Building

**Building** is a game play mechanic allowing the player to construct objects such as fires and shelters using accessible materials.

To build structures, open the Survival Guide by pressing `B`. After selecting a structure, the player can designate where to place the blueprint. While designating the position of the blueprint, use `R` to rotate and the use button (`E` by default) to place it. When building a custom structure, place the first point by pressing `left mouse button` and remove the last point by pressing `right mouse button`. After the blueprint is placed, materials must be assigned to construct the object.

Some structures require the blueprint to be placed and then modified prior to having materials assigned, such as creating a gate on a Defensive Wall.

A blueprint may be deconstructed at any point prior to having all materials assigned to it. Although pressing and holding `C` will erase the blueprint and recover approximately half of the assigned materials, some are non-recoverable, such as turtle shells, leaves, and pots.

Most damaged structures may be repaired using a crafted Repair Tool or Sap. Some custom structures may require additional materials to repair, such as the Custom Foundation.

## Fires

Fires may be used to cook meat, stews, boil polluted water with a pot, provide warmth, provide a light source, and/or to protect against or attract cannibals and mutants. They can be fueled with leaves and cash which extends their burn length. They can be difficult to maintain when it is raining. Fires will also damage players if they walk into them with the exception of the standing fire. Fires can be used to burn dead cannibals for bones & skulls. If heads are cooked, they’ll turn into skulls. If arms or legs are cooked for too long, they’ll turn into a bone. There are some fires located in caves that the player can utilize. Fires can be lit with the lighter, molotovs, lit tennis balls and fire arrows. They can also be lit by a leaf pile trap if it is placed on or in a fire. When lit, the leaf pile trap will cause a chain reaction and light the fires at the same time. Fire Thrower Cannibals fire attack can also light fires.

There are four different types of fires currently exist within the game:

* Boils polluted water into clean water with a pot
* Cooks meat & stews, provides warmth & light

 Fire Pit | * More expensive than basic fires, though lasts longer
* Boils polluted water into clean water with a pot
* Cooks meat & stews, provides warmth & light

 Standing Fire | * Provides warmth & light
* Can light fire arrows
* Has collision

 Bonfire | * Can't cook food
* Provides warmth & lots of light
* Attracts cannibals and mutants

## Shelters

Shelters are one of the most important buildings in all of *The Forest* game. They are used for sleep which restores energy, and also for saving your progress. All shelters come with a house overlay icon which marks its location, it can be seen anywhere in the game world. This is advantageous to the player when adventuring, so they can always find their way home. The player can press `R` on this icon to change its color, or change it to a white color to switch the icon off. Most of the **shelters** protect against rain and keep players warm during the night. Like most of other buildings, **shelters** can be destroyed by cannibals and mutants. Currently there are six kinds of **shelters**. Two are listed under elevated structures, being the Tree House and Alpine Tree House, which both require a tree to attach to.

Here are the four standard **shelters** that can be built:

* **Is destroyed after sleeping in it**
* No protection from cold & rain

 Hunting Shelter | * Unlimited sleep and save point
* One of cheapest permanent shelters
* No protection from cold & rain

 Small Cabin | * Unlimited sleep and save point
* Has a door and window, can be walked inside, has no floor
* Protection from cold & rain

 Log Cabin | * Unlimited sleep and save point
* A complete house, with floor, door, and windows
* Protection from cold & rain

## Food and Water

These buildings will provide ways to collect and store food and water, though mostly food. Very useful and cheap to build resource-wise. Their pages contain more information:

* 10% Chance of rabbits breeding when player sleeps
* Maximum hold of 7 rabbits

 Water Collector | * Collects rain for clean water
* Immune to enemies, can act as a wall
* Use waterskin or old pot for storing clean water

 Garden | * Can grow aloe, coneflower, & blueberries with seeds
* Can grow all mushroom types if built in caves
* Size is customizable, larger gardens require flat areas

 Drying Rack | * Dries meat for instant consumption & to prevent spoiling
* Holds 7 meats, takes 8 minutes & 20 seconds to dry meat
* Cannot store small generic meat

## Storage Structures

Storage structures are great way how to keep your backpack free of resources, or important items like food, weapons, medicine, etc. Currently there are eight kinds of these structures: (In newer updates of The Forest the Snack Bar and the Medicine Cabinet can hold the same items in 1. E.g. Snacks can go into medicine cabinet and Meds can go into snack bar. They just become Small Cabinet (medicine cabinet) and Large Cabinet (snack bar) in your handbook.

## Custom Buildings

**Custom buildings** give the player the creative freedom to build almost everything, from tiny wooden houses to gigantic fortresses. To improve your own creative shelters. Most of these buildings that can be stretched diagonally, when you do so, it often leaves an invisible portion of the structure stretched out further than you can't see, blocking movement. These buildings allow the most creative freedom of all the buildings in the game:

## Elevated Structures

**Elevated Structures** are buildable structures that mostly can be built and attached to certain trees. Some structures like the Tree Bridge can be attached to platforms though. The Tree House and Alpine Tree House can be used as shelters to save and sleep. Keep in mind that an Armsy can knock down trees, they spawn after day 7. Even with building destruction mode switched off, they can still knock trees down. These are very safe from cannibals and other mutants.

* After placed, press `R` To remove or keep the climbing rope.
* If tree is destroyed, it will be destroyed

 Alpine Tree House | * Can be slept and saved in.
* After placed, press `R` To remove or keep the climbing rope.
* If tree is destroyed, it will be destroyed

 Tree Platform | * After placed, press `R` To remove or keep the climbing rope.
* tree bridges can be attached
* If tree is destroyed, it will be destroyed

 Tree Bridge | * Attachable to Tree Platforms, Platforms, Gazebos, Simple Stairs, Basic Walls, Tree Houses, & Alpine Tree Houses.
* Must be attached between two points
* Over long distances, the bridge will start to sag. Allowing enemies to attack it.

## Basic Structures

If the shelters above don't suit you, a custom one can be created using the following components in a way that does:

* Can be placed on angles, though difficult
* Can be stacked on each other

 Simple Stairs | * Simple stairs are very straight, unlike Custom Stairs
* Can be stacked on each other, though difficult to do
* Climbing Ropes & Tree Bridges can attach to it

 Wall with Door | * Climbing Ropes & Tree Bridges CANNOT attach to it
* Does not have a door lock
* Can be stacked on each other

 Wall with Window | * Climbing Ropes & Tree Bridges CANNOT attach to it
* Mutants and Creepy Mutants can see through the window
* Can be stacked on each other

## Utility Structures

**Utility Structures** are structures that serve and be used to benefit the player:

## Furniture

Furniture is used for decoration of your base/shelter/house, though some furniture buildings have practical uses aside from decorating. There are many pieces of furniture that you can build:

## Decorations

As the title implies, most of these constructions are for decorative purposes only, although some of them may provides benefits like lamps, weapon racks or planters. There are many types of **decorations** that you can build:

## Small Traps

Small Traps are used to catch wild animals and get food easier, or to fight off mutants and cannibals.

* Can also catch squirrels, boar, & raccoons
* Costs 1 stick to reset

 Fish Trap | * Catches fish
* Uses the Animal Trap blueprint
* Can only be placed in water

 Leaf Pile Trap | * Used to light things on fire
* Triggered by fire
* Works well in front of gates

 Molotov Wire Trap | * Used to light enemies on fire
* Can be triggered by player, use caution
* No materials are recovered after trap is triggered

 Explosive Wire Trap | * Can be triggered by player, use caution
* No materials are recovered after trap is triggered
* Will destroy buildings and trees, use caution

## Advanced Traps

Advanced Traps are used to kill mutants and cannibals. They are more difficult to use and all have their strengths and weaknesses depending on the given situation.

* Takes two hits to kill mutants on harder modes
* Can damage the player

 Happy Birthday Trap | * Kills all cannibals instantly when struck
* Takes two hits to kill mutants on harder modes
* Can damage the player

 Rope Swing Trap | * Can only be placed on a tree
* If tree is destroyed, the structure is destroyed
* Can damage the player

 Noose Trap | * Traps a cannibal until they are killed or released
* Cannibals will try to free their kin & can hurt you while they are trapped
* Has no effect on Creepy Mutants

## Defensive Structures

Defensive Structures are built by players to assist in preventing cannibals and mutants from entering their bases and causing them harm, however these buildings can be destroyed. Defensive Structures are found in the Survival Guide and can consist of, the Defensive Spikes, Defensive Wall, Defensive Wall Reinforcement and the Catapult. The Catapult is especially different because it is more of an offensive building and can even be used as storage. Defensive structures can also include rock walls, stick fences, and bone fences. Though here is a list of specific defensive structures:

* Stronger than defensive wall
* Can be climbed by player, not by enemy

 Defensive Wall | * Can be upgraded with Defensive Wall Reinforcement
* Gates can be placed inside the defensive wall by pressing `R`
* A double gate be achieved by pressing `R` on two sections side by side

 Defensive WallReinforcement | * Provides 40% bonus health to defensive walls
* Possibly prevents cannibals from climbing walls
* Spikes don't damage enemies

 Catapult | * Used to launch many items in the game, including explosives
* Launches 3 items at a time
* Can be used as storage, holds 20 items

## Boats

**Boats** can be used to travel the waters quickly, to move materials, to be a mobile base, to avoid cannibals, mutants, crocodiles, sharks, and to aid the player in fishing more easily. They can be used when building a base on an island, since most storage buildings can be placed on them allowing for greater movement of needed materials. There are currently three different kinds of boats that the player is able to build: the Small Raft, the Large Raft (Requires two players to operate properly) and the House Boat. The three are similar, but still have their own pros and cons. Many useful structures can be built on boats, including storage containers, campfires, and skull lamps. The dock also comes under boats, though it is stationary and not actually a boat. Here is the list on boat type buildings:

* Difficult to use when structures are built on it due to balancing
* Can capsize rather easy

 House Boat | * Used to travel on water, good for single player
* Certain buildings can be placed on top of it, different to inside
* Bed not included, provides protection from elements

 Large Raft | * Used to travel on water, too difficult for single player
* Needs two players to operate properly
* Certain buildings can be placed on it

 Dock | * Houseboats can be tied to it
* Can be used as a bridge, a very expensive bridge
* Can only be placed on or near water

## Effigies

These constructions are only available once a players sanity has dropped to 90% or below. They are intended to scare cannibals, causing them to hang back or flee. To build them, you will need body parts from dead enemies or enemy effigies. These are extremely unpredictable as to how they work. It is believed that cannibals will be scared of them providing you haven't created too much hostilities with them. Does not work on mutants. So far there are 4 types:

* Extremely unpredictable, not guaranteed to work
* These are not invulnerable, they can be destroyed by mutants

 Small Effigy | * A small effigy, It sometimes scares away enemies
* Extremely unpredictable, not guaranteed to work
* Cannot be destroyed by cannibals or mutants

 Large Effigy | * A large effigy, It sometimes scares away enemies
* Extremely unpredictable, not guaranteed to work
* Cannot be destroyed by cannibals or mutants

 Arm Effigy | * A effigy built mostly out of arms, It sometimes scares away enemies.
* Extremely unpredictable, not guaranteed to work
* Cannot be destroyed by cannibals or mutants

## Schematic Buildings

These buildings require the schematics to be found first to be able to build them. Once the schematic is found, they can be built from the survival guide in the story item section, this is where the schematics are placed.

* Can be built off
* Useful for the glider and coaster

 Glider | * Allows the player to fly
* Cannot be stored in backback
* When carried, the player cannot attack

 Log Track | * Used for turtle shell sledding
* Can be used to make ramps, stairs, etc
* Can be cheaper than the custom stairs

 Coffin | * Decoration only
* Non operational
* Doesn't contain remains

 Cross | * Decoration only
* Can be built off
* Expensive

 Church | * Decoration only
* Doesn't come with bible
* The power of Christ doesn't compel enemies

## Special

There is only one special building in the game currently, and that is the SOS signal. The SOS signal is found on its own page.

* Calls a plane to go overhead
* Is quite large in its placement

## End Game Buildings

End game buildings are buildings that are unlocked at the ending, if you pick the ending that allows you to continue playing. The SOS signal is found on its own page. Family buildings are unique buildings that only appear after a certain choice is made at the end of the game.

## Unobtainable

These structures are unimplemented, removed or merged with other buildings in the game.