Subnautica Best Place to Build a Base: Best Locations

Subnautica took the world by surprise with its unique game design and creative elements. Fans of the open-world survival genre have high praises for Subnautica. It is a single-player experience that tends to focus on players gathering resources, building an underwater base, and trying to survive. Today’s guide will take a look at Subnautica best place to build a base.

Since the map is absolutely humongous, there are tons of places where you can build your home base. But I found some places to be better than others in terms of nearby resources and the overall layout of the area.

If you’re a fan of Sekiro, check out our guide on Sekiro Lightning Reverse to know everything about it. With that said, let’s begin with today’s guide about Subnautica best place to build a base.

Subnautica Best Place to Build a Base

Since there are many great places where you can potentially build your base, I’ll tell you about six amazing places. These locations are not in any particular order and are totally up to you where you want to settle down.

Jellyshroom Cave

Tab	Biomes
Type	Cave
Depth Range	180 - 300 meters
Temperature Range	13.4°C-14.3°C
Biome ID	jellyshroom
Harvesting Nodes	Shale Outcrop

One thing I absolutely love in games is to stop and take in all the beautiful scenery. Jellyshroom Cave provides just that. An amazing view mixed with tons of loot for you to gather and use. If you add thermal power generators to this area, you’ll have a proper base set up in no time.

You should keep in mind that quite a few crabsnakes are roaming in this area. Make sure to keep your eyes open and eliminate them when you get the chance.

It is at 180-300 meters depth and has a total of four entrances to it. Remember to use the Seamoth to explore this area due to its depth. Otherwise, it can prove quite fatal for the player. You can find gold, diamond, and Lithium in this area just to name a few resources.

Also, this is currently the only location to have large magnetite deposits in Subnautica. If you are farming magnetite, you know where to go. On top of that, it is uniquely different from a lot of other places. The ambiance and the overall sights are a pleasure to look at.

The Floating Island

Tab	Biomes
Type	Islands
Depth Range	Above sea level
Temperature Range	20.2°C-40.9°C
Biome ID	Islands
Point of Interest	Degasi Seabases Base 1 Base 1A Base 1B Alien Arch Cache -662 2 -1050

The best thing I can say about Floating Island is that there are close to no predators in this biome. There is a ton of open space for you to build on and expand further if need be. Plan your base layout when getting started so it is easier for you to build it. It is located above sea level and the temperature ranged from 20.2 C to 40.9 C.

This island is habited by various edible plants, like the Lantern Tree, exclusive to this area. Not only is this a beautiful location, the way to reach it is quite fun as well. You can either get here by using the main entrance on the beach or via the underwater entrance located at its center.

The biggest downside of this location is that there are extremely low resources and materials. If you were planning to gather materials in this area, I’m afraid that it is not possible. Bringing your materials is recommended. Make sure that you bring a lot of resources so that you don’t have to constantly swim back and forth just to make your base.

Also, it is close to the Degasi Seabases and has many trees, so gathering food will not be a problem. If you are tired of staying underwater and want to get away from it for a while, building your base here is certainly a good idea.

The Cove Tree

Category	Flora
Attitude	Non-harvestable
Biome	Lost River Tree Cove
Debug Spawn	Covetree
Music	Ghost Tree

This is easily my favorite location for building a base in Subnautica. Not only does this area have tons of materials, but it is also close to the lava zone. The Cove Tree has no predators, so you can road around freely without any fear of getting attacked. On top of that, you have the perfect view of the Cove Tree – which is drop-dead stunning to look at.

However, to get there, you’ll need either a cyclops or a prawn since it is extremely deep. The biggest upside of this location is that it is situated near all of the endgame locations. Setting up a base here is definitely recommended as it can be extremely beneficial.

You will be near the endgame locations, making it easier for you to go back and forth between them. As long as you have the prawn suit, you will have an abundance of resources. However, I recommend building a base here when you are in the late game because it is in between the lost river and the lava zone.

Kelp Forest

Tab	Biomes
Type	Surface
Depth Range	0 - 160 meters
Temperature Range	24.3°C-27.5°C
Biome ID	kelp
Harvesting Nodes	Limestone Outcrop Sandstone Outcrop
Coordinates	-306 -51 -57
Point of interest	Large Wrecks Destroyed Lifepods Kelp Forest Caves Entrance

The Kelp Forest has a phenomenal view. Located near the surface, it is one of the most diverse biomes in Subnautica. This is mostly due to the range of fauna and flora habiting this beautiful location.

1. Solar Power Charging: The proximity to the surface makes it an excellent place to charge up your solar power, making it one of the most productive biomes in Subnautica.

2. Fauna: The Kelp Forest is mainly inhabited by passive life forms like the Hoverfish, which usually swim around the Creepvines and don’t pose a threat to the player.

3. Predator Alert: Watch out for the aggressive Stalkers in this area, as they can be a challenge to deal with.

4. Resource-Rich: It’s an ideal location for building a base due to the availability of most raw materials. You can gather all required resources here without extensive travel.

5. Dense Kelp Forest: Venturing deeper into the Dense Kelp Forest, you can find substantial metal salvages.

Mushroom Forest

Tab	Biomes
Type	Surface
Depth Range	125 - 250 meters
Harvesting Nodes	Limestone Outcrop Sandstone Outcrop Shale Outcrop

As the name suggests, this place has huge trees in the shape of mushrooms. Not only is it extremely unique in terms of looks, but it also allows the player to gather solar power conveniently. Building in the mushroom trees was an incredibly unique experience, and it made building my base super fun.

The view is superb as mushroom trees and various other plants surround you. It is considered a surface-type biome and has a depth range of 125-250 meters. You can find dozens of resources here – all of which are extremely useful. Fun fact; when Subnautica was initially released, the Mushroom Forest was the only place where you could get all three of the Cyclops Fragments.

With that being said, I would advise you to stay clear of the border of this biome because a Reaper Leviathan wanders around here. If you stay away from that small section of the area, you’ll have a fun time building your base and wouldn’t have to worry about big predators. Plus, it is near a warp gate which you’ll need to progress the story.

Grassy Plateau

Tab	Biomes
Type	Surface
Depth Range	50 - 170 meters
Temperature Range	19°C-27.2°C
Biome ID	grassy
Harvesting Nodes	Limestone Outcrop Sandstone Outcrop
Coordinates	-692 -101 -48
Point of interest	Large Wrecks Small Wrecks Destroyed Lifepods Grassy Plateaus Caves Entrance Jellyshroom Cave Entrances

or an ideal early-game location in Subnautica, consider this biome:

1. Spacious Building: It offers vast open spaces, perfect for obstacle-free base construction in the early game.

2. Efficient Solar Power: Near-surface placement makes it highly efficient for solar power generation.

3. Resource Opportunities: Abundant wrecks in the vicinity provide resources for stockpiling. Nearby thermal vents offer an ideal power source with a connection to Jellyshroom Caves.

4. Predator Awareness: Watch out for a few dangerous predators, particularly Sand Sharks in sand clouds. Newer players should remain vigilant and avoid these areas.

5. Resource Rich: Almost every basic raw material can be found here, making it the best choice for early game base building.

Overall, this biome is an excellent choice for new players looking to establish a base early in the game. It provides ample space, resources, and potential power sources, along with manageable predator threats.

Parting Words

These are the six major places that, in my experience, are ideal for building your base. They not only provide you with great resources but also are situated near important story events that you must do to progress. Some of these locations are best for the early game, whereas others are good in the late game. Give them a try to find out for yourself how effective and useful these locations are to build your base.

That about does it for today’s guide about Subnautica best place to build a base. I hope this guide assisted you in choosing an ideal location for your base. Kindly leave a comment below to tell me about your favorite base location.