Hidden deep within the island’s twisted bunkers lie three keycards that guard the most secret areas of Sons of the Forest. Each one demands courage, careful timing, and sharp instincts to claim-miss just one, and the story’s darkest truths remain sealed away.
Maintenance Keycard
The Maintenance Keycard is found inside Maintenance Hatch A, located near a golf cart on the western side of the island. To reach it, players need a Shovel to dig up the hatch and enter the underground facility. Inside, follow the corridors until you reach a room with desks and computers-the keycard lies on one of the tables. This card grants access to several locked areas further into the story, opening new parts of the complex to explore.
To get the maintenance keycard, you’ll need the shovel to dig up the entrance of the bunker.
- Travel to the bunker located to the north of cave where you received the shovel.
- Dig up the dirt using the shovel to uncover the bunker entrance.
- Proceed through the bunker and enter the first room on your right.
- Find the maintenance keycard to the right of the 3D printer.
Other notable items inside the bunker include:
- 3D printer
- Laser sight
- Tuxedo
- Firefighter Axe
VIP Keycard
The VIP Keycard is found deep inside the Food and Dining bunker, which is located on the western side of the island. To reach it, you need the Maintenance Keycard, as it grants access to the secured doors within the bunker. Follow the corridors until you reach the executive area with offices and couches; the card is placed on a desk next to a laptop. This keycard is required to open further locked areas, including the residential and bunker sections later in the game.
To get the VIP keycard, you’ll need the maintenance keycard, a rebreather, and an air tank.
- Travel to the bunker located to the north of a lake and nearby the Maintenance Keycard bunker.
- Enter the bunker and follow the path downwards to the food and drink entrance.
- Go down the ladder and use the maintenance keycard on the card scanner next to the double doors.
- Proceed through the three rooms with hydroponic gardens and make your way to the swimming portion of the bunker. Note: You can obtain the crossbow in the second garden room on the floor in between the planters.
- Keep swimming ahead until you reach a long hallway with an open doorway on the left.
- Go inside the room on the left with the open door and continue swimming through the bunker to find a set of stairs.
- Climb the stairs to find a security room, and collect the VIP keycard on the desk in front of the camera TVs. There is also an email to collect on the table to the left.
Other notable items inside the bunker include:
- Crossbow
- Dress
Guest Keycard
The Guest Keycard is found inside the Entertainment Bunker, located near the western lake on the map. To reach it, enter the bunker through the cave entrance and move through the corridors until you find a gym area. Continue past the pool and through the locked doors until you encounter several mutant enemies. The keycard lies on the reception counter inside the spa section. Picking it up grants access to several restricted areas, including parts of the luxury bunker and additional story-related rooms.
To get the guest keycard, you’ll need maintenance keycard.
- Travel to the 3D printer bunker to the north of the rope gun cave.
- Enter the bunker and take the first left turn.
- Proceed down the corridor and take a right to find a double door.
- Go into the gym and take the first left.
- Continue straight past the reception desk through the room with the sensory deprivation tanks into a large room with two winding staircases.
- Go up the stairs and continue forward past the pool into the room ahead. There is a guitar on the bar counter in this room, so make sure to pick it up if you’d like a new melee weapon.
- Walk through the bar area into the lounge area to find the guest keycard on the table of the fourth lounge on the right.
What do the keycards unlock in bunkers
Sons of the Forest keycards unlock specific security doors in underground bunkers, enabling access to loot, weapons, and paths to the next keycards.
Maintenance Keycard Unlocks
This keycard opens blue-panel security doors in initial bunker areas, like the kitchen door in the Food and Dining (Residential) bunker. It grants entry to rooms with the VIP keycard, crossbow bolts, food supplies, and further corridors leading to dining areas with mutated workers.
VIP Keycard Unlocks
The VIP keycard accesses additional locked doors beyond the Maintenance areas, such as in the Recreational bunker and Food Bunker. It leads to the Guest keycard location, plus loot like the crossbow in greenhouse sections and items in offices or flooded zones.
Guest Keycard Unlocks
Primarily used for story progression, it opens final security doors in later bunkers (like Residential or advanced sites). Expect high-value rewards such as the Ancient Armor set, unique weapons, and Holosprings map notes in nightclub or pool areas amid heavy enemy encounters.
Where to find Maintenance A Keycard
The Maintenance A Keycard (also called the Maintenance Keycard, belonging to Carl Planter) is the first keycard you’ll need in Sons of the Forest.
Location Overview
It’s in the northwest region of the island, marked as a pulsing orange “M” or green circle on your GPS after interacting with a laptop in the shovel cave. Look for surveying equipment and two golf carts near a river bend or dirt path crossing a stream.
Step-by-Step Access
First, obtain the shovel from the northwest cave. Dig the dirt patch between the golf carts to uncover a hatch labeled “Maintenance A”-hold the action to clear it fully. Descend the ladder into the bunker, enter the first small room on the right (past the laptop and 3D printer), and pick up the keycard from the desk/table beside the printer, near a creepy Golden Armor painting.
This keycard unlocks blue-panel security doors in the Food/Dining and Recreational bunkers, leading to the VIP and Guest keycards plus loot like the Firefighter Axe.
