How to Build Bases in Once Human

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One of the first things you’ll do as you explore the world of Once Human is build your base. While you can let it stay as nothing but a few wooden platforms, there are plenty of reasons to expand. Here’s everything you need to know about how to build bases in Once Human.

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How to Unlock Base Building in Once Human

As soon as you enter the world map as part of The Eve of Evolution quest, you’ll have to find a suitable location for your base. Many areas will be gone already, and you also can’t build your base too close to your neighbors. Once you’ve found a spot to set up, your journey begins.

In terms of location, you don’t need to worry about flatland. The basic building component, a floor, is automatically unlocked, and will set the “level” of your base. Any additional floor pieces you build will automatically snap in line.

Once Human Base Building Cipher Screen
Image Source: NetEase Games via Twinfinite

In terms of location, try to find an area with plenty of natural resources nearby. Early on, you’ll want to focus on wood, copper, and gravel, which you can harvest from both regular rocks and those with copper ore. In particular, Bunyan and Pine Trees both provide plenty of wood when harvesting.

The first thing you’ll want to focus on building is crafting stations and dismantling stations. You’ll need to build some of these as you progress through the quest.

To unlock more facilities, you’ll need to take advantage of the game’s Cipher system. You’ll receive Ciphers for a variety of activities, such as leveling up or capturing Deviations. You can assign Ciphers to your Memetics tree, which is separated into distinct categories.

  • Infrastructure deals with the vitals of base building and resource collection.
  • Crafting focuses on creating crafting stations and unlocking recipes.
  • Logistics memetics focus on needs such as food and water
  • Building deals with ways to upgrade your base, such as walls, doors, and roofs.

To unlock each item you’ll need to assign enough Ciphers to the relevant memetic. As such, you won’t be able to build a mansion right from the start, but Once Human’s base building mechanic will keep you coming back to upgrade your house.

How Does Once Human Base Building Work?

To build an item, you’ll need to enter Build Mode. On PC, this is the B key. From there, right-click to bring up the available options. Select what you want, and manually place it on the floor plan. You can also copy an existing item and replicate it elsewhere, relocate it, or destroy something that’s getting in the way.

Once Human Base Building Looking at house

If you don’t have the items required, you’ll need to go and collect them. This is why building your base near plenty of resources can be so helpful.

However, it’s worth keeping in mind that you can move your base at any time. To do this, just enter Build Mode when away from your territory, and you can press Z to move your entire base. This means that if you find a spot with more room to expand, more materials you need, or access to a road or water source, you can easily relocate. As a bonus, your entire base will be carried over as is. If you like the design you’ve come up with, you don’t need to worry about losing it relocating.

Luckily, if you’re not a fan of building, you can keep it simple. However, it’s always worth expanding. Space is limited, and adding more floorspace or an extra floor can give you more space for the various facilities you’ll need. While you can always find some of what you’ll need out in the wild, including things like crafting tables, it’s always worth having the basics (at least) in your base.

Looking for more Once Human guides? Here’s how to pick the best fitness range and how to teleport, and here’s our picks for the best Deviations.


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Author
Image of Lewis Rees
Lewis Rees
Lewis is an author and journalist based in Wales. His first novel, Wander, came out in 2017. Lewis is passionate about games, and has travelled to events worldwide to host and present panels at games conferences. In his spare time he loves reading, writing, and escape rooms.