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The Forest
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The Forest

201886/100
PuzzleSimulatorAdventureIndie

Horror · Open World · Survival

The Forest throws you into a brutal survival scenario where crafting and resource management are paramount. You'll scavenge for supplies, construct makeshift shelters, and fortify against the cannibalistic mutants that stalk the wilderness. Its blend of tense exploration, base-building, and visceral combat, coupled with a haunting atmosphere, creates a uniquely terrifying loop that demands constant vigilance.

About The Forest

Details
The game begins with the player Eric Leblanc riding in an airplane with his son Timmy Leblanc when the plane mysteriously crashes on a remote island. The player and his son manage to survive the crash, but the player watches helplessly as his son is kidnapped by a man in red war paint. In addition to trying to survive in the wild and fending off hostile wildlife and feral, cannibalistic mutants, the player searches the peninsula for his son. The forest surface leaves clues to help the player puzzle out the story, but the majority of the plot takes place in the caves that riddle the underside of the peninsula. Eventually, the player discovers an abandoned underground lab complex that was studying an artifact capable of bringing the dead back to life, but requires the sacrifice of a child. The player discovers that the kidnapper intended to sacrifice the player's son in order to revive his daughter. However, the player discovers that the daughter had mutated into an aggressive, cannibalistic monster, similar to the other mutants that roam the peninsula. The player confronts the child, who seizes and mutates further before attacking him, leading to the daughter's death. The player then attempts to use the daughter's body to revive his son, but the process is a failure, since a live sacrifice is needed. The player explores the lab further and discovers a second artifact that functions as a type of EMP device capable of bringing down nearby planes, implying that it is the cause of his own plane crash. The player then uses the artifact to cause another plane to crash, intending to find a sacrifice to revive his son. One year later, the player and his son have apparently been rescued, and they are invited onto a talk show to promote a book that the player wrote, chronicling his experiences. However, during the show, the player's son collapses and begins to have a seizure, implying he is undergoing the same mutation that the daughter had.

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Top 4 Alternatives to The Forest

1
Rating
Critic & community
87
Match
Recommendation strength
91%

Subnautica

2018 · Adventure

Like The Forest, you're a lone survivor in a hostile, beautiful open world after a crash, but here the dangers are aquatic and the mystery runs deeper than just a missing child.

Why recommended

  • Features a vast, open-world environment that encourages exploration and discovery, initially overwhelming but gradually revealing its secrets and resources.
  • Criteria — Adventure is central, with players exploring diverse biomes, uncovering alien structures, and piecing together a narrative through environmental storytelling and data logs.
  • Survival mechanics are paramount, requiring players to manage hunger, thirst, oxygen, and crafting, similar to the resource management and base building in The Forest.
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2
Rating
Critic & community
78
Match
Recommendation strength
89%

If you enjoyed the brutal, realistic survival of The Forest, Green Hell offers an even more unforgiving jungle experience, where every scratch and disease can be a death sentence.

Why recommended

  • Provides an intense first-person survival experience in a hostile, open-world jungle, demanding meticulous resource gathering, crafting, and base building.
  • Criteria — Singleplayer focus emphasizes isolation and self-reliance, with a strong narrative component that unfolds as you explore and struggle to survive.
  • Features complex health and sanity systems, requiring players to manage not just hunger and thirst, but also parasites, infections, and psychological stress, mirroring The Forest's depth.
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3
Rating
Critic & community
66
Match
Recommendation strength
85%

Trade the dense forest for a deserted island archipelago; Stranded Deep offers a similar blend of harsh survival, crafting, and exploration, but with an emphasis on oceanic dangers.

Why recommended

  • Players are marooned in a procedurally generated open world, forcing them to scavenge, craft, and build shelters to survive against natural elements and dangerous wildlife.
  • Criteria — Adventure is driven by exploring numerous islands, diving for resources, and discovering secrets of the archipelago, all while managing vital survival needs.
  • Emphasizes strategic resource management and planning for long-term survival, including water purification, food preservation, and crafting increasingly complex tools and vehicles.
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4
Rating
Critic & community
77
Match
Recommendation strength
78%

While less horror-focused, Raft shares The Forest's core loop of survival, crafting, and exploration, but on a constantly expanding raft in a vast ocean, with unique challenges and discoveries.

Why recommended

  • Core gameplay revolves around gathering resources from the ocean, crafting essential tools and structures, and expanding a mobile base, akin to The Forest's base-building and resource loop.
  • Criteria — Adventure is central as players sail to new islands, uncover story beats through environmental clues, and explore sunken shipwrecks and abandoned outposts.
  • Features strategic decision-making in resource allocation and base design, as players must constantly adapt their raft and survival methods to new challenges and environments.
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