I tried to play The Forest for the first time in 2020. Then, not understanding the essence of the game and how to put a drawing of the building, I ran around collecting stones and sticks. After which, seeing the first aborigine, I decided to come closer to him, after which there were three of them and without hesitation they kicked me out. After this incident, without going into The Forest for a long time, I decided to study all the mechanics and tasks of the game. I started building a hut and while trying to cut logs in the forest, a tribe of more humanoid aborigines attacked me again and dragged me safely to their cave. Because of this, I first learned about the presence of caves in the game, but I never decided to study them and deleted the game.
Already in 2022, having bought a licensed version on Steam, I started playing through the Forest with the help of guides, studied the mechanics, figured out the controls, and learned to fight back the local mambets. The fear of the game disappeared and in the end I completed the main plot of the game for all the endings that were in it.
Now, having already played more than 400± hours, the gameplay of the game is already quite boring, playing in multiplayer, you can create your own server and build your village there, employing the schoolchildren who visit it.
The plot of the game is quite interesting, if you delve deeper into it, you can find out more information about the small details in the game that are scattered throughout the caves (drawings, crosses, newspapers, etc.)
Overall the game is 10/10, quite could become a classic survival game. It's more interesting to play with friends, but the single-player game has its own atmosphere. I recommend it.