You’re wandering through a dark, damp cave in Sons of the Forest, dodging blind mutants and praying your flashlight battery holds out, when you spot it. A weird, metallic shard pulsing with an orange glow. It doesn't look like a survival tool. It’s not a GPS tracker or a modern axe. It’s something... else. These are the Sons of the Forest artifacts, and honestly, they change the entire endgame experience once you realize they aren't just shiny collectibles meant to sit in your backpack.
For months after the early access launch, players were baffled. We found pieces, sure, but they didn't do anything. Endnight Games kept us dangling. Then came the 1.0 release, and suddenly, the "Ancient Armor" wasn't the only thing worth hunting. We found out that these shards combine into a singular, powerful device that essentially turns you into a wizard of the wasteland. If you've been ignoring those purple icons on your map or skipping the deep caves because you’re scared of the fingers-mutants, you’re missing out on the best part of the late-game loop.
The Hunt for Shards: Where the Artifact Pieces are Hiding
Getting your hands on the full artifact isn't a weekend project. It’s a grind. You have to locate seven distinct pieces scattered across the island, mostly tucked away in the deepest, most claustrophobic corners of the cave systems.
The first few are easy enough if you're following the main story path. You’ll likely stumble upon your first piece in the Cave D (the one near the lake where you find the Rope Gun). It’s just sitting there, waiting to be snagged. But as you progress, the locations get nastier. One is hidden behind a destructible wall in the Rebreather cave, while another requires you to navigate the hellish depths of the Gold Armor cave.
Don't expect the game to hold your hand here. There’s no quest marker that says "Collect Artifact Part 4." You have to explore. You have to look for those distinctive metallic structures that look like they were built by a civilization that wasn't exactly human. Most players miss the piece in the Cultist Cave because they’re too busy trying not to get eaten by twins. Look for the light. The artifacts emit a specific hum and a golden-orange glow that cuts through the darkness better than your crappy lighter ever could.
💡 You might also like: Playing A Link to the Past Switch: Why It Still Hits Different Today
Solving the Solafite Puzzle
Once you have all seven pieces, you can’t just duct tape them together. You need to head to the final bunker—the one near the luxury mall. Inside, you’ll find a massive golden structure. This is the assembly point.
Putting the pieces together transforms the fragments into a handheld device that looks like something out of a sci-fi fever dream. But here's the kicker: it runs on Solafite.
Solafite is that gold-colored ore you’ve probably seen sticking out of cave walls. Earlier in the game, you probably ignored it or mined a little bit just to see what it was. Now? It’s your most precious resource. You need to build a Solafite Refiner (which requires even more resources like turtle shells and wire) to coat your weapons and armor. But the artifact itself? It uses Solafite as fuel for its three distinct modes.
What the Artifact Actually Does (And Why You Need It)
The artifact isn't just a trophy. It has three primary functions that you toggle through, and each one is a game-changer for base defense and resource management.
📖 Related: Plants vs Zombies Xbox One: Why Garden Warfare Still Slaps Years Later
1. The Power of Gold: Coating Your Base
Ever get tired of a rogue brute smashing your defensive walls like they're made of toothpicks? The first mode of the Sons of the Forest artifacts allows you to "paint" your structures with Solafite. This turns your wooden logs into golden, metallic-reinforced bastions. It’s not just for aesthetics, though it does look incredibly cool at sunset. It significantly increases the durability of your buildings. Cannibals will have a much harder time breaking in, giving you more time to line up your headshots.
2. The Mutator: Attracting the Chaos
The second mode is... risky. It’s essentially a lure. When activated, it pulses energy that draws enemies toward you. Why would you want this? Honestly, for the loot. If you’ve built a death trap of spinning blades and spikes, you can use the artifact to bring the horde to you. It’s the ultimate way to farm "Creepy Armor" or just test out your new weapon upgrades. Just don't use it if your health is low. You’ll get swarmed faster than you can say "is that a blue mutant?"
3. The Teleporter (The Real MVP)
This is the one everyone wanted. By placing a specific teleportation pad (built with Solafite and skulls), you can use the artifact to zip across the map. The island is huge. Walking from the snowy mountains to the beach takes forever, even with the Knight V unicycle. This function saves you literal hours of real-world time. You link the artifact to a pad, and boom—instant travel. It’s the closest thing to a fast-travel system the game offers, and it feels earned because of the work you put into finding the pieces.
The Lore Implications: Who Built This?
We need to talk about the "why." Endnight is notoriously vague with their storytelling, preferring environmental cues over long cutscenes. The artifacts suggest a deep history involving the "Ancient Ones" or "The Others."
👉 See also: Why Pokemon Red and Blue Still Matter Decades Later
The design of the artifacts matches the Golden Armor and the Cube found at the end of the game. It’s clear this isn't man-made tech. It’s something that interacts with the strange physics of the island. Some players theorize that the artifacts were tools used to harvest the island's energy before the Puffton corporation ever arrived. When you hold the completed device, you aren't just holding a tool; you're holding a piece of the engine that makes the island "work."
It’s also worth noting the connection to the first game. While The Forest had the Obelisks, Sons of the Forest leans much harder into the "techno-organic" side of things. The artifact feels like a refined version of that power.
Practical Tips for Your Artifact Run
If you’re going to go for the full set, you need to be prepared. This isn't an early-game activity.
- Bring the Cross: Several of the caves containing artifact pieces are crawling with demons. The Cross is your best friend here. It burns them alive and keeps the crowd manageable while you’re trying to navigate platforming sections.
- Max Out Your Solafite: Don't even bother trying to use the artifact until you have a full stack of Solafite ore. You'll burn through it quickly, especially when gold-plating your base.
- Mark the Caves: Use your GPS to place custom markers on caves you’ve already cleared. There’s nothing worse than trekking halfway across the map only to realize you’ve already looted that specific shard.
- The Blueprint Link: Remember that the artifact is tied to the blueprints you find in the late-game bunkers. You can't build the refiner or the teleporter without those specific papers, so keep your eyes peeled for any glowing folders on desks.
The search for the Sons of the Forest artifacts is basically the "true" endgame. It’s what separates the casual survivors from the people who actually want to dominate the island.
Next Steps for Your Survival Journey
To make the most of your new power, you should immediately focus on automating your Solafite production. Locate the deep veins in the northern cave systems and set up a small outpost there with a bed and a drying rack. Once you have a steady supply of ore, your first priority should be gold-plating your main storage room. This prevents mutants from destroying your hard-earned loot during high-intensity raids. After that, craft at least two Teleporter Pads—one at your primary base and one at the helicopter crash site—to create a permanent logistics network across the island.