The Sons of the Forest only builds up on the survival formula its predecessor so exceptionally captured. In doing so, and staying true to the franchise, the game does actively ask the player to learn on the job essentially. It never presents any proper tutorials and guides to explain any of the elements of the game, making it harder for new players to comprehend what each of them means.
The same goes for the overall HUD. There are many icons on the screen that you can understand the meaning behind but some are a bit puzzling. This is true for the Arm Icon above your mini-map. What does it mean and what the player needs to know about the mechanic behind it is the topic of discussion.
The Arm Icon in Sons Of The Forest represents the player’s Strength. The more you cut down trees, carry heavy objects, and are involved in anything that would require strength will make this icon fills up or level up. Leveling it up also increases the health of the player.
How to Beat the Forest (Ultimate Guide)
What is the Arm Icon or Strength?
As you already know, Sons of the Forest is all about surviving a cannibal-infested island, and that too in excruciating detail. Unlike other survival games (even the previous entry in the franchise), there is an extra layer of immersion that is put into all aspects of surviving.
Here you will be tasked to build your shelters and everything else from the ground. It is not just about collecting the materials and magically building a cabin.
You will have to cut each log exactly, carry them to the right spot, and place them in the right order to create the structures of your liking. This gives the player the freedom to construct and experience surviving or survival-game like never before.
Of course, you will need a lot of strength to take on these arduous tasks. This Strength is represented in Sons of the Forest by the Flexed Arm Icon over the mini-map on the HUD. It serves as the general leveling system for the player.
Completing tasks and other heavy-lifting activities will fill the red ring around the icon. Once filled, the player will gain another level in strength (depicted by a flashing strength-level number), improve their overall stats/capabilities, increase melee damage, and the health of the player increases too.
It is safe to say, it is one of the most important elements in the game and should be actively worked towards to be well-equipped for the dangers ahead.
The Forest All Cave Locations, Item Guide, Best Order
How to Increase Strength?
Now we know the importance of Strength in the game, let us look into some ways you can increase this stat.
The best way to increase strength is through the use of melee weapons like the Tactical Axe. Of course, swinging them willy-nilly won’t surmount anything, hence chopping down trees is the best method to swiftly fill that strength bar. Not only will your strength increase but you will also gain a bunch of resources to utilize.
Carrying the previously mentioned logs will too add to your strength pool. So becoming a lumberjack to get buff is the motto there.
Fighting with melee weapons will also boost strength. Eating calorie-rich food has the potential to add to your strength icon. Just make sure you have taken your share of daily calories through berries, meat, or whatever and you will bulk up in no time.
However, the last two points above are speculations as it is still early in the game’s life and the community is still trying to figure out the intricacies of these systems.
Strength is a new element in the game from the previous entry i.e. the Forest and is still under the microscope of the players to make a wholesome understanding. How other states like getting hungry or cold impact this stat is yet to be known and we will surely add it once we have figured it out soon.