Planet Crafter Base Locations: Best Spots and Resources Guide (2026)

The best Planet Crafter base locations sit on high ground above the water line. Start in the Starting Valley, then move once to the Central Plateau, which stays dry in every terraforming phase. The map is identical in every playthrough, so picking the right spot early skips the tedious move after your first habitat floods in the Lakes stage.

The most common letdown for new players: you build your first home in a pretty spot – and hours later it's underwater. This guide shows you the proven spots and how to avoid flooding from the start. You'll also see how small satellite outposts get you to distant resources like Aluminum and Iridium.

🏠 The best Planet Crafter base locations at a glance

For beginners, the proven route is Starting Valley to begin with, then the Central Plateau as your permanent main base. You start comfortably in the center and only have to move once instead of fleeing the rising water several times later.

🌊 The flooding rule of thumb

At the default starting point, the water rises to about height level 25 during the Lakes phase. If you build on an elevation above that mark, everything you build stays dry in every later terraforming phase. Flooded rooms lose their oxygen function completely. Machines that aren't explicitly designed for underwater use stop working.

So always build on high ground. If needed, prop your first habitat up on metal foundations. Building directly in a depression or on the valley floor is the riskiest choice you can make.

🎯 First base: what you need right away

A handful of basic resources covers your very first habitat plus a door. The important part is collecting them before you build – otherwise you run out of air on the way:

Bring extra Ice so you can make water right after your first build – that way you don't have to head straight back out.

📡 Satellite bases: the trick against long trips

Instead of hauling everything back to your main hub, small outposts at resource-rich spots pay off. They're most useful at the Aluminum field and the Iridium cave – just set up an Ore Extractor there. An outpost doesn't need to be a second home: a single habitat with a door for refilling is plenty.

Also mark every outpost with a Beacon (1× Titanium, 1× Silicon, 1× Aluminum). That keeps you from getting lost on the big map, especially before you have GPS satellite coverage unlocked.

💎 Where do the rare resources come from?

• Aluminum: mainly in the Aluminum Hills; from mid-game on a real bottleneck resource (it goes into Beacons, among other things).
• Iridium: the iridium mine, usually reached via the Dune Desert area – important for higher-tier Heaters.
• Super Alloy: made by combining 1× each of Iron, Magnesium, Silicon, Titanium, Aluminum and Cobalt – needed in large amounts from the Moss stage on.

A handy side effect: besides Uranium, your automatic Ore Extractors often bring up lots of leftover basic metals. Those leftovers are perfect for Super Alloy instead of going to waste.

🧭 A practical build order

1. Build your main base on high ground above the level-25 water mark (use the Starting Valley for gathering, the Central Plateau as your permanent site).
2. Place a Beacon at your main hub.
3. Once Ore Extractors are unlocked: build a small outpost at the Aluminum field and place a Beacon.
4. Add a second outpost at the Iridium cave, also with a Beacon.
5. Ramp up Super Alloy production from there as soon as demand rises in the Moss stage.

🏗️ Expanding: from emergency shelter to complex

Your first habitat is purely a stopgap. Once your basic supply is running, expand in this order:

• Connect several Living compartments to make room for crafting stations, Storage crates and later Vegetubes.
• Place the terraformation and progress screens (Screen - Terraformation, Screen - Progress) centrally so you can see your values at a glance without opening a menu.
• Bundle your power: build Wind turbines and later Solar Panels near your main hub instead of spreading them across the map – shorter cable runs mean fewer points of loss.
• Sort Storage crates by resource type as your complex grows – it saves a lot of searching during Super Alloy production.

🧱 Building materials for your first base

Whichever spot you choose, the first building parts all need Iron, Titanium and Silicon. Collect more of them from the start than you think you need. Once you expand later (Biodomes, additional terraforming machines), demand grows faster than what you can mine within walking distance. A small stockpile of basic materials right at your base saves repeated short trips to the nearest ore vein.

Later, in the Insects stage, a well-placed outpost also shortens your larva runs – see where to find Planet Crafter larvae. For the game's other maps, check the Planet Crafter planets overview.

🚫 Common mistakes

• Building your first base right on the valley floor or in a depression – guaranteed flooding in the Lakes phase.
• Not placing a Beacon and getting lost on the big, uniform map.
• Walking the whole way back to your main base every time instead of building small outposts at distant resources.
• Throwing away leftover ore from Ore Extractors instead of turning it into Super Alloy.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Planet Crafter base locations

Do I have to move my base if I start in the Starting Valley?
Not right away. But at the latest before the Lakes terraforming stage, you should move to higher ground like the Central Plateau. Otherwise your habitat floods.

How high does my base need to be to stay safe?
Above height level 25 at the default starting point, you're guaranteed to be above the water line reached in the Lakes phase.

Do I really need several bases?
One main base is enough as your hub. Still, small one-room outposts at Aluminum and Iridium deposits save you a lot of walking and flying time later in the game.

What do I do if my base is already flooded?
Rooms underwater lose their oxygen function. The quickest fix is a new habitat on higher terrain – you can then dismantle the old base at your leisure and reuse the materials.

Which of the Planet Crafter base locations is best for beginners?
Start in the Starting Valley because all early ores are close, then settle permanently on the Central Plateau, which stays dry in every terraforming phase.

What does a Beacon cost?
1× Titanium, 1× Silicon and 1× Aluminum. Put one at your main base and at every outpost so you don't get lost.

As of: details checked against community guides, established community databases and the official patch notes. There is no official wiki for The Planet Crafter. Map layout details apply to the default starting point; distances may differ with alternative start locations.