Enshrouded features an incredibly deep building system that’s a true joy for creative players! You’re given many different shapes and materials to design your home exactly the way you want. Compared to other survival games, this building system is even essential if you want to progress in the story. You can build a cute cabin in the woods or a massive castle on a mountain. Getting started can be challenging, though, especially with all the options at your disposal. So we’ll ease into the topic and show you the best way to build your first small house.
Build a base in Enshrouded: Uses and advantages to kick off your run
A base serves several functions you can take advantage of. Fundamentally, it’s simply enjoyable to build your own home. The system is so sophisticated that every player should give it a try at least once.
In Enshrouded, a building is also used as:
- a home for the NPCs you can find in the world
- a place to rest for better status bonuses
- a place for your Flame Altar, which lets you teleport or respec your skill points, among other things
Enshrouded building guide: Step by step to your starter base
Find the perfect location: Resource access and safety
You can build your base anywhere you like. The game imposes no restrictions—you can build wherever you can place a Flame Altar. You also can’t be attacked, unlike in other survival games. So you don’t need a strictly “best” location; strategically there’s little difference. That’s part of what makes Enshrouded so good: every base is unique! Some spots are still more convenient than others and are worth using strategically.
The perfect spot should:
- offer quick, hassle-free access to key building materials
- be relatively flat and buildable to leave room for expansion
- provide a nice view
- be safe and far from monsters
Place your Workbench and Flame Altar: Build Menu and Construction Hammer
Once you’ve found your spot, mark it with a Flame Altar. You craft the altar from five stones, and you can place it anywhere. It’s a key focal point for base building and important for story progression. When placing it, you’ll see its boundary. Everything inside that boundary persists and can be used for your base. Everything outside disappears after 30 minutes or when you restart the game. Upgrade the altar to expand the area and your options! The altar is always at the center of your base and can be integrated into it.
Next, craft a Construction Hammer from a single stone right in your inventory. Equip it and press Tab to open the Build Menu. At the bottom, you can select different walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs. On the right, scroll through and choose your building materials. The relevant keys and actions are shown clearly, so you shouldn’t run into issues.
You’ll also need a Workbench made from 3 String and 8 Wood to craft materials. You always produce 100x at a time and can stack up to 5000x materials in a single inventory slot. You can even build directly with these blocks from your inventory, placing them one block at a time for fine details.
Lay the foundation and shape the terrain: Hoe and base materials
Now it’s time to set up the foundation of your base. You can use a Hoe to level the terrain, although it’s not strictly necessary on very flat ground.
It’s usually best to lay down a rough floor using foundation pieces first. Build the foundation slightly above the ground to create a level surface—this instantly makes your house more interesting! We recommend using stone or wood for the subfloor, though any material works. When you pick up new pieces, you’ll learn the corresponding recipe. Some are only available through quests.
To gather materials quickly and efficiently, craft a Pickaxe and an Axe. Once you’ve unlocked the Blacksmith, you can buy and craft better versions. The Mason and Lumberjack skills are also worth taking to speed up resource harvesting.
Plan your layout and build walls: Stairs, windows, doors
With the basic foundation and flooring in place, move on to the walls. To make your house more visually interesting, use a different material for the corners to create contrast. It will look as if the house’s frame is supporting the rest.
Wall pieces come in two- and four-meter variants, but you can also place individual blocks. Stairs and steps are in this sub-menu of the Build Menu as well. Windows and doors come as prefab blueprints, though you can also carve them out of solid walls later.
Build a roof in Enshrouded: Shapes, materials, and snapping
There are various roof shapes in two and four meters. They can be a bit trickier, so we recommend enabling the Snapping Tool. That will help your gable ends line up perfectly. Enshrouded currently offers only pitched roofs, but you can mix and match them in different ways.
Roof materials are grouped separately and offer different visual styles. From thatched roofs to professional-looking clay shingles, there’s plenty to choose from! For more depth, add a roof overhang, perhaps even in a different material. You can craft these at the Workbench as well, though some recipes only produce 50x per batch.
Interior and decoration: Boost comfort and unlock recipes
Your interior is the perfect finishing touch. It doesn’t just look nice; it’s also essential for your Comfort. This value determines how well you recover and how effective the “Well Rested” status effect is. The higher your base’s Comfort, the longer it lasts! That boosts your stamina, so it pays to decorate well.
Available decorations include:
- Beds
- Doors
- Windows
- Tables
- Benches
- Chairs
- Lights
- Fireplaces
- Rugs
- Bathroom decor
- Wall decor
You can craft most of these at the Workbench, but some items require specific Survivors in your base. Rescue the Carpenter early to unlock many new recipes. Other NPCs with decorations include the Hunter for rugs and wall decor, and the Gatherer for tables, chairs, and lighting. You’ll also need various other workstations to use these recipes.
Conclusion on Enshrouded’s base building: Be creative and maximize comfort
Base building in Enshrouded is a core system that gives you plenty of freedom for creativity. You can use a wide range of materials for floors, walls, and roofs, and even place small blocks individually for custom details. Thanks to the Survivors who move into your base, you’ll unlock even more decor later to raise your Comfort and boost your stamina!
Rent your own Enshrouded server from us and build your first house together with your friends. Once you upgrade the Flame Altar, you can fit multiple buildings in one region and create a small town!
