Despite having one of the worst in the past several years,No Man’s Skyhas fully redeemed itself to the gaming community. In fact, it went from an overwhelmingly negative scoretoa very positiveratingon Steam. And while Hello Games founder Sean Murray still wants to redeem the game, the fanbase is more than happy with the game’s current state.
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As of now,No Man’s Skylets players explore a near-infinite number of planets and galaxies, most of which are teeming with unique and sometimes strange creatures. One core feature that stands out in the game is base building, which allows players to create safe havens for themselves and other space drifters. But while base building is fun, it can sometimes be a challenge, so players wanting to build a base need to learn some essential tips.
Updated July 20, 2025 by Daniel Dilena: No Man’s Sky is undoubtedly the gift that keeps giving. Apart from new content that Hello Games periodically releases, players can also participate in community-wide expeditions that dig deeper into the mysterious past of the Anomaly.Andin a recent expedition, players must enter a Time Loop and fight for their survival against the mightyLeviathan. And with every new expedition, players build more bases to help them survive the dangers of the unknown. In celebration of the release of the Nintendo Switch version, this article has been updated to cover a few moreNo Man’s Sky base-building tipsto further help players build the most efficient and space traveler-friendly base out there.
14Use The Terrain Manipulator
First introduced in the “Atlas Rises” update, the Terrain Manipulator is one of the most important tools players can use since it allows them to mold the surrounding terrain to fit structures in the area better. So, one of the bestNMSbuilding tipsspace travelers can follow is using the Terrain Manipulator to the fullest extent. This useful tool has four modes: Mine, Create, Restore, and Flatten.
Mine Mode
Mine Mode removes terrain within a spherical radius, which players can increase or decrease. This mode is perfect for removing large elevated terrain or creating underground tunnels.
Create Mode
This mode allows players to create terrain within a cubical or spherical radius. NMS players can use this mode to create elevated bases, one of the manyNo Man’s Skybase ideas players can bring to life.
Restore Mode
In this mode, players will be able to restore previously destroyed terrain. Moreover, players can use it to close off tunnels in the event of an extreme weather event (one of the many features that transform thisunique relaxploration gameinto an intense survival game).
Flatten Mode
Flatten Mode will flatten a large area, which makes placing structures a lot easier. But, using this mode too much will quickly use up a player’s Ferrite Dust charge.
By utilizing these modes and following the otherNo Man’s Skybase-building tips, players will be able to create bases that will make other space travelers awe in wonder.
13Build Safe Havens
Even thoughNo Man’s Skyprides itself as a peaceful space-exploring game, there are moments when players will come across an unforeseen event that will force them to fight for survival. And at that moment,NMSplayers will want to seek shelter in a base that acts as a haven for extreme weather events or Sentinel attacks.
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So, a usefulNMSbuilding tipplayers should follow is to create a compact base with all the necessary items that other players can use during a dangerous event. For example, players should have a storage unit with stacks of Oxygen and Ferrite, two of the most important elements to carry inNo Man’s Sky.
12Settle in a Populated Star System
There are over 255 unique galaxies inNo Man’s Sky, and each galaxy contains over 300 star systems (one of the many reasonsNo Man’s Skyhas one of the most extensive open-world maps in gaming) that can either be filled with life or be a barren wasteland. While building bases on barren wastelands can be helpful, especially if players are creating safe havens, building a base in a star system with lifeforms has more benefits.
For starters, players will have access to several planetary trading hubs, making gathering material to build a base much quicker. Moreover, players can build their base near a Settlement that needs help, giving them access to unique items. So, players wanting to experience all the fun features in the game will want to follow thisNo Man’s Skybase-buildingtip and settle in a populated area.
11Hide the Wires
One of the biggest issues players have while building the base of their dreams is having dozens of wires coming in and out of different structures. As a result, those exposed wires take the spotlight since they are quite distinctive and eye-catching.
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Fortunately, Hello Games has a module that cloaks the wires of an entire base, the Electrical Cloaking Unit. This module is compact and can easily be placed behind a wall since it doesn’t require power. Players need 1x Metal Plating, 30x Gold, and 40x Chromatic Metals to craft the Electrical Cloaking Unit.
10Master The Art Of Automatic Doors
The infamous Sentinels guard almost every planet inNo Man’s Sky, and if these guardians notice a player mining or hunting, they’ll go into attack mode. This is whyhaving self-closing doors is essential, since players can quickly go inside and avoid being killed.Players who fail to install these doors (which is one of the many base-building mistakes players make) will soon notice that forgetting to close standard doors can lead to their deaths, since the Sentinels will follow them inside.
Players can build automatic doors using a proximity switch and a power inverter connected to a door. But, keep in mind that NPC’s standing near the proximity switch will trigger it to open.
9Use A Teleporter
Undoubtedly,No Man’s Skyhas made lots of improvements in the past five years, especially with the addition of Teleporters. This unique base-building module lets players quickly teleport to other bases (even if the base is in a different galaxy) or space stations.
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By using a Teleporter, players can save precious time (and Launch Thruster and Pulse Engine fuel) since they can instantly teleport to different areas of the universe without needing to use their starship. But, players can only travel to the base or space station if they’ve previously had visited it.
8Create A Mineral Farm To Earn More Units
Even though most players view base-building as more of an aesthetic aspect ofNo Man’s Sky, the truth is thatmineral farming is one of the best ways to earn Units. Activated Indium is among the best minerals to farm, since it sells for over 900 Units per Activated Indium.
Players will need tofind an S-Class mineral deposit to create an efficient, high-yielding mineral farm.Players can locate S-Class mineral deposits using their Analysis Visor and swapping to Surveyor Mode, which will allow them to see mineral hotspots.
7Keep Bases Safe With A Combination Lock
One of the most interesting aspects ofNo Man’s Skyis traveling to different planets or galaxies and finding player-made bases. But as with most online games, there’s alwaysa high chance of players sabotaging other players' bases.
Fortunately,Hello Gameshas a way of preventing “griefing,” but ill-intentioned players can always find a way around it. That’s why players will need to build a combination lock for the entrance of their base, sinceit’ll stop others from breaking in and leaving a nasty surprise.
6Harness The Power of Electromagnetic Hotspots
New and old players alike agree that setting up an efficient power source inNo Man’s Skycan be challenging. While most players use solar panels and batteries, in reality, there’s a much better way of generating power. Instead of using dozens of solar panels, players can put one or two Electromagnetic Generators that will supply enough power to their base.
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Place these generators near an electromagnetic hotspot, which can be found by using the Surveyor Mode. Electromagnetic hotspots are found on most, but not all, planets, so players should catch up on thedifferent types of planets that exist onNo Man’s Skyto learn which ones have the most.
5Make Use of Landing Pads
Landing pads are another building module that most people assume is purely aesthetic. However, they’re more than a cool way of parking an exotic S-Class starship (whichNo Man’s Skyhas scattered all over the universe).
For example, players can use a landing pad to summon their starship, which is useful if they left their ship behind while exploring. On top of that, taking off on a landing pad uses no Launch Thruster fuel,which is quite scarce in the early parts of the game.
