If you need the Sons of the Forest ending explained, we don’t blame you. Endnight’s mutant-laden excursion is light on story details, and just reaching the ending can be a real head-scratcher in itself. What’s more, the conclusion of your time on the island varies depending on the choices you make and can result in a good, bad, or perfect ending.
To reach the Sons of the Forest end, you’ll need to have collected all the primary tools that Endnight’s open-world game contains. If you’ve still got a few noticeable gaps in your inventory, check out our guides to locating the Sons of the Forest shovel, rebreather, and rope gun, all of which you’ll need to see the Sons of the Forest ending in full. Needless to say, there are spoilers below.
How to get the Sons of the Forest ending
Before you can reach any Sons of the Forest ending, you must first visit all Sons of the Forest keycard locations to retrieve the Maintenance Keycard and VIP Keycard, both of which you’ll need to progress. After that, don the Golden Armor – if you haven’t picked it up yet, our guide to Sons of the Forest armor can steer you in the right direction – and access the final bunker, located on the eastern shoreline directly south of the abandoned village.
At first, this underground facility isn’t too different from any of the other bunkers you’ve explored – until you reach the bathroom. Step through the hole in the bathroom wall and interact with the mysterious golden door to enter a cave system filled with lava and a new, twisted variation of Sons of the Forest mutants. If you’ve picked up a cross on your travels, now’s the time to equip it. Your Sons of the Forest weapons can do some damage to these mutants, but the cross holds the ability to burn these demons where they stand.
It’s a long trek through this cave system, but as long as you take care to fend off the onslaught of mutants and avoid falling into the river of lava, you should reach the end of the linear path without issue. The cave system abruptly terminates at the golden cube artifact hinted at in many of the notes scattered throughout the survival game.
You step into the cube as part of the cutscene, at which point its door closes behind you. As the timer ticks down to zero, the far side of the cube opens to display a vision of a futuristic metropolis, characterized by pointed skyscrapers and flying vehicles.
Eventually, this vision ends, reverting to the cube’s wall. Moments later, the way you came opens back up behind you to reveal a hulking mass of flesh that’s unlike any other mutant you’ve encountered in the horror game thus far, suggesting that a considerable amount of time has passed since you stepped in the cube.
Sons of the Forest endings
There are three Sons of the Forest endings, and the one you receive is dependent upon your companions and whether or not you pick up the backpack directly behind you before you board the rescue helicopter.
If you opt to retrieve the backpack, the rescue helicopter will take off without you, leaving you stranded on the island forever. It’s not all bad though – reaching this Sons of the Forest ending unlocks the ‘Fight Demons’ achievement, so you do get something for all your effort.
Alternatively, you can board the rescue helicopter as normal, and enjoy watching the Endnight’s cannibal-infested island fade into the distance. Somewhat fittingly, this Sons of the Forest ending will net you the ‘Fought Demons’ achievement, proving that closure can be found in the unlikeliest of places.
A variation of this Sons of the Forest ending is also available if you know how to get Virginia in Sons of the Forest and haven’t let Kelvin die. While the broad strokes remain the same, both companions also witness the events within the cube and board the helicopter alongside you. This will unlock the ‘Keep Your Friends Close’ hidden achievement and is the closest thing to a perfect ending thus far.
That’s the Sons of the Forest ending explained. Once the end credits are over, why not return to the island with friends in Sons of the Forest multiplayer? Alternatively, check out our list of the best PC games to play next.