Enshrouded building guide: Tips for building your first base

In the unpredictable and wild world of Enshrouded, there are dangers lurking around every corner, and you’ll want to have some semblance of security in this unforgiving environment. That’s where building your first base comes in.

The intricacies of building a base are far from simple, but don’t let that demotivate you. We’re here to teach you exactly how to build your first base in Enshrouded.

Building fundamentals you must know in Enshrouded

To kick off your building endeavors in Enshrouded, craft a Construction Hammer. You can easily create certain structure parts, such as doors and scaffolds, in the crafting menu, just like any other equipment. However, to construct structures using blocks or voxels, you’ll need the Construction Hammer. Make one using one Stone.

Once you have the Construction Hammer, press TAB or LT to enter Building Mode. In Building Mode, your standard hotbar transforms into a building hotbar with diverse shapes. Here, you can customize the building piece you want to place in three different ways:

Use the scroll wheel or D-pad left/right to choose your building shape. For changing the building material, use CTRL + scroll wheel or D-pad up/down. To switch between different building shape hotbars, use ALT + scroll wheel or RB + D-pad up/down.

With these controls, you can fully utilize the array of building pieces at your disposal in Enshrouded. You’ll primarily switch between the first three hotbars to lay down blocks, foundations, walls, stairs, and floors. The fourth and fifth hotbars feature roof shapes, and the last hotbar is exclusively for terrain shapes.

Apart from the Construction Hammer, there are a bunch of nifty tools you can use to drastically improve your building game in Enshrouded and get you ever closer to that first base you need.

Here are the crafting recipes for some essential items in Enshrouded:

1. Workbench:

   – Requires 3x String and 8x Wood Logs.

   – Function: Lets you craft blocks and furniture; instantly repairs items.

2. Rough Stone Block, Rough Wood Block, and Plant Fiber Roof Block:

   – Each stack (100x blocks) requires 2x Stone, 2x Wood, and 5x Plant Fiber, respectively.

   – These materials are used when constructing your base and building foundations.

3. Axe:

   – Requires 4x Twigs, 1x Stone, and 1x String.

   – Function: Speeds up and increases yields when chopping down trees.

4. Pickaxe:

   – Requires 4x Twigs, 1x Stone, and 1x String.

   – Function: Has a small radius that lets you smash stone and dig for dirt.

How to build your first base in Enshrouded

When it comes to building your first base in Enshrouded, there are a couple of basics you need to learn. We will elaborate on these basics below, which will help you make your first base as well as the ones you construct throughout your time playing the game.

Flame Altar

The Flame Altar acts as the centerpiece of your house, and it’s arguably the most important component of it as well. By interacting with the Flame Altar, you can see and upgrade the perimeter of your base.

When wielding the Construction Hammer, the construction boundary is outlined in orange, indicating that buildings cannot extend beyond this border. If you intend to establish a small base in a remote area—or just extra bases in general—you must set up an additional Flame Altar.

Enhancing the flame at the Flame Altar boosts Altar Activation Capacity, leading to increased Shroud passage level, extended time in Shroud, and enhanced character attribute bonuses. This progression proves advantageous, so regularly interact with the Flame Altar and review the necessary materials for enhancement.

For the first upgrade—which is the most you’d require for your first base in the beginning—you will need the following materials:

• 5x Resin – A weird reddish goo that sometimes drops from the trees you cut down.
• 5x Red Mushroom – Occasionally found growing on the ground in grassy terrains.
• 5x Bones – Dropped by animals and hostile humanoids that you take down.
• 5x Animal Fur – Dropped by animals you take down.
• 5x Shroud Liquid – Drops from bulbous growths in Shroud-covered locations.
• 1x Spark – This is a type of special item that comes from Flame Sanctums and Flame Shrines scattered all over the world. A couple of these locations will be marked on the map once you’ve completed the Ancient Spire main quest.

Building blocks

Building your first base—which will be a house—requires you to craft building blocks.

Crafting building blocks in Enshrouded is a straightforward process. To create basic blocks, such as Rough Stone and Rough Wood, utilize two corresponding raw materials for each block type. The crafting process yields 100 blocks, where, for instance, 2x Stone produces 100 Rough Stone Blocks. 

Additionally, crafting roof blocks is conducted at a Workbench, requiring five plant fibers, with each crafting session resulting in 100 blocks. To ensure an ample supply for building projects, particularly substantial ones like building a house, it is advisable to craft around 1,000 blocks to start. Opting for rough stone requires 20 stones to produce 1,000 blocks. 

Expanding your resource collection in Enshrouded introduces the opportunity to craft additional building block varieties. For instance, upon acquiring Shroud wood, you can utilize 10 units to craft 100 Shroud wood blocks. 

Another convenient option is using individual blocks, which can be accessed by heading to the “More shapes…” menu, after which you can scroll to the very top to see single-block options. As their name implies, these just require one block. While you can go for the prefab components, you can also use these single-block options to customize and personalize your builds.

Foundation

The fundamental step in constructing any structure involves crafting a foundation. Serving as the building’s footprint, the foundation acts as the base upon which you’ll erect walls. 

You can select both the size and material of the foundation according to your preference, then aim at the ground to commence the building process. A four-meter foundation typically requires 256 blocks, but this may vary if the foundation overlaps with other structures.

In case of a misplaced foundation, a right-click over it will remove the foundation while retaining a visible outline of its original location. This gap can be filled with dirt to rectify the error. While building components naturally align, you can simply press X to turn off the snapping feature, allowing you to make precise adjustments to the placement of components. Placed components seamlessly blend into their surroundings for a cohesive appearance.

Basement

Constructing basements might initially pose a challenge, but with practice, you can craft the ideal basement to complement your house. Utilizing the holes left behind by foundation blocks, you can meticulously carve out an underground space by repetitively placing and removing foundations.

Additionally, from the ‘More shapes…’ menu, you can head down to the very bottom to see terrain options. Select dirt to patch any unpleasant holes.

Once you achieve the desired configuration for the basement hole, enclose the area by installing walls around the perimeter and adding a ceiling to form a fully enclosed room. While this room can be situated outside of your main house, you also have the option to integrate the basement entrance within another building for convenient access.

Decorations

Enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your base involves placing decorations, a task that goes beyond the capabilities of the Construction Hammer. Simple furniture items such as beds, tables, and chairs, along with doors, windows, and fences, are crafted using the Workbench. Unique and more intricate decorations can be obtained from various NPCs.

Engage with different NPCs located at your base to explore the range of decorative options available. For instance, a visit to the Blacksmith may enable you to craft decorative metal dishes, while the Alchemist might offer opportunities to create book-themed decorations.

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is another optional feature you can employ when it comes to building your base in Enshrouded, but a useful one nonetheless.

It serves as a wooden structure designed to facilitate construction at elevated heights. Although primarily intended as a temporary solution due to its cost-effective building requirements and straightforward appearance, it can also be incorporated into your building design to create decks or lookouts.

How does Comfort work in Enshrouded?

The Comfort score directly impacts the duration of the Rested buff, providing increased maximum stamina and regeneration. Achieving a Comfort score of three or four results in a few minutes of the Rested buff, while a higher Comfort score, such as 25 or 30, can extend the Rested buff to 30 minutes or more.

To activate the Rested buff, ensure you are Sheltered (under a roof) and have Warmth (near an active fire, including your Flame Altar). Additionally, a minimum of one Comfort point is required. More Comfort points contribute to prolonging the Rested buff duration.

The Comfort score is the cumulative value of the best items in categories like beds, chairs, tables, etc. Items that do not specify Comfort do not contribute to the Comfort score. Elevate your Comfort score by incorporating diverse categories of furniture into your base or upgrading existing pieces to higher-quality alternatives.