Finding the dirt-spoon
The shovel in Sons of the Forest is a tremendously important item to attain. It’s a giant bottleneck in the game’s progression and can generally be seen as the border between the first and second halves of the game.
I cannot tell you why, on an island full of excavation, there is a single shovel. Nor can I explain why you can’t build one out of a hubcap and a stick or something. If you want a shovel, this is currently the only way to get one.
You’re going to need two pieces of gear before you can obtain your dirt-spoon. These are the zipline gun and the rebreather. You’re not going to make much progress without them. The zipline gun is in a cave West of the snow-capped mountain. The rebreather is far on the island’s Northwest in a cave right off the shore. After you have these, the shovel is located in a cave that is also West of the snow cap. You’ll know you have found the right one when you come across three staked-up dead bodies in a river.
Inside, your first obstacle is going to be a zipline that you traverse using the rope gun. The second is a tunnel at the bottom of the pond at the start of the cave. To clarify, you will definitely need the rebreather. I tested going through without it, and there doesn’t seem to be any possible way. It’s pitch-black, longer than your lungs can withstand, and when you run out of oxygen, you just drop dead. I would think a guy who sprints through the forest all day would be able to hold his breath for longer, but maybe he was a chain smoker earlier in life.
Spelunking
Once you’re through, you’re going to have a pretty straight trek through to the end with some variance. As a note, you’re going to hit a section where your character loses footing and slides down a slope before being dropped into a pond. From there, you won’t be able to leave the cave until you have the shovel, so make sure you’re prepared.
With a little searching, you can find a tactical flashlight for your pistol rail and a wetsuit. You’ll find the object in the hands of a well-lit construction worker’s corpse near a strange structure. Once you have it, double back. While it may seem like you have no way out, a helpful sluggy will break through a wall that leads to the exit. Reward their assistance by either blowing them up or poking them with a shovel until they die.
It’s a good idea to pitch a tent or build a shelter outside the cave’s entrance to save. While you’re in the cave, consider dropping a tarp and propping it up with some sticks to give yourself a few checkpoints along the way. Also, to help deal with the relentless beatings of the subterranean nudists, be sure to shave a slice of flesh off their butt whenever you kill one. You can then wear these butt-slabs as armor without the need for any other materials. It’s a gross thought, definitely, but it sure beats dying.
The things that dwell beneath the world’s surface in Sons of the Forest can give even the most hardened explorer a great deal of trouble, so be prepared.
