough, only you and other survivors will leave the island. This ending awards the “Fought Demons” achievement and signifies your character’s escape back to civilization.
Secret/Best Ending: Keep Your Friends Close
This is the most demanding ending to achieve, as it requires both Kelvin and Virginia to escape with you. It is a stricter version of the good ending, emphasizing companion management. To unlock it:
- Keep Kelvin alive throughout the entire game. Ensure he does not die from combat or friendly fire.
- Fully befriend Virginia. This includes giving her weapons and a GPS tracker to make her your companion.
- Ensure both Kelvin and Virginia are alive and following you as you enter the final area, such as the eastern bunker and the Gold Arm Door.
- Complete the Golden Cube sequence as usual.
- After waking on the beach, head straight to the helicopter without picking up your backpack.
If both companions are alive and loyal, they will join you in the final cutscene, and all three of you will leave the island together. This outcome unlocks the “Keep Your Friends Close” achievement.
Post-Ending Gameplay
The choice you make at the end of Sons of the Forest impacts your ability to continue playing on that specific save file.
- Bad Ending: This is the only ending that allows you to continue playing on the island with your current save file after the credits have rolled.
- Good Ending & Secret/Best Ending: If you choose to leave the island in either of these endings, you will not be able to continue on that exact save file afterward. However, completing the good ending unlocks Creative Mode from the main menu, which allows you to build and experiment without the story’s constraints.
FAQ
How many endings are there in Sons of the Forest? There are three possible endings in Sons of the Forest: a Bad Ending, a Good Ending, and a Secret/Best Ending.
What do I need to do before I can reach any ending? You must complete the main story, which includes collecting keycards, reaching the eastern bunker, opening the Gold Arm Door, and surviving the Golden Cube sequence.
How do I get the Bad Ending? After the Golden Cube sequence, when you wake up on the beach with a helicopter nearby and your backpack behind you, walk back and pick up your backpack instead of going to the helicopter.
How do I get the Good Ending? After the Golden Cube sequence, when you wake up on the beach, ignore your backpack and walk straight to the helicopter to board it.
How do I get the Secret/Best Ending? To get the Secret/Best Ending, you must keep both Kelvin and Virginia alive and befriend Virginia throughout the game. Ensure they are both with you at the final area, then, like the Good Ending, ignore your backpack and board the helicopter.
Can I continue playing after I finish the game? Only the Bad Ending allows you to continue playing on the same save file on the island. The Good and Secret endings do not, but the Good Ending unlocks Creative Mode from the main menu.