Play it if
You want a scary survival sandbox to play with friends.
Skip it if
You want a well-told story or a game for Steam Deck.
Fact sheet
- Players
- 1–8 players
- Online play
- Yes
- Cross-play
- No
- Solo
- Works solo with an AI companion
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Typical playtime
- ~35 hours
- Steam Deck
- Unsupported
1The pitch
Your rescue helicopter crashes on an island full of hostile tribes and mutated creatures. A mystery lies beneath it in caves and bunkers.
2How it plays
Building is free-form: you cut trees log by log and place them to make anything from a lean-to to a fortress. Seasons change the island, and an AI companion named Kelvin can follow simple orders.
3Where it beats its rival
Against Subnautica it wins on co-op and on freedom of building. With friends, it turns into a loud survival sandbox. It is the better choice for a group.
4Look & sound
Forests, snow and dark caves look excellent, and the enemies are disturbing. Not for the faint-hearted.
5Setup & value
It lists at $29.99 and runs on Windows. Online co-op supports up to eight players. Steam lists it as Unsupported on Steam Deck.
Best bits
- Excellent free-form building
- Great with friends
- Creepy, tense atmosphere
Watch out
- Story ends abruptly
- Not supported on Steam Deck
Score sheet
- Depth 25%
- 90
- Feel 25%
- 88
- Easy to start 15%
- 78
- Replay 20%
- 84
- Value 15%
- 88
90 × 25% + 88 × 25% + 78 × 15% + 84 × 20% + 88 × 15% = 86.20 → 86
The judges' verdict
Verdict
“Sons of the Forest is a brilliant survival playground for groups. It loses the rematch on story, but wins on co-op.”
By the Bet Compare Guide editorial desk · Updated 20 Oct 2026 · How we score · Report an error
