The Forest
Games review
As of Aug 12, 2026, The Forest is rated 96% positive on Steam (679,893 reviews).
Opens The Forest's own site, not a review site.
Is The Forest worth it in 2026?
A 96% positive rating from nearly 680,000 Steam reviews reflects something real and specific: The Forest is one of the best co-op survival experiences available, where cannibal attacks and broken physics collide into genuine comedic chaos that solo play simply cannot replicate. The atmospheric horror and story hold up on their own merits, reviewers flag it as scarier and narratively richer than its sequel, but that score is built on co-op goodwill, and solo players should not borrow confidence from it, because four independent complaints about weak single-player experience point to a structural problem, not a preference gap. The survival loop is genuinely engaging early on, but unclear progression is a design issue, not just a tolerance test: reviewers describe following clues and still having no idea what they were supposed to do next. Bugs exist and are described as playable-through rather than game-breaking, which is the floor, not a recommendation.
Players who have at least one friend to pull into co-op, can stomach figuring out objectives without guidance, and want a horror game where the gap between survival-horror intent and slapstick reality becomes the actual entertainment.
The 96% score is earned in co-op, four reviewers independently flagged solo play as structurally weak, and the progression system offers clues without enough context to act on them, so players who need direction or plan to go it alone will likely hit a wall.
ReviewPond's conclusion, drawn only from the verified scores and review themes below. Not a paid or editorial opinion.
Pros
- co-op fun and chaos8
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- Even though this is a horror game, this game is one of the funniest games I've ever sunk hours into so far with my friends. There's just something about the cannibals attacking you...
- Recommended 👍 Bought a survival horror game. Ended up with a, (Some idiot friends lost in a forest) simulator. No idea what the clues mean. Caves are terrifying. I fight every can...
- It was a fun experience, it's definitely better with friends. We went crazy trying to get all the achievements. There are some bugs but it's still playable, give it a try guys!...
- atmospheric horror and mystery4
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- play this before sons of the forest or only play this game because the story is way better and its way scarier
- The Forest is one of those survival games that can keep you playing for hours. The game gives you a lot of freedom, you can build your own base, explore the island, gather resourc...
- The game has a very unique way to introduce the mysterious lore behind it: You're left completely alone, on an unknown island, with some really messed up wildlife ( Cannibals and m...
- engaging survival gameplay loop3
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- I had a lot of fun with The Forest early on. There's a real thrill in finding your bearings, getting lost in the wilderness, and building up a base to defend against the cannibals....
- The Forest is one of those survival games that can keep you playing for hours. The game gives you a lot of freedom, you can build your own base, explore the island, gather resourc...
- I had always imagined that surviving in the game in the wilderness would be a peaceful and deeply rewarding experience. You know, the sort of adventure where you build a cozy cabin...
Cons
- unclear progression and objectives4
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- Recommended 👍 Bought a survival horror game. Ended up with a, (Some idiot friends lost in a forest) simulator. No idea what the clues mean. Caves are terrifying. I fight every can...
- No game will make you feel as spooked to run at night as The Forest. I love the bug in which you get to see birds fly in the water to eat dead bodies. Overall it was fun to build o...
- I had a lot of fun with The Forest early on. There's a real thrill in finding your bearings, getting lost in the wilderness, and building up a base to defend against the cannibals....
- poor single-player experience4
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- After few sessions of adventures i think it's suffice enough to leave a review. First off; while foundations are strong it sure could use a general overhaul for accesibility and...
- Very good game a bit boring alone but with its a masterpiece beat the game three times recommend 10/10
- I really enjoy this game but I have to agree with the fact that at times you have no clue what to do to progress the story. Ive had to look u many things and Im not even done my fi...
- dark caves difficult to explore3
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- Recommended 👍 Bought a survival horror game. Ended up with a, (Some idiot friends lost in a forest) simulator. No idea what the clues mean. Caves are terrifying. I fight every can...
- I had a lot of fun with The Forest early on. There's a real thrill in finding your bearings, getting lost in the wilderness, and building up a base to defend against the cannibals....
- A well-crafted survival-horror experience with excellent vibes only slight gameplay jank. + The horror aspect works pretty well, especially early in the game before you know what...
- technical bugs and glitches3
see reviews +-
- It was a fun experience, it's definitely better with friends. We went crazy trying to get all the achievements. There are some bugs but it's still playable, give it a try guys!...
- No game will make you feel as spooked to run at night as The Forest. I love the bug in which you get to see birds fly in the water to eat dead bodies. Overall it was fun to build o...
- Got to the end of the game with my friend and the cutscene before the final boss teleported him outside of the map and forced us to restart the entire trek back to the final area....
Themes and quotes are drawn from 27 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 679.9K ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.