One of the most common mistakes I see new players make in Don’t Starve Together is rushing to build their base on Day 1 without any real plan, and then by Day 20 they’re stuck with a cramped, disorganized mess that’s impossible to defend and even harder to expand.
I get it, the urge to settle down somewhere safe is strong, especially when you’re being chased by spiders and running out of daylight. But honestly, taking the time to scout properly and plan your base layout will save you so much frustration down the line.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about base building in DST, from choosing the perfect location to organizing your layout for maximum efficiency, and I’ll even cover some of the more advanced strategies for multiplayer bases that can support 4+ players without turning into total chaos.
When Should You Build Your Base?
This is probably the first question most new players ask, and the answer is going to depend on your experience level and team size.
For Beginners: Day 5-8
If you’re new to DST, I’d recommend starting your permanent base around Day 5-8 after you’ve had time to explore a decent chunk of the map and gather some basic resources.
Before Day 5, you should focus on:
- Collecting grass, twigs, and flint
- Making a backpack and basic tools
- Scouting for potential base locations
- Setting up temporary campfires to survive the nights
Don’t stress about building anything permanent until you’ve found a good spot and have enough resources to actually set up a functional base.
For Experienced Players: Day 10-15
If you know what you’re doing, you can afford to wait until Day 10-15 to build your main base, which gives you way more time to explore the entire map and find the absolute best location.
During this extended scouting phase, you should be:
- Mapping out resource-rich biomes
- Locating set pieces (like the Pig King or Dragonfly Desert)
- Finding caves entrances
- Gathering enough resources to build a full base in one go
The advantage of waiting is that you won’t waste time building a base in a mediocre location, only to realize later that there’s a way better spot three screens over.
Choosing the Perfect Base Location
Your base location is arguably the most important decision you’ll make in the entire game, and picking the wrong spot can make your life miserable for the rest of the run.
The Three Essential Criteria
1. Close to Multiple Biomes
Your base should be within walking distance of at least 3-4 different biomes so you can easily access different resources without spending half your day traveling.
Ideally, you want to be near:
- Grasslands (for grass, rabbits, and beefalo)
- Forest (for wood, pine cones, and mushrooms)
- Rocky biome (for rocks, gold, and flint)
- Savanna (for rabbits and grass)
2. Near Important Set Pieces
Certain set pieces make your life way easier if they’re close to your base, so prioritize locations near:
- Pig King (for gold trading)
- Wormholes (for fast travel)
- Cave entrances (for spelunking)
- Oasis Desert (for summer base relocation)
3. Defensible and Spacious
You need enough flat, open space to build all your structures without cramping everything together, and you want to avoid barriers like water avoid being trapped during hound waves or boss battles (unless you prefer to push an enemy against these barriers to force attack, which I do not recommend in most cases).
Avoid building in the middle of dense forests or swamps where you’ll constantly be fighting for space and dealing with tentacles or spiders wandering into your base.
My Top 3 Base Locations
Location #1: Grassland/Forest Border (Best for Beginners)
This is the most straightforward base location and perfect for new players because you have easy access to grass, wood, and rabbits all in one spot.
Pros:
- Abundant renewable resources nearby
- Usually flat and spacious
- Safe from most environmental hazards
- Easy to find on most maps
Cons:
- Can be far from caves or important set pieces
- Beefalo can wander into your base during mating season
- Hound waves have clear paths to your base
Location #2: Near Pig King (Best for Gold Farming)
If you find a spot near the Pig King, you’ve hit the jackpot because you can trade meat for gold indefinitely, which means unlimited resources for crafting.
Pros:
- Infinite gold through meat trading
- Usually surrounded by pig houses for protection
- Often near deciduous forest for birchnut trees
- Pigs help with combat and chopping trees
Cons:
- Full moons turn pigs into werepigs
- Can be cramped if pig houses are too close
Location #3: Oasis Desert Edge (Best for Advanced Players)
Building near the Oasis Desert gives you access to the best summer survival spot in the game, and you can use the desert as a natural firebreak during wildfires.
Pros:
- Safe summer base location (Oasis lake)
- Tumbleweeds for resources
- Natural wildfire protection during summer
- Often close to Dragonfly desert for boss fights (though not guaranteed)
- Allows you to kill the Antlion as quickly as possible once Summer begins
Cons:
- Limited wood and grass nearby
- Requires advanced planning
- Requires Desert Goggles to navigate during Summer, which must be fished in the Oasis Lake (has some RNG)
Essential Base Structures (Priority Order)
Once you’ve chosen your location, you need to build your base in the right order to maximize efficiency and avoid wasting resources.
Phase 1: Survival Essentials (Days 5-10)
1. Fire Pit
This should be your first structure because it’s way more fuel-efficient than campfires and provides a permanent light source for your base.
Cost: 2 Logs + 12 Rocks
2. Science Machine
You need this to unlock better crafting recipes, and it should be placed near your fire pit so you can craft at night.
Cost: 1 Gold Nugget + 4 Logs + 4 Rocks
3. Crock Pot
Food is your biggest concern in the early game, and a Crock Pot lets you turn basic ingredients into high-value meals that restore way more hunger, health, and sanity.
Cost: 3 Cut Stone + 6 Charcoal + 6 Twigs
4. Chest (x3-5)
You’ll be drowning in items by Day 10, so build at least 3-5 chests immediately to organize your resources.
Cost per chest: 8 Boards
Phase 2: Resource Production (Days 10-20)
5. Improved Farms or Berry Bushes
You need a renewable food source, and improved farms or transplanted berry bushes are your best options depending on your team composition.
Berry bushes are easier to maintain but require fertilizer, while farms need constant replanting but provide more variety.
6. Drying Racks (x4-6)
Drying racks turn meat into jerky, which restores more hunger and lasts way longer than cooked meat, making them essential for long-term food storage.
Cost per rack: 3 Twigs + 2 Rope + 3 Charcoal
7. Lightning Rod
If you don’t build a lightning rod, lightning will eventually strike your base and set everything on fire, so this is non-negotiable.
Cost: 4 Gold Nuggets + 1 Cut Stone
8. Ice Box
Food spoils way too fast without an ice box, and this lets you stockpile meals for winter or boss fights without worrying about spoilage.
Cost: 1 Gear + 2 Gold Nuggets + 1 Board
Phase 3: Advanced Infrastructure (Days 20+)
9. Alchemy Engine
This unlocks endgame crafting recipes like Prestihatitator, Meat Effigy, and advanced armor, so build it as soon as you have spare gold.
Cost: 4 Boards + 2 Cut Stone + 6 Gold Nuggets
10. Bird Cage
A bird cage lets you convert cooked monster meat into eggs, which are way more useful for cooking, and you can also trade seeds for fresh seeds to prevent spoilage.
Cost: 6 Gold Nuggets + 2 Papyrus + 2 Seeds
11. Endothermic/Thermal Stone Stations
Depending on the season, you’ll need either an Endothermic Fire Pit (summer) and Ice Flingomatics (also summer) to survive extreme temperatures and put out Fire.
12. Farms for Specific Resources
Once your base is stable, you can start building specialized farms for:
- Spider nests (silk and monster meat)
- Bee boxes (honey)
- Lureplants (for automatic meat farming)
- Grass and twig farms (transplanted tufts)
Base Layout Strategies
How you organize your base matters way more than most players realize, and a well-designed layout will save you hours of running back and forth between structures.
The Hub Layout (Best for Solo/2 Players)
This is the simplest layout where everything is built in a tight circle around your fire pit, making it easy to access everything at night.
Center: Fire Pit
Inner Ring: Crock Pots, Science Machine, Alchemy Engine, Ice Box
Outer Ring: Chests, Drying Racks, Farms, Bird Cage
Pros:
- Everything is within a few steps
- Easy to light at night
- Simple to defend
Cons:
- Can feel cramped as you expand
- Hard to organize with multiple players
The District Layout (Best for 3-4 Players)
This layout divides your base into specialized “districts” where each area serves a specific purpose, making it way easier for multiple players to work without getting in each other’s way.
District 1: Crafting Zone
Science Machine, Alchemy Engine, Prestihatitator, Chests for crafting materials
District 2: Food Production
Crock Pots, Ice Boxes, Drying Racks, Farms, Bird Cage
District 3: Storage
Organized chests for resources, armor, weapons, and seasonal items
District 4: Renewable Farms
Berry bushes, grass/twig farms, bee boxes, spider nests
Pros:
- Multiple players can work simultaneously
- Easy to organize and expand
- Clear pathways between districts
Cons:
- Requires more space
- Longer travel distances between zones
The Mega Base Layout (Best for 5+ Players)
For large teams, you need a massive base with clearly defined zones and multiple crafting stations to avoid bottlenecks.
Central Hub:
Fire Pit, Lightning Rods, Ice Flingomatics
North Zone: Combat prep (armor, weapons, healing items)
South Zone: Food production (Crock Pots, farms, drying racks)
East Zone: Resource storage and processing
West Zone: Renewable farms and animal pens
Pros:
- Supports large teams without chaos
- Easy to assign roles
- Room for expansion
Cons:
- Requires massive amounts of resources
- Takes longer to build
- Harder to defend during hound waves
Multiplayer Base Tips
Building a base for multiple players is completely different from solo play, and if you don’t plan ahead, you’ll end up with a disorganized nightmare.
Tip #1: Assign a Base Manager
One player should stay at base to organize chests, manage crafting, and keep everything running smoothly while others explore or gather resources.
Wickerbottom, Winona, or Wormwood are perfect for this role.
Tip #2: Build Multiple Crafting Stations
If you only have one Alchemy Engine, players will constantly be waiting for their turn to craft, which wastes time.
Build at least 2-3 of each crafting station for teams of 4+ players.
Tip #3: Label Your Chests
Use signs or organize chests in a logical order so everyone knows where to find and store items without asking.
Example chest organization:
- Chest 1: Food ingredients
- Chest 2: Tools and weapons
- Chest 3: Armor and clothing
- Chest 4: Gems, gears, and rare items
- Chest 5: Seasonal items (thermal stones, fashion goggles, etc.)
Tip #4: Build Defensive Structures
Hound waves scale with the number of players, so you need serious defenses for large teams.
Build:
- Tooth traps around your perimeter
- Bunny hutches or pig houses for allies
- Walls to funnel enemies into kill zones
Common Base Building Mistakes
Mistake #1: Building Too Close to Dangerous Biomes
I’ve seen players build right next to spider nests or tentacle swamps, and they spend half their time fighting off enemies instead of actually progressing.
Fix: Keep at least 2-3 screens of distance between your base and dangerous areas.
Mistake #2: Not Planning for Expansion
Your base will grow way bigger than you think, and if you cram everything together on Day 5, you’ll run out of space by Day 30.
Fix: Leave plenty of open space around your initial structures for future expansion.
Mistake #3: Ignoring Seasonal Hazards
Summer wildfires, winter freezing, and spring rain all require specific base infrastructure, and if you don’t prepare, you’ll lose everything.
Fix: Build Ice Flingomatics before summer, Endothermic Fire Pits for heat, and Lightning Rods before spring.
Mistake #4: No Emergency Exits
If your base gets overrun during a hound wave or boss fight, you need a clear escape route, or you’ll get cornered and die.
Fix: Always leave at least two open pathways out of your base.
Final Thoughts
Building a good base in Don’t Starve Together isn’t just about throwing down structures wherever they fit, it’s about planning ahead, organizing efficiently, and designing a layout that supports your team’s playstyle.
Start by scouting for the perfect location, build your essentials in the right order, and organize your base into clear zones so everyone knows where everything is.
If you follow the strategies in this guide, you’ll have a base that can support your team through all four seasons, handle boss fights without falling apart, and actually be enjoyable to work in instead of a chaotic mess.
What’s your favorite base location? Let me know in the comments!
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