Video walkthrough
Watch the route, then match the frames
Video chapters
5 stepsVideo references
Watch or inspect the route before you dive
Click YouTube cards to load the player. Open frame cards to compare local screenshot notes. Use the evidence to confirm landmarks, movement, and encounter pacing, then follow the written checklist below.
Base location video reference
Watch for: Base site evaluation, access, and route value.
Base building comparison
Watch for: Building workflow and early-site tradeoffs.
Starter base site frame review
Watch for: Start with Best base locations guide at 00:52. Compare the screenshot cue, route note, and player action before following the guide in-game.
Video watch notes
What to pause, compare, and write down
Do not watch the video like entertainment only. Use these notes as a second-screen checklist: pause on landmarks, confirm the player action, then return to the written route.
Watchlist
Compare how each creator weighs beauty, safety, resource access, and route distance.
Pause on base placement footage and check whether power, storage, and vehicle access all fit.
Watch how often the site connects to starter resources; a pretty base that adds travel is a trap.
Starter site
The starter frame should show whether the site can support immediate crafting and storage.
Action: Place only the minimum base first, then test the route before expanding.
Resource access
Resource proximity is what turns a base from decoration into infrastructure.
Action: Check the nearest repeatable resource routes before committing more modules.
Expansion space
A reliable site has enough room for later systems without blocking movement.
Action: Reserve space for storage, power, scanning, and vehicle workflow before decorating.
Video route timeline
Turn the video into playable checkpoints
Use this section like a second-screen route sheet. Open each checkpoint, compare the frame, do the action, then stop if your route no longer matches the video evidence. It keeps the guide useful even when Early Access shifts small placements or creature behavior.
00:52Checkpoint 1: Choose a starter base that reduces early material and oxygen friction.The starter frame should show whether the site can support immediate crafting and storage.Expand
Starter base site
A strong starter base balances safety, visibility, and fast access to early materials.
Player action
Choose a starter base that reduces early material and oxygen friction.
Proof before moving on
The starter frame should show whether the site can support immediate crafting and storage.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Save it for a later scenic base and build the first working base closer to route anchors.
01:45Checkpoint 2: Check sightlines so the base can be found without map tools.Resource proximity is what turns a base from decoration into infrastructure.Expand
Resource access
Good base locations shorten repeat trips instead of only looking impressive from the surface.
Player action
Check sightlines so the base can be found without map tools.
Proof before moving on
Resource proximity is what turns a base from decoration into infrastructure.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Expand storage and power there before chasing a second site.
09:36Checkpoint 3: Leave enough open water for the Tadpole and future vehicle movement.A reliable site has enough room for later systems without blocking movement.Expand
Expansion space
Leave room for power, storage, scanner coverage, and safe vehicle approach lines.
Player action
Leave enough open water for the Tadpole and future vehicle movement.
Proof before moving on
A reliable site has enough room for later systems without blocking movement.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Move the base footprint early; awkward vehicle turns only get worse as the base grows.
00:52Checkpoint 4: Avoid building inside repeated predator or heat-risk routes.The starter frame should show whether the site can support immediate crafting and storage.Expand
Starter base site
A strong starter base balances safety, visibility, and fast access to early materials.
Player action
Avoid building inside repeated predator or heat-risk routes.
Proof before moving on
The starter frame should show whether the site can support immediate crafting and storage.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Save it for a later scenic base and build the first working base closer to route anchors.
01:45Checkpoint 5: Delay decorative expansion until the site proves useful across several trips.Resource proximity is what turns a base from decoration into infrastructure.Expand
Resource access
Good base locations shorten repeat trips instead of only looking impressive from the surface.
Player action
Delay decorative expansion until the site proves useful across several trips.
Proof before moving on
Resource proximity is what turns a base from decoration into infrastructure.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Expand storage and power there before chasing a second site.
Gameplay evidence
Screenshots to match before you keep swimming
Use these frames as visual checkpoints. If the terrain, lighting, or landmark does not match, slow down and re-check the route instead of forcing the next step.
Starter base site
A strong starter base balances safety, visibility, and fast access to early materials.
Resource access
Good base locations shorten repeat trips instead of only looking impressive from the surface.
Expansion space
Leave room for power, storage, scanner coverage, and safe vehicle approach lines.
Route decision lab
Decide if this route is worth running now
This section turns the video into a practical in-game decision. Use it before leaving base, after the first landmark, and again before entering a deeper or darker area.
Route purpose
The best base location is the place that shortens repeated routes: near useful materials, visible landmarks, manageable threats, power options, and enough open space for storage, crafting, and vehicle access.
Visual checkpoint
A strong starter base balances safety, visibility, and fast access to early materials.
Map anchor
Best Base Locations Ring in Base candidate ring. Use it for use this before building a pretty base that makes every real route longer.
Abort rule
Building at the prettiest view before checking resources.
Field manual translation
A base location is a workflow decision, not a beauty contest. The first site should shorten repeated routes, keep resources nearby, leave room to expand, and provide a safe approach line. Read the screenshots as site evidence: starter access, resource reach, and expansion space.
Primary job
Reduce repeat travel - A strong first base makes the next five dives shorter and safer.
Best entry habit
Check approach lanes - A site is weak if it looks good but forces awkward vehicle movement.
Stop condition
No expansion room - If core modules already feel cramped, use the spot as an outpost instead.
Patch-safe reading
Exact item positions can shift during Early Access. The useful part of this page is the route logic: what to prepare, what visual cue to confirm, what objective to finish, and when to turn back.
Updated
2026-06-12 / tracking / Early Access
What this guide covers
Requirements
- Habitat pieces
- Power plan
- Known resource route
Use this if
You want a route you can follow from video evidence without needing exact official coordinates. The screenshots and steps are written to help you recognize areas, landmarks, and decisions while playing.
Early Access can move details. Treat this as a video-based walkthrough and verify landmarks in your own build.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Follow the video route without guessing
Choose a starter base that reduces early material and oxygen friction.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
A strong starter base balances safety, visibility, and fast access to early materials.
Check sightlines so the base can be found without map tools.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
Good base locations shorten repeat trips instead of only looking impressive from the surface.
Leave enough open water for the Tadpole and future vehicle movement.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
Leave room for power, storage, scanner coverage, and safe vehicle approach lines.
Avoid building inside repeated predator or heat-risk routes.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
A strong starter base balances safety, visibility, and fast access to early materials.
Delay decorative expansion until the site proves useful across several trips.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
Good base locations shorten repeat trips instead of only looking impressive from the surface.
After-action plan
What to do after the guide works
Bank the result
Delay decorative expansion until the site proves useful across several trips.
Clean the inventory
Move route-critical materials into labeled storage so the next dive starts with empty space and a clear job.
Pick the next guide
How to choose a first base site with safe oxygen routes, repeatable resources, visibility, and room to expand.
Next route queue
Use these as the next blockers to solve after this route. Each queue card keeps the same evidence style: source video, gameplay frames, and a written checklist.
Best immediate follow-upBest First Base Location
How to choose a first base site with safe oxygen routes, repeatable resources, visibility, and room to expand.
Use if the route branchesTadpole Submersible Guide
How to use the Tadpole as a route-planning anchor for biome pushes, co-op hauling, vehicle safety, and threat retreats.
Save for the next diveLead Location Guide
A practical early Lead route focused on the ravine northeast of the Lifepod, the caves below it, and safe repeat farming.
Detailed notes
Base sites have jobs
A starter base should stabilize survival. A route base should shorten resource runs. A later main base should support vehicles, storage, crafting, and repeated biome pushes.
Starter
Route base
Vehicle base
Main base
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Evaluation checklist
Rate a site by resources, visibility, threat pressure, power access, expansion room, and how often you will actually pass it during progression.
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
A base should reduce repeat travel
The strongest site is the one that removes boring travel from routes you repeat often. If a base does not shorten material loops, crafting returns, vehicle access, or scanner coverage, it may be a nice view instead of a useful base.
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Build in phases
Start with power, fabricator access, storage, and a clean vehicle approach. Add comfort and decorative rooms only after the site proves it can handle several real resource runs without becoming annoying to reach.
Power
Fabricator
Storage
Vehicle approach
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
How to compare two good sites
When two locations both look viable, choose the one that reduces more future decisions. A slightly less dramatic site near repeat resources, a visible landmark, and safe vehicle parking usually beats a beautiful deep site that turns every craft into a commute.
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Base types by job
Do not judge every base by the same standard. A starter base solves early survival. A route base shortens one repeated material or fragment path. A main base supports storage, crafting, power, vehicles, and repeated biome pushes. Knowing the job prevents overbuilding in the wrong place.
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Power and storage before decoration
Base beauty matters later, but early base value comes from fewer wasted swims. Place power, fabricator access, labeled storage, and scanner support before decorative rooms. Once the base is saving time every session, visual polish becomes easier and cheaper.
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Video route notes
Best Base Locations Expanded should be followed as a progression route, not as a memory test. Start by watching the first route movement and naming the entry condition before copying the path in-game. Choose a starter base that reduces early material and oxygen friction. Then pause again when the video reaches the first visible proof point, because that is where the guide changes from general advice into an action you can repeat. Check sightlines so the base can be found without map tools. If the route starts to feel different in your build, keep the same player goal: turn the video into a safe repeatable session plan.
Entry check: Habitat pieces
Route action: Choose a starter base that reduces early material and oxygen friction.
Proof to look for: objective proof
Version note: Early Access / tracking
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Screenshot checkpoints
Use screenshots as checkpoints instead of decoration. The first image should answer where the route begins, the second should show what confirms progress, and the third should explain what to do after the scan, pickup, puzzle state, or threat read is visible. Leave enough open water for the Tadpole and future vehicle movement. This is especially important in Early Access because exact positions can drift while landmarks, depth bands, room states, and player decisions stay useful. A good screenshot lets you say, "I am at the right kind of place," before you risk oxygen, storage space, or vehicle safety.
Entry frame: match the landmark before moving deeper
Proof frame: confirm objective proof
Exit frame: know the return direction before adding side goals
Loadout frame: check Power plan
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Stop rule and next dive
The most useful part of this page is the stop rule. Building at the prettiest view before checking resources. Placing storage far from crafting and vehicle access. When the objective is confirmed, return and convert it into progress: craft the upgrade, sort the material, save the route note, or mark the blocker as solved. If the route fails, do not repeat the same swim blindly. Change one variable at a time: enter from a clearer landmark, reduce inventory clutter, bring the missing tool, or wait until oxygen and vehicle support match the route. That turns a failed progression route into better field knowledge instead of another overextended dive.
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Common mistakes
Building at the prettiest view before checking resources.
Placing storage far from crafting and vehicle access.
Choosing a deep site before the return route is safe.
FAQ
Is this guide for the current Subnautica 2 build?
This page is written for Early Access and includes a visible update date. Treat exact values as tracking notes until the current build is field-tested.
Does this page use official screenshots?
Pages combine attributed official Steam / Unknown Worlds media, local gameplay frame captures, and source-video evidence cards. New player-submitted captures should keep the route, timestamp, and build context attached.
Community notes
Add a field report
Player reports enter a moderation queue. Approved notes can load from Supabase; pending drafts stay visible in this browser for follow-up.
Near starter shallows
Approx. 70-120m from pod
Confirm oxygen before leaving the first landmark. The route is much safer when you mark the return path before collecting side materials.
Guide-wide
N/A
Creature patrol ranges and fragment placement can shift between builds, so treat exact distances as field estimates until multiple players confirm them.