Ark: Survival Evolved Best Tiny Starter Base Design Guide For Beginners

ARK: Survival Evolved ’s base building system offers limitless creativity at all levels, and there are plenty of good (but cheap!) designs that can maximize efficiency for the early game. With some help from YouTube’s KISHKO, here’s a decent setup that can work for just about anyone at level 24 and above. If you need help getting to level 24, check out our beginner’s guide.

Here are the supplies you’ll need for a basic 1x1 design:

• 425 stone
• 245 wood
• 230 thatch
• 30 fiber
• 60 hide
• 10 metal

You should be able to get everything listed here through average foraging and some light mining. You’ll also need to have spent the Engram Points to unlock the stone crafting supplies. Trying this with a wood design will get you nowhere fast. As far as location is concerned, you should be looking for a place that’s shaded, hidden from travelers and close to a water supply.

With those disclaimers out of the way, let’s get started.

1. Place a stone foundation and put a bed in the corner of it.
2. If placed the right way, you should be able to fit a full Smithy over the bed. Both structures can be used normally with some occasional glitches.
3. Build three stone walls around the foundation. And put a stone fence foundation on the one open section.
4. The fence foundation will allow you to double layer two reinforced wooden doors. Just place one door on each side of the foundation.
5. Place a stone ceiling on top.
6. There should be enough space for about four mortar and pestles. These are a much smaller, but still effective, substitute for the standard storage box.
7. If you want to do some extra cleanup, the fence foundation can be demolished once you put down the double doors.

Those are the basic steps you’ll need to get started with a base, but if you have some extra materials, it can be expanded a bit more.

1. You can also make a deck outside the structure using a wood floor. On that deck, place as many Refining Forges as you can fit or afford.
2. If you have a large flying Dino like a Pteranodon, you can create a pen for it with an additional foundation, three stone walls and a single reinforced door. The Dino can actually fit in that tiny space. Go up to the door, mash the spacebar and look up and down when you’re riding it.

If you continue watching the source video, you’ll see how this simple stone base can be reinforced even further with metal. Metal base materials can’t be unlocked until level 45 though; if you’ve lived that long, you probably don’t need much guidance. Regardless, this design should be a solid way to get started.

ARK: Survival Evolved is available now on PC, Xbox One, PS4, OS X and Linux. For more tips, read our guide for the six best beginner Dinos.

What do you think of this base design for new ARK survivors? Would you build something different? Tell us in the comments section!