Satisfactory Guide: Best Starting Area for Beginners and Pros

When you begin a new save in Satisfactory, you can choose from four starting areas. You’ll end up on the same map with the same overall resources, but early on it’s hard to cover long distances. That’s why your starting location matters: it helps you learn the mechanics in the first hours and set up your first small factories. We’ll look at all four areas in detail, what you’ll find there, and which hurdles you might face. If you’re a veteran, we recommend trying them all—or discovering new places that make great base spots!

Satisfactory starting area Grass Fields: flat terrain and few pure nodes

The Grass Fields are in the south of the map and look beginner-friendly at first glance. They are very flat and pleasant. However, this idyllic start is a bit misleading, as there are fewer high-quality nodes here, especially for later gameplay.

• Terrain: The flat terrain is probably the biggest advantage of this biome. You can build almost anywhere without dealing with mountains or hills. The Grass Fields also look nice and feel peaceful.

• Nature: You’ll easily find enough biomass here to run your first generators.

• Resource nodes: This is where the region falls short—most ore nodes are impure or normal, which lowers throughput. You’ll still find all essential resources, just less per node. Things become tricky once you need coal and oil. There’s hardly any water, and coal exists only in the southern part of the biome.

• Neighboring regions: You can compensate for this by expanding. North along the coast you’ll find plenty of oil, and the Blue Crater to the east of the Grass Fields is a fantastic area for all kinds of factories. From Tiers 3 to 5, you should move into adjacent regions.

Satisfactory starting area Rocky Desert: lots of space and strong resource density

The Rocky Desert in the northwest may look less welcoming at first, but it’s arguably the best starting area in Satisfactory. You get ample building space with few drawbacks that slow your progress, plus great access to many resources.

• Terrain: While it’s rocky and a bit hilly, you still have more than enough room to lay out production lines. Start your first factories between the rock formations. It can feel monotone with less greenery, but the biome is more varied than it seems.

• Nature: Despite the desert theme, there’s enough for biomass. Forests sit along the edges of the biome and can be harvested easily. It’s less barren than it looks, making it excellent for a smooth start.

• Resource nodes: Here lies the true strength of this area: most nodes are normal or pure. You’ll also find plenty of each material with short distances between them. There’s water, and coal can be found to the north. Late-game resources like quartz, bauxite, and nitrogen gas are available too.

• Neighboring regions: The Rocky Desert also shines with its surroundings. The craters to the east offer lots of coal and geysers. Coastal oil is available both to the south and along the northern shoreline.

Satisfactory starting area Northern Forest: abundant resources and tricky terrain

The Northern Forest impresses with a beautiful atmosphere and dense woodland, but its treacherous terrain makes building a real challenge. If you can handle that, you’ll benefit from rich deposits and a strategically strong location.

• Terrain: The uneven ground makes this area less attractive for many, especially beginners. Veterans should give it a go and try building a solid first factory here.

• Nature: There’s no shortage of nature. The area is heavily wooded, so you can produce lots of biomass.

• Resource nodes: This region truly shines with many pure nodes, making your work easier. They are clustered toward the center of the biome. Geysers can be used early as an alternative power source. You’ll have to leave the area for coal and oil, but the trip is short.

• Neighboring regions: Strategically, the Northern Forest is excellent, with nearly all other resources around it. North lies an oil coast, and south you’ll find coal, quartz, and sulfur.

Satisfactory starting area Dune Desert: lots of space and early coal

In the Dune Desert in the northeast, you start in a surprisingly flat and comfortable biome. You will have to deal with some hostile creatures, but the advantages outweigh that. There are plenty of resources, you’re close to water, and you can expand flexibly.

• Terrain: Space is no issue—the desert is vast and flat. You can build anywhere, even a massive mega factory. It’s better suited to experienced players or for the mid and late game.

• Nature: Right in the desert there’s little natural biomass, but outside you’ll find bushes and trees near oases. You just need to manage the alphas, which is very doable.

• Resource nodes: There are plenty of ores. Nodes are well distributed and a mix of impure, normal, and pure. Unlike the other starting areas, you get coal and sulfur right away. Water and oil are accessible along the western coast.

• Neighboring regions: You can push especially southeast to gather key resources. The coast is perfect for oil production, and the Titan Forest and Swamp offer quartz, bauxite, and uranium.

Conclusion: Comparing Satisfactory starting areas and our recommendation

With four starting areas, Satisfactory lets you begin with a different setup each time. For beginners, we recommend the Rocky Desert thanks to its great balance of resources and terrain. The Grass Fields are good too, but they lack pure nodes. For experienced players, the spacious Dune Desert or the challenging Northern Forest offer more complexity.

To pick the perfect starting biome, rent your own server with us and start playing Satisfactory. Of course, you can build anywhere else you discover during exploration. Invite friends to join and play together.