A new gameplay mechanic in Sons of the Forest introduces full seasons. They add another layer of challenge to the survival experience, especially for veterans of the first game. With changing seasons come new hurdles you’ll need to overcome. Winter can be particularly brutal, bringing fewer vital resources, harsher weather, and more enemies. You’ll need to prepare well—the cold days arrive faster than you might expect! Here are all the key points you need to make it through winter in Sons of the Forest without a hitch.
Sons of the Forest winter duration: Seasons and day length explained
Season length depends on what you chose when creating your save. With normal settings, winter begins on day eleven. Before that you’ll go through the warm summer and the colorful fall. As soon as the trees turn red and yellow, you should start prepping for winter.
You can adjust the length of the seasons based on your settings:
- 3 days
- 5 days (default)
- 10 days
- 90 days
You can do the same with day length if the default feels too short. We only recommend this for more experienced players who already have a few hours under their belt. It can be a fun change of pace to give yourself more time while also increasing the challenge.
You can set day length to:
- 38 minutes
- 76 minutes (1 hour 16 minutes, default)
- 4 hours
- 24 hours
A full year with the default settings is 20 days, which adds up to roughly 25 hours of playtime. You’ll spend a little over 6 hours of that in winter. Decide for yourself if that’s too short or too long, but for beginners we recommend leaving the defaults as is. You probably don’t want winter to last 90 days—but that could make for an exciting challenge!
Staying warm in winter: Clothing, torch, and base heating
Your biggest enemy in winter is the weather. Your character gets cold quickly and the snowfall makes you wet at the same time. Not a great combo! The indicator in the bottom-left corner will warn you when something’s wrong. You’ll also see in the bottom-right of your HUD circle that you’re losing stamina. The colder and wetter you are, the more of the bar gets blocked. Other aspects are affected too, including your aim—if you’re shivering, it’s hard to keep a weapon steady.
For basic warmth, craft a torch. You only need a stick, some cloth, and your lighter. When you hold it and light it, you’ll recover from being wet and cold. Just keep it in your hand while you’re outside.
For a more permanent boost in winter, track down the Winter Jacket. It was moved in a recent update and can now be found in one of the huts on the golf course in the northeast of the island. It provides the best warmth of any clothing item in the game, but it’s less comfortable and not very waterproof. You can wear something else if you prefer—just pay attention to the stats shown in your inventory.
Finally, we recommend fully enclosing your house and building a campfire inside. In real life you shouldn’t do this, of course, but in Sons of the Forest it’s perfectly fine to heat your home with a cozy fire! After a long day outside, at least your base will be warm. Dry off at the fire regularly to reduce cold and wetness.
Food and water in winter: Fishing, cooking, and stockpiling
The second problem in winter is getting food and water. Luckily, it’s easier than you might think—and Kelvin can be a big help.
For water, set up near a flowing river. While many lakes freeze over in winter, you can still collect water from streams and rivers. You should also 3D print a Flask in a bunker so you can carry water on the go.
You’re not out of luck for food either. Kelvin can, for example, catch fish in that same river, which still works well in winter. Many other animals hide and are harder to find. Moose are also a great source of meat. Use drying racks to preserve meat longer.
You should also start cooking once you find a Cooking Pot. Some recipes give you a warmth boost! These include cooked instant ramen, jam, chicken soup, and eggnog. Plan ahead—many plants and berries are rarer in winter.
More winter tips: Mutants, building on ice, bunkers, and sled
Beyond body heat and supplies, winter brings other challenges—and opportunities to explore some of Sons of the Forest’s more fun features. Here are a few final tips to make the most of the cold days or avoid common pitfalls.
- In winter you won’t be able to find small and medium stones. Kelvin can help again—send him to collect them for you.
- Unfortunately, the cold weather attracts more mutants who will harass your base. Build up your base accordingly and secure it with traps (e.g., Fly Swatter Trap or Bone Maker Trap).
- In winter, when many lakes freeze over, you can walk on them and even build! When spring thaws the ice, your base will appear to float above the lake.
- If you’re too cold, take a trip into the island’s many bunkers. Even better, build your base over an entrance so you can warm up down there.
- For 1,000 ml of resin, you can 3D print a sled. It makes the winter days in Sons of the Forest twice as fun!
Conclusion: How to survive winter in Sons of the Forest
With the new seasonal system, Sons of the Forest gets tougher. Winter gives many first-time players a hard time, so prepare accordingly. Use torches to keep warm, look for a Winter Jacket, and have Kelvin gather food. There are fun sides to winter too, like the sled—or watching cannibals slip across frozen lakes.
Rent your Sons of the Forest server and play with friends to survive the winter together. It’s even more fun as a team, and you can keep each other warm!
