A new gameplay mechanic in Sons of the Forest is the addition of 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 to overcome again and again. Winter can be especially tough: it brings fewer vital resources, harsh weather, and more enemies. You’ll need to prepare well, because the cold days arrive faster than you might like! Here are all the key points to help you get through winter in Sons of the Forest without trouble.
Sons of the Forest winter duration: seasons and day length explained
The length of the seasons depends on what you select when creating your save. With normal settings, winter starts on the eleventh day. Before that you’ll go through the warm summer, followed by the colorful autumn. As soon as the trees turn red and yellow, you should start preparing for winter.
You can adjust the length of 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 days feel too short. We only recommend this for experienced players with a few hours under their belt. It can be a fun change of pace to give yourself more time while increasing the challenge.
You can set day length to the following values:
- 38 minutes
- 76 minutes (1 hour 16 minutes, default)
- 4 hours
- 24 hours
A complete year therefore lasts 20 days with the default settings, which adds up to roughly 25 hours of playtime. You’ll spend a little over 6 in-game hours in winter. Decide for yourself whether that’s too short or too long. For beginners, we recommend leaving the settings as they are. You probably don’t want your winter to last 90 days — although that could be an exciting challenge!
Stay warm in winter: clothing, torch, and base heating
Your biggest enemy in winter is the weather itself. Your character will get cold quickly and the snowfall will also make you wet. Not a great combo! The indicator in the bottom-left corner will alert you when you’re not doing well. At the same time, you’ll see in the bottom-right circle that your stamina is reduced. The colder and wetter you are, the more of the bar is blocked. Other aspects are affected too, such as your aim. If you’re shivering, it’s hard to keep a weapon steady.
To keep yourself warm in a basic way, craft a torch. All you need is 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 outdoors.
For a more permanent boost in winter, track down the winter jacket. It was moved with one of the recent updates 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 sealing your house and building a campfire inside. In real life, don’t do this, but in Sons of the Forest it’s fine to heat your place with a cozy fire! After a long day outside, at least your base will be warm when you return. Dry off by the fire regularly to reduce cold and wetness.
Food and water in winter: fishing, cooking, and securing supplies
The second problem in winter is getting food and water. But it’s easier than you might think! You’re not alone — Kelvin can be a big help during winter survival.
For water, set up camp near a flowing river. While many lakes freeze over in winter, you can still drink from streams and rivers. You should also 3D-print a flask at a printer in a bunker so you can carry water with you.
Food isn’t a dead end either. For example, Kelvin can look for fish in the same river, which still works well in winter. Many other animals hide and are harder to find. Moose are also a good source of food, offering plenty of meat. Use drying racks to make meat last longer.
Start cooking once you’ve found a cooking pot. Some recipes give you a warmth boost! These include cooked instant ramen, jam, chicken soup, and eggnog. Plan ahead, as 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 — but also opportunities to enjoy some of the game’s fun mechanics. Here are a few final pointers to make the most of the cold days or avoid certain pitfalls.
- In winter you won’t be able to find small and medium stones. Kelvin can help here too if you ask him to gather them.
- Unfortunately, the cold weather attracts more mutants who want to harass your base. Build it up well 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 arrives and the water thaws, your base will essentially float above the lake.
- If you get too cold, take a trip into the island’s many bunkers. Even better, build your base right above an entrance so you can warm up down there.
- For 1000 ml of Printer Resin, you can 3D-print a sled. It makes 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 has become more challenging. Winter in particular can be tough for first-time players, so prepare accordingly. Use torches to stay warm, look for a winter jacket, and have Kelvin gather food. There are fun parts too, like the sled or watching cannibals slide across frozen lakes.
Rent your Sons of the Forest server and survive the winter with friends. It’s even more fun together, and you can keep each other warm!
