Where you build your base in Subnautica matters enormously. A well-positioned base serves as a genuine hub for your exploration — close to the resources you need, with reliable power, easy vehicle access, and proximity to the story locations you will visit repeatedly. A poorly-positioned base means constant long swims, vehicle detours, and logistical friction that makes the game less enjoyable. This guide covers the best base locations in Subnautica for both new players and returning ones who want to try a different starting position.
What Makes a Good Base Location?
The ideal base location balances five factors: proximity to diverse resources, viability for Solar Panels (shallow depth, good light), access to a stable seafloor for construction, reasonable creature safety (no Leviathan proximity), and central positioning relative to the story locations you will need to visit. Perfect locations that satisfy all five factors are rare — most require trade-offs.
Location 1: Safe Shallows / Grassy Plateau Border (Beginner)
The border between the Safe Shallows and Grassy Plateau is the classic starting base location. It is close to your initial Lifepod, shallow enough for reliable Solar Panel power, and positioned near the Grassy Plateau wreck sites where essential blueprint fragments are found. The biome is visually pleasant — bright, colourful, and relatively safe. The drawback is that it is slightly peripheral to the mid-game story locations, requiring regular vehicle trips to reach deeper areas.
Location 2: Kelp Forest Adjacent
Building on the edge of the Kelp Forest gives you immediate access to one of Subnautica’s most resource-rich biomes. Kelp Forest provides Creepvine Seed Clusters (essential for Silicone Rubber), Gel Sacks, and is close to wreck sites with key blueprint fragments. The moderate depth allows Solar Panels, and the biome is manageable for experienced survival players. The caution: Gas Lizards in the Kelp Forest can damage unwary players, and the biome edges near Reapers in the Crash Zone require awareness.
Location 3: Mushroom Forest (Mid-Game Ideal)
The Mushroom Forest is one of the most visually spectacular biomes in Subnautica — giant yellow bioluminescent mushroom-trees rising from the seafloor at moderate depth. It is resource-rich (particularly for Magnetite, needed for vehicle upgrades), relatively safe (no Leviathans in the standard Mushroom Forest areas), and centrally positioned relative to several mid-game story locations. Building a secondary base in the Mushroom Forest during the mid-game is one of the best quality-of-life improvements available.
Location 4: Underwater Islands (Advanced)
The Underwater Islands biome is unusual — floating rock formations at varying depths with significant resource deposits. Building into the underside of an Underwater Island gives you a visually unique base position and access to Gold, Lithium, and other mid-tier resources. The challenge is depth — Solar Panels are marginal here, so Thermal Reactor or Bioreactor is needed. But for commanders who want an aesthetically striking base in a resource-rich area, Underwater Islands is excellent.
Base Building Tips for All Locations
- Build a Moonpool early — vehicle access transforms your exploration efficiency
- Start with a T-corridor for the main body — it provides the most flexible expansion options
- Always include a Scanner Room — it makes resource finding dramatically more efficient
- Build your Water Filtration Machine inside or adjancent to your base for easy water access
- Mark your base with a Beacon in a distinctive colour — easy to find from any direction in the open ocean
Base Tour Content on RicardoPlays
Ricardo’s Subnautica series on the RicardoPlays channel includes base evolution segments — showing how his base grew from a single module to a full-scale installation over the course of the playthrough. These segments are some of the most popular in the series and provide practical inspiration for base design and location selection. Subscribe for the full Subnautica playthrough series.