Sons of the Forest
ByYurii Luzhko
Sons of the Forest — a waterfall in the island's forest, in-game screenshot
  • Progression order
  • ~10 major caves
  • Rebreather → Rope Gun → Shovel

Sons of the Forest cave order

The island is open from the start, so it's easy to wander into a cave you can't finish. Do the tool caves in the right order to unlock everything smoothly — here's the full progression.

The best cave order, step by step

Each pin is where that tool lies — tap one to open the exact spot on the full map.

Sons of the Forest island with the cave-order tools pinned in order123456
Pin numbers follow the order below.
  1. 1Flashlight
  2. 2Rebreather (scuba)
  3. 3Rope Gun
  4. 4Cross
  5. 5Shovel
  6. 6Pickaxe
  1. Where the Flashlight is in Sons of the Forest
    Step 1

    Flashlight

    Early

    Grab the flashlight first — hands-free cave light makes every dive far easier than holding the lighter. It's an early, low-risk pickup.

    On hanging soldier

    Flashlight on the map
  2. Where the Rebreather (scuba) is in Sons of the Forest
    Step 2

    Rebreather (scuba)

    Essential

    The single most important early tool. The rebreather lets you breathe underwater, which gates most of the primary caves — including flooded tunnels you simply can't cross without it. Its cave sits on the northern coast near the river mouth and needs no other tools to reach.

    Inside the left tunnel

    Exact location & guideRebreather (scuba) on the mapRebreather Cave entrance
  3. Where the Rope Gun is in Sons of the Forest
    Step 3

    Rope Gun

    Essential

    Next, the rope gun fires ziplines to descend shafts and cross chasms — it opens several caves and, together with the rebreather, is required to finish the shovel cave. Get it before attempting the shovel.

    Near the cave exit in the left tunnel

    Exact location & guideRope Gun on the mapRope Gun Cave entrance
  4. Where the Cross is in Sons of the Forest
    Step 4

    Cross

    Early

    The cross sits in the Rope Gun Cave, so you can take it on that same run instead of making a trip for it later. It repels demons — which only starts to matter deep into the game, so carry it with you into the late-game caves.

    Inside Rope Gun Cave (Cave B).

    Cross on the mapRope Gun Cave entrance
  5. Where the Shovel is in Sons of the Forest
    Step 5

    Shovel

    Essential

    Only now tackle the shovel cave — it has a flooded section (rebreather) and shafts (rope gun), so it's a dead end without both. The shovel then lets you dig up buried graves, dirt mounds and covered hatches all over the island, opening new loot and caves.

    In hands of dead worker inside cave

    Exact location & guideShovel on the mapShovel Cave entrance
  6. Where the Pickaxe is in Sons of the Forest
    Step 6

    Pickaxe

    Late

    A late-game tool found stuck in Solafite ore deep in a cave. It mines Solafite and lets you climb frozen ice walls to reach the endgame caves — don't head for the deepest caves until you have it.

    Stuck in the Solafite Ore on the wall

    Exact location & guidePickaxe on the mapPickaxe Cave entrance

Don't rush the deep caves. Seven named caves hold the key items, with grottos and bunkers in between. Entering a late cave early usually means hitting a flooded tunnel, a sheer shaft or an ice wall you can't pass yet — so clear the tool caves above first. Track everything on the interactive map, or filter straight to every cave entrance.

Sons of the Forest cave order FAQ

What cave should I do first in Sons of the Forest?
The Rebreather cave. The rebreather lets you breathe underwater and gates most of the other primary caves, so securing it first stops you from walking into caves you can't finish. It's on the northern coast near the river mouth and needs no other tools to reach.
What is the correct cave order in Sons of the Forest?
For the gear that unlocks everything else, do them in this order: Rebreather → Rope Gun → Shovel. The shovel cave needs both the rebreather (flooded section) and the rope gun (shafts), so grabbing those two first saves a wasted trip. The pickaxe and cross come later, for the endgame caves.
How many caves are in Sons of the Forest?
Seven caves are named — Rebreather, Rope Gun, Shovel, Ancient Armor, Pickaxe, Artifact and Hell Cave — and those are the ones holding key items and story progression, alongside the lake grottos and a set of bunkers you visit between cave runs. You don't have to clear every cave, but the tool caves (rebreather, rope gun, shovel, pickaxe) are effectively mandatory to advance.
Do I need to collect all the artifact pieces?
The artifact is assembled from pieces scattered across the caves and is tied to one of the game's endings, so you'll want them for full completion. Use the interactive map's artifact filter to track which pieces you still need.

Keep exploring

Playing with friends? See crossplay & co-op.

Progression order and item locations are from the live game (Sons of the Forest 1.0) and cross-checked against our own map data. PinDrop is fan-made and not affiliated with Endnight Games.