*March 13th, 2023: Updated for the Xbox Launch to include more relevant information as well as links to related guides.

After spending a considerable amount of time roaming the forest and fighting monsters, Valheim players will probably want to find a place to take a breather and prepare themselves to launch back into the fray. This is exactly why it is incredibly important for players to spend time creating a home base to come back to. This place can be used to rest, craft new pieces of gear and weapons, and even cook food for their journey.

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While creating a base is an important endeavor, Valheim doesn't exactly hold the player's hand through the process. There is a lot of trial and error that goes into constructing a house, and players will want to ensure that they have a sturdy one that can withstand both enemies and the elements. This guide shows players how to build the best base possible.

How To Prepare For Building A Base

valheim overlooking a river

In order to begin building base players will need to do several different things to get themselves started. For one they will need to start acquiring a huge amount of resources like wood and stone. This will actually go a lot smoother if the player has already crafted the appropriate axe. They will also want to clear out a fairly large area of trees in order to have a place to start building, which is a good idea anyway to acquire a massive amount of wood.

Once this has been done players will want to build a small shelter that is just large enough to fit a bed, workbench, and campfire. This is because building a decent enough base will probably take a couple of in-game days for the player so they will most likely want to have somewhere to rest when not working. This will also allow the player to begin constructing different parts of the base and even build higher-quality tools when they want to.

Once their temporary structure has been built the player will also want to make a hoe next. They will then want to take this new item and level out the ground that they will be building their house on, as it will ensure that everything is straight and fits together properly. Fair warning before the player starts building the actual base itself though: Make sure all the nearby trees have been cleared out. If the player cuts a tree down and it falls on their buildings it will break them.

How To Build A Good Structure In Valheim

Valheim Base Building

Now comes the actual construction part. Players have the option to just start building walls and having a dirt floor, but if they are already putting in the effort of crafting a house they might as well go all the way. That is why players will want to bring their project by constructing a foundation for their house. This will help ensure that everything is straight and orderly, while also allowing the player to put down wooden floors. The foundation is built by putting in some short vertical beams (or tall ones if the player wants something high off the ground) in the ground and then building horizontal beams to construct the frame of the foundation.

Once this has been done the player will be able to put the floor pieces on top of the foundation. Luckily, the base building mechanics are very intuitive and it is typically pretty good about snapping these pieces together seamlessly. The upside to doing things this way is that the player is able to plan out exactly how they want their base to look before they start putting up walls.

From here the player will be able to start constructing walls and a roof. Just snap in the wall pieces completely around the foundation, except for the spot where the door goes in. After that, the player can decide how tall they wish their house to be by either building in a second level or putting in a second layer of walls to make the ceiling higher. There are also several different angled wall pieces that will allow the player to construct different slopes for their roof.

The roof can wind up being a little trickier than the rest of the experience because the player may not be able to reach high enough up to put these pieces in place. If this is the case then the player will need to build either an incredibly elaborate spiral staircase or a simple temporary one over their house in order to complete the roof. Once this has been done the player can then add in any finishing touches like staircases, steps, or windows that they would like to add. They can then break down their bed, fire, and workshop from their temporary base and move it to the permanent one.

How Construct And Defend Your House In Valheim

Valheim Fire Place

Once the house portion of the base is done the player isn't finished building their base though, because they will now need to be able to protect it from their enemies. The last thing that the player wants is for some monster to run up and wreck their beautiful fort while they aren't paying attention. The way to avoid this is to construct a few defenses to deter anyone from getting close.

The first thing that the player will want to do is construct some walls around their house itself. This is actually pretty easy to do as there is a specific "defensive wall" option in the menu that is perfect for building a little compound. Once this has been finished the player can also construct some defensive spikes or a spike trap pit to put up around the area as well that will stop enemies from getting too close.

Valheim - Other Tips For Base Building

A Forge and Smelter in a player's settlement in Valheim

There are a few other things that players should keep in mind when building their base that will help them acquire the best place to live available:

  • It is a great idea to construct fireplaces inside of a house in order to keep warm and be able to cook food, but there are several things that the player has to do first. For one, a fireplace can only be constructed on dirt, so the player will need to remove a floor panel first to make this work. Smoke can also harm the player as well, so the player will also need to ensure that there is proper ventilation in their home to prevent their house from filling with smoke.
  • The structural integrity of builds is incredibly important for them to stay standing. If the player doesn't have proper supports to hold up different parts of their house, then it won't hold up well over time. This is even more important when building a larger house, and if parts of the house break it can let in the elements. It can also prevent the player from being able to sleep or craft things at the workbench.
  • Odds are players will most likely mess up at some point while trying to build their base, which in most survival games would be frustrating. Luckily, Valheim makes it very easy to remove misplaced structures, and doing so will return all the resources to the player's inventory. In other words, don't worry about making a mistake because there aren't many repercussions.

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