Sons Of The Forest's Notebook Glitches Are Making Players Unstoppable
Just like virtually every other survival game that came before it, Endnight Games' "Sons of the Forest" requires players to do a lot of crafting. Players will start out by making a basic tent out of a tarp and a couple of sticks, but will eventually progress to the point where it becomes necessary to start gathering logs and building fortified shelters to keep out the island's deadly inhabitants. There are several tools and resources that players will need to gather in order to do this (with some taking advantage of a little nonsensical survival game logic), but there's one item that's more important than all the rest: the notebook. In fact, the notebook has become invaluable due to the number of in-game exploits tied to it.
"Sons of the Forest" doesn't really offer players any traditional tutorials. Instead, the protagonist has a simple notebook with illustrated, Ikea-like instructions. The notebook walks players through the components needed to craft a given resource. Beyond that, it seems that a few gamers have discovered that they can use this humble notebook to become temporarily invulnerable and traverse the game at incredible speeds.
The notebook makes an excellent sled
It seems that some players have discovered that gamers can "sled" downhill at speeds which should be impossible simply by opening their journal while sliding down slopes. Twitter user @Mark_Medina posted a video of the phenomenon, showcasing the player-character skidding down a mountainside by opening their notebook as soon as they start their descent. This also allowed them to take no damage either from crashing through trees or falling off ledges from some pretty incredible heights. This doesn't seem to be a method of fast-travel that the devs intended for gamers to use, but there is no denying its practical applications.
Want the best sled in Sons of the Forest for free? Simply open your book while on a slope. 😂 #sonsoftheforest pic.twitter.com/BdlVIocGR3
— Mark Medina (@Mark_Medina) February 28, 2023
In fact, another player found a way of using this technique to beat the game in just under eight minutes. The YouTube account OkiaBetter recently posted a video that opens with the player-character waking up on the side of the mountain and picking up their emergency kit. They then immediately start climbing the mountain. After reaching a point close to its peak, they intentionally let themselves die so that they respawn at a nearby camp. From here, they use the notebook-sled technique in order to slide down the hill, break into the underground facility, slide through the underground caverns and quickly reach the end-point of the game.
Of course, "Sons of the Forest" is still in beta, so a few bugs are to be expected. It's entirely possible that Endnight Games will have this unique method of travel ironed out by the time the finished product officially launches.