The Forest: Crafting resources The Forest Guide
Last update: 28 December 2022
The Forest, just like any sandbox game with a crafting system, allows you to find, collect and use vast resources scattered around the island, in a variety of ways. Finding, as well as finding a proper usage for them, is a must, if you want to have at least a slight chance of survival in the game. What's more, some of the resources are also used to upgrade items - more on that topic can be found in a separate chapter.
- Log
- Stone
- Cloth
- Booze
- Stick
- Leaves
- Coins
- Cash
- Electrical Tape
- Fuel Can
- Rope
- Feather
- Body Parts
- Lizard Skin
- Circuit Board
- Wrist Watch
- Teeth
- Sap
- Skull
- Aloe Vera
- Blueberries
- Chicory
- Coneflower
- Marigold
- Amanita Mushroom
- Jack Mushroom
Log
Wood, or specifically Logs, are one of the crafting materials, which are used in the creation of various items and buildings in the game, such as shelters, traps and different types of walls. To be able to collect them, you will have to cut down a large tree (the trunk of such a tree is of a thickness of an average human), which can be done by chopping it with an axe (the number of required hits is the same, regardless of the type of the axe - 16). Depending on the size of the tree, you will be awarded with a number of logs ranging from 2 to 5. To "force the tree" to fall in the direction you want it to fall (for instance, down the hill, leading to your camp), you just have to run towards it the moment the felling animation starts.
Normally you are able to carry up to two logs at the same time - they do not go into the inventory, like the rest of the resources, but they are carried by the character. To be able to transport more of them, you need an item called Log Sled - you can craft it by combining 21 Sticks. Thanks to that you will be able to transport 12 logs.
Stone
In The Forest, in contrast to other survival/sandbox games, you don't have to smash enormous rocks or dig tunnels to collect stones - they are simply scattered around the whole island, and all you have to do is to collect them. Similar to logs, stones are used in the construction of buildings (shelters, traps), as well as to create more advanced sources of fire. They can also be used as a (rather weak) weapon in melee combat.
Normally you can carry a maximum of five rocks - after that the character will simply refuse to pick up more. To counter it you can create a Rock Bag (by combining 1x Boar Skin, 3x Rope and 1x Cloth) or a Rock Sled (by combining 21x Stick). The former item allows you to carry 10 stones, the latter to transport 22 of them.
Cloth
Cloth is used to craft numerous items (such as, for instance, the Molotov cocktail or the Slingshot), it is also used in the process of item upgrading. Cloth can be found inside suitcases scattered around the entire island, in cannibal villages, in caves or even as a decorative element of Effigies constructed by enemies.
Booze
Booze is used in the production of Molotovs, as well as Bombs. Bottles with the precious alcohol can be found inside of suitcases - hidden in the close vicinity of the plane you crash in - as well as lying on the beach. You can also consume the drink, but it is highly inadvisable to do so, as it will only reduce your energy.
Booze is also used in weapon upgrading - thanks to it you will be able to create weapons capable of setting enemies on fire.
Stick
Sticks, being one of the three basic resources (other being stones and logs), can be collected by using two methods - picking it up from the ground (or from small ponds), or by cutting down small trees and bushes. Sticks are required (usually in high numbers) in the production of a variety of items and most buildings. You can also use a stick in a melee fight, but it deals almost no damage.
This item is also often used in weapon upgrades - it is required in a large portion of blueprints.
Leaves
Leaves can be picked up while they are falling to the ground, as well as by chopping down grass, plants and small tress (from which you will get a stick, and a leaf will be automatically collected).
Coins
Coins, contrary to the first thought, aren't used as a payment method, because you won't encounter a trading system of any sort in the game. Just like all the other resources, they are used in the crafting process - in the current state of the game, you can only use them in the production of bombs, combining them with Circuit Boards, Electrical Tape, Wrist Watch and Booze. Coins can be found hidden inside of suitcases, inside the caves, or lying on the beach's sand - additionally, you can "extract" them by hitting the sand with a stick or a spear.
Cash
At the moment (version 1.0) serves two different functions. It can be used as a substitute for leaves when lighting a fire, or used to buy Soda. The latter can be done in the final location of the game, Laboratory, where you can find vending machines - you can spend money there, purchasing precious cans of Soda.
Electrical Tape
Electrical Tape is used to craft valuable items (such as a Slingshot or a Bomb) and is one of the rarest items in the game. You can find it inside suitcases scattered throughout the island.
Fuel Can
Fuel Cans contain gasoline and are used for one purpose - to refill the fuel tank of a Chainsaw. This item can be found in caves and in some of the cannibal villages.
Rope
Rope is one of the most needed materials in the game - it is used to create a large number of items, as well as in the construction of a substantial portion of the buildings. This object can be found mainly in cannibal villages, it can also be created by combining 7 pieces of Cloth.
Feather
Feathers are mainly used to upgrade items, but they are also required to create several types of arrows. They can be acquired in two ways - by killing birds (you will get 3 to 5 feathers per bird using this method) or by constructing a Birdhouse. After constructing the building, birds will land inside of it and feathers will accumulate there, up to a maximum of 30 units. A character can carry an unlimited amount of feathers.
Body Parts
Body parts, or to be more specific the Arm, the Leg and the Head are used to craft items. The most common use for them is to create Effigies - constructions that are designed to scare off enemies. The head is the most valuable part of the body - it can be used to create a Head Bomb, the most powerful explosive in the game. Body parts can be acquired from the bodies of killed cannibals - you just need to hit the corpse several times with an axe and the body parts you are looking for will start falling off.
Lizard Skin
Lizard Skin is used as the first armor in the game. You can equip it from the inventory screen - this will cause a new bar, representing the status of the armor, to appear next to your health bar. Thanks to that, the character will be able to withstand more punishment from the enemies before he will start losing health. Those items can also be used to create Stealth Armor - an upgraded version of the standard lizard one. Lizard Skins can be acquired from the bodies of slain lizards - together with their meat.
Circuit Board
Circuit Boards, at least at the current state of the game, are used in one recipe only - as one of the components required to construct a Bomb. It's one of the rarest items encountered in the game - several Circuit Boards can be found to the left of the crashed plane and more are scattered inside caves, where the Spider Mutant is lurking. Given how rare this item is, you should be using it (or more specifically, the Bombs you can create with it) with care.
Wrist Watch
Wrist Watches are used for one purpose - to create Bombs. They can be found at the bodies of killed passengers (they are hidden throughout the island, as well as in the caves), in the caves or inside the suitcases.
Teeth
Teeth are used to upgrade weapons - they allow the player to increase the amount of damage a weapon can inflict. They can be acquired from cannibals - each hit has a 10-15% chance to "drop" a tooth from a cannibal. For this reason - if you want to acquire a large amount of this resource - it's worth to attack the enemy with the weakest weapon, such as the Stick, as the damage inflicted does not impact the chances of dropping a tooth.
Sap
Sap is used to create items, as well as to upgrade them. It can be acquired by using two methods - by cutting down trees (each time you fell a tree, you will also receive 2-3 pieces of this resource) or by crafting a Sap Collector. A Sap Collector installed on a tree will successively accumulate Sap, up to a maximum of 30 units - you should regularly collect the resource to prevent the construction from generating it.
Skull
Skulls are one of the most valuable items, used to create weapons and construct buildings. A construction worth noting here is the Skull Lamp, a lamp that you do not need to constantly light, like a regular fire. Skulls can be acquired from cannibal villages, they can also be found on the yacht or inside caves. Additionally, the item can be crafted by cooking a cannibal head over the fire (like a regular meat).
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is used to craft medicines that restore lost health points; it can also be consumed to get rid of an infection. This item can be found growing wild in the forest, but do to its small size and blending with the surrounding plants, locating it might not be easy.
Blueberries
Blueberries are mostly used as food - they reduce hunger, irrigate the character and restore lost energy. What is more, they do not spoil - they are an ideal snack for longer voyages. This item can also be used to create Blue Paint.
There is also a second type of berries in the game, Twinberries. Those are poisonous (which is why it is not a good idea to eat them), are used to upgrade items (apply poison) and craft poisoned arrows. They differ from the regular berries in color - the edible ones are light blue, whereas the poisonous are much darker.
Chicory
Chicory leaves are used to craft energy restoring items. They can be found growing wild in the forest - their leaves have a light blue color.
Coneflower
Another plant that can be obtained in the game. Coneflower bushes have white flowers, making them easy to distinguish among vegetation. The plant is used to craft healing (Herbal Medicine+) and energy restoring (Energy Mix) potions.
Marigold
The last type of plant available in the game. Marigold has orange flowers and is standing out in the background of the forest. The plant is used to create medications, as well as Orange Paint.
Amanita Mushroom
One of the two types of mushrooms that can be found in the game. These mushrooms can be eaten raw, but they are poisonous. Instead, you should cook them to get rid of this negative effect. They can also be used to upgrade items - you can poison a weapon with them.
Jack Mushroom
The second type of mushroom in the game, with the same characteristics and usage as the Amanita ones.