Sons of the Forest
ByYurii Luzhko

How to Command Kelvin in Sons of the Forest

Game files, client build 539515 min read

Stand Kelvin up near the crash site, then pull out your notepad: it is the only way to give him orders. Pick Get for wood and stone, Build for fires and shelters, Stay or Take a break to park him.

Seven steps from waking him up to dressing him. The companions page puts Kelvin and Virginia side by side; Virginia takes no orders, see how to befriend Virginia.

Kelvin's portrait beside the notepad icon from Sons of the Forest
Kelvin and his notepad: game art from the companions page.
On this page

The 7 steps at a glance

Steps 1 to 3 get the notepad working. Steps 4 to 6 are the orders you will use daily. Step 7 is his clothes.

  1. Stand Kelvin up. He lies hurt by the helicopter.
  2. Take out the notepad. It is the only line to him.
  3. Read the 7 orders. Follow me, Get, Build, Stay, Take a break, Clear and Take clothing.
  4. Send him to Get things. 7 things, 4 ways to hand them over.
  5. Have him Build. fire, shelter, finish structure, repair structure and clear shelter.
  6. Park him and clear ground. Stay, Take a break and Clear.
  7. Dress him. 6 outfits, 5 of them on the map.

Step 1: Stand Kelvin up

He is there from the start: after the crash he lies hurt near the helicopter. Walk up and help him to his feet, and he works with you from then on. The beginner guide puts this in the first hours. Players say you hold the interact button next to him to raise him, and that he is mute and confused until the notepad is out.

Step 2: Take out the notepad

Kelvin flew in with you. The crash left him deaf and unable to speak, so you give him orders in writing on your notepad. He gathers, builds and keeps your camp running, but he does not fight. Players report the order list lives on the notepad and that E opens it once he is with you (Corrosion Hour).

  1. Take out the notepad. Players say this is what starts the communication.
  2. Stand in front of Kelvin and press E, the key players report, to open the order list (Gamer Guides).
  3. Pick an order. Some open a second menu (Step 3).

Not in the files

The key bindings are not in the string table we hold. E is the key players report on keyboard; your bindings may differ.

Step 3: Read the 7 orders

The names are the game's own (the Robby string table). The menu layout and what each order does follow the Fandom wiki, paraphrased.

Kelvin's notepad orders
OrderWhat it doesSecond menu
Follow meHe walks with you.none
GetHe gathers a resource, then delivers it.What: logs, sticks, rocks, berries, fish, arrows and radio; Then: fill holder, drop here, give to me and follow me
BuildHe builds or tidies a structure.What: fire, shelter, finish structure, repair structure and clear shelter
StayHe waits where you tell him.Where: here, at shelter and hidden
Take a breakGives him a break from work.none
ClearClears an area — you pick the radius.Radius: 5, 10 or 20 meters
Take clothingHands him an outfit you have found — this is how you change his clothes.none

Step 4: Send him to Get things

Get is the order for gathering. You pick what, then what he does with it: fill holder, drop here, give to me and follow me.

  1. Choose Get and then logs, sticks, rocks, berries, fish, arrows and radio.
  2. Choose where it goes. Players say storage is the best choice, but only if you built a storage structure for that item; "drop here" leaves it where he stands (Corrosion Hour).
  3. Wait for the thumbs-up, which players say means he finished his last job.

Pro tip

Build log, stick and rock storage first (a Log Storage costs 8 sticks and a Stick Storage 6 in the crafting data), then send him for that resource.

Step 5: Have him Build

Build lists 5 jobs: fire, shelter, finish structure, repair structure and clear shelter. Players say he gathers the materials himself and does not wait for you (Corrosion Hour).

  1. Place a blueprint yourself (a shelter or a fire), or choose Build and let him start one.
  2. Use Finish structure to have him complete a blueprint you laid out.
  3. Use Repair structure to have him mend one, and Clear shelter to take one down.

Step 6: Park him and clear ground

Stay has three places: here, at shelter and hidden. Take a break lets him rest. Clear removes brush in a radius you pick: 5, 10 or 20 meters, per the wiki.

  • Players say Kelvin will not follow you into caves, so park him at camp with Take a break before you go down.
  • Use Take a break regularly: players say he loses motivation if overworked.
  • Keep him away from the fights. He backs away from them and returns afterwards (companions page).

Step 7: Dress him

Take clothing hands him an outfit you have found. The wiki lists 6 for him, counting the Tactical Jacket he starts in, and says they are cosmetic. Our map marks 5 of the pickups: Pyjamas, Leather Jacket, Blazer, Hoodie and Tuxedo.

Sons of the Forest island with the outfit pickups Kelvin can wear marked

Tap a dot to see which place it is. Open a layer on the full map: Kelvin's outfits

Kelvin in the Tactical Jacket
Tactical Jacket
Kelvin in the Leather Jacket
Leather Jacket
Kelvin in the Tuxedo
Tuxedo
Kelvin in the Hoodie
Hoodie
Kelvin in the Blazer
Blazer
Kelvin in the Pajamas
Pajamas

Orders in the files that no guide places

The game's string table holds 7 more words that the wiki menu does not use: perimeter wall, fill sled, reset traps, stones, spears, maintain base and sharpen wall. They look like extra orders (a sled to fill, traps to reset, walls to sharpen), but we have not seen them in a menu, so we do not claim they work.

Common mistakes

  • Using "drop here". He may drop things where you do not want them. Use storage or "give to me".
  • Never giving him a break. Players say he stops working.
  • Leaving him alone near a fight. He cannot defend the base.
  • Expecting weapons. Take clothing is for clothing only, per players.

FAQ

How do you give Kelvin orders?

With the notepad. Take it out, face him and pick an order; players say E opens the list.

What orders can Kelvin follow?

Follow me, Get, Build, Stay, Take a break, Clear and Take clothing. Get, Build, Stay and Clear open a second menu.

Can Kelvin die?

Enemies knock him down but cannot kill him, and only you can kill him, per the wiki. If he is down, help him up.

Can Kelvin fight?

No. He backs away from fights and returns when they are over.

How do you change Kelvin's clothes?

Use the Take clothing order with an outfit in your inventory. The wiki lists 6: Tactical Jacket, Leather Jacket, Tuxedo, Hoodie, Blazer and Pajamas.

Does Kelvin follow you into caves?

Players say he does not, so leave him at camp with Take a break.

Pages to keep open

Related pages

Sources

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