How to Build Your First Base in No Man's Sky

Build a Base Computer, place it on a claimable site, and use it to claim the area. Then open the construction menu and snap a floor, walls, doorway, and roof together. Start with a small shelter you can finish with the materials you have. You can add technology and expand the building after you know the site works for you.

1. Pick a site you can build on

Look for a reasonably flat patch of ground with room to walk between the Base Computer, the shelter, and your ship. Test the walk around the site before claiming it. A hillside can look good from the air but make it harder to line up your first floor and door. Building a little above the ground on a supported platform can help if the surface is uneven.

If you are following the tutorial, track the base-building objective and read the current step. It may direct you toward a particular planet or ask you to place a part in a claimed area. Use the prompt to decide whether you should settle here or continue traveling. For a first base, convenient access and a usable shelter matter more than fitting a large project into the same spot.

2. Place and claim the Base Computer

1. Open the construction menu and find the Base Computer.
2. Read the material requirements in the preview and gather anything missing.
3. Place it where you want the center of the base to be.
4. Interact with it and choose the option to claim the site.
5. Confirm the claim before you start placing the permanent parts.

If the site cannot be claimed, read the computer's message and try a different spot. An existing claim nearby can prevent a new one. Do not spend time assembling a design around a spot until the claim succeeds and you can place the first piece there.

3. Snap together a simple room

Select a floor piece and place it in the claimed area. Use it as a reference for the rest of the room. Snap solid walls to the floor edges, leave one edge for a doorway, and place a roof that joins the walls. If a piece floats away from the corner you meant to use, adjust the placement and check the snap preview before confirming.

Use a consistent set of pieces while learning how the snapping works. A simple room lets you see the attachment points without dealing with several materials and heights at once. Walk through the entrance when you finish. Check that you can reach the computer and ship easily without having to jump around the foundation.

4. Finish the tutorial before adding extra systems

Check the current mission and place any specific parts it requests. The tutorial can award or introduce more construction options as you progress. If a teleporter, storage piece, or power part is missing from your menu, check whether you need the relevant blueprint before trying to build a different version of it.

Add technology according to what you need next. If a device requires power, review its connection points and use a compatible power source. Test one device before wiring the whole room. A small base with a working entrance and space for the next objective is enough to keep progressing.

5. Fix a piece that will not place

Check that you are inside the claimed area and that you have the materials shown in the menu. If the piece is a wall or roof, move your view until the preview aligns with the correct edge. Remove and replace a misplaced part before trying to fit several other pieces around it. Keeping the floor aligned makes the next placement easier.

If the mission does not advance after you built a room, read its current step and confirm which exact part it expects. A building you can enter may still lack a required item or action at the Base Computer. Follow the requested step before expanding.

Before leaving the planet, visit the base once more from your normal landing spot. That last walk can reveal a door that is too high, a route blocked by terrain, or a part you need to move before the base becomes a regular stop.