What are the pros of The Forest?

Exceptional cooperative multiplayer that significantly enhances the gameplay experience.. Highly immersive survival horror atmosphere that remains effective years after release.. Satisfying and deep building mechanics that allow for extensive base customization.. Engaging story and mystery that provides a compelling reason to explore the world.. Strong balance between peaceful daytime crafting and intense, frightening nighttime encounters..

What are the cons of The Forest?

The endgame can feel like a tedious scavenger hunt that loses the initial sense of mystery.. Movement and building systems can feel clunky, shallow, or outdated by modern standards.. Gameplay can become repetitive once the initial survival illusion wears off.. Presence of various bugs and technical inconsistencies that occasionally disrupt immersion..

The Forest

As the lone survivor of a passenger jet crash, you find yourself in a mysterious forest battling to stay alive against a society of cannibalistic mutants. Build, explore, survive in this terrifying first person survival horror simulator.

96%

Overwhelmingly Positive

DeveloperEndnight Games Ltd

PublisherEndnight Games Ltd

Release DateApr 30, 2018

$19.99

Peak Players109.2K

Metacritic83

PlatformsWindows

AI Review Summary

The Forest is a definitive survival horror experience that masterfully blends creative base-building with a terrifying, mystery-driven narrative. While it is highly celebrated for its immersive atmosphere and excellent cooperative multiplayer, some players find the endgame mechanics and movement to be dated or repetitive.

Pros

Exceptional cooperative multiplayer that significantly enhances the gameplay experience.95%
Highly immersive survival horror atmosphere that remains effective years after release.90%
Satisfying and deep building mechanics that allow for extensive base customization.85%
Engaging story and mystery that provides a compelling reason to explore the world.80%
Strong balance between peaceful daytime crafting and intense, frightening nighttime encounters.75%

Cons

The endgame can feel like a tedious scavenger hunt that loses the initial sense of mystery.80%
Movement and building systems can feel clunky, shallow, or outdated by modern standards.70%
Gameplay can become repetitive once the initial survival illusion wears off.65%
Presence of various bugs and technical inconsistencies that occasionally disrupt immersion.60%

Notable Mentions

Commonly joked about as a simulator where players build gazebos instead of finding their missing son.
Reviewers highlight a stark contrast in difficulty and tone between solo play and multiplayer.
The game maintains a high recommendation rate despite the release of its sequel.

Confidence: 60%

Based on the 197 most relevant reviewsGenerated on Jul 5, 2026

Game Vitals

Live snapshot

Player Activity

Current peak

4.3K

Peak · last 90 days

19.0K

All-time peak

109.2K

Price

Current price

$19.99

Lowest tracked

$4.39since Jan 3, 2026

Review Sentiment

Launch week

—

Last 30 days

94%

All-time positive

96%

Review Statistics

Total Reviews680.8K

Positive: 650.4K (96%)Negative: 30.4K (4%)

Reviews from Steam Deck

Dev Response Rate

47h

Avg Playtime at Review

79%

Credible Reviews