Sons of the Forest: Map icon meanings and GPS navigation guide

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Sons of the Forest has numerous locations for you to explore, each filled with more dangers than the last. Thankfully, your map reveals some of them, though you still need to decipher what they mean. Here’s our guide to help you with GPS navigation and map icon meanings in Sons of the Forest.

Note: For more information, check out our Sons of the Forest guides and features hub.

Sons of the Forest guide – GPS navigation and map icon meanings

To use the GPS device in Sons of the Forest, you’ll simply need to press the “M” key. Unlike a flat, 2D world map that shows the entirety of the island, the device only shows segments of it. Here are a couple of caveats:

• You can press the middle mouse button to zoom in or out.
• The orientation of the map will change depending on the direction that your character is facing.
• Given the above, your best course of action is to pick a singular spot that will become your reference (i.e., the helicopter crash site), which is relative to all other locations in the game.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

As for the map icon meanings in Sons of the Forest, you’ll want to take note of the following:

• Helicopter crash site – As cited earlier, this will likely be your main reference point. Regardless of the location or how the map rotates, you’ll want to look at the crash site, relative to the mountain ranges, the nearby rivers, and the coastline/beaches.
• Caves – Several caves on the island already appear on your map. These have nifty rewards, such as the Rope Gun/Zipline Gun, Rebreather, and Shovel.
• Purple circles/markers – These represent the GPS Trackers held by now-deceased squad members. If you’re close to a spot and you bring out your GPS Device, it will emit a beeping noise. These places have rewards like the Flashlight and Pistol.
• Green circles/markers – These also represent points-of-interest, usually caves, tunnels, or interesting landmarks. Some might lead to rather peculiar or surprising secrets, such as a room with a 3D Printer (which is where you can craft the Sled).
• House – Denotes any tent or shelter you’ve built. These act as save points and rest areas.
• Blue “K” – This is Kelvin, another crash survivor. He becomes a companion, although the controls/functions are limited.
• Other GPS markers – Later, you can acquire the aforementioned GPS Trackers (i.e., purple markers), which can be handed to other companions so they also show up on your map. For instance, Virginia the Mutant Girl is someone you can befriend, as long as you don’t accidentally kill her.

Sons of the Forest is available via Steam.