Base Building in Games & the Moon: Top Facts (2025)

Base Building in Gaming and Beyond: From Dune's Deserts to the Moon

Whether you're surviving the harsh sands of Arrakis, fending off cannibals in a dense forest, or exploring declassified Cold War ambitions, the concept of building and defending a base has never been more relevant. Base mechanics are a cornerstone of modern survival and open-world gaming, and the topic is trending now as players dive into Dune: Awakening and veterans revisit The Forest — while history buffs uncover the U.S. Army's audacious 1959 plan to plant a nuclear-powered military outpost on the Moon. Here's everything you need to know.

Why Base Building Is One of Gaming's Most Enduring Mechanics

Base building taps into something primal: the need for shelter, security, and a home territory. In survival games, your base is more than a storage hub — it's your lifeline, your respawn anchor, and your first real investment in the world around you. As open-world games grow more ambitious, the decisions around where to build, what materials to use, and when to move on have become genuinely strategic.

The surge of interest in base mechanics right now is driven by two major titles: the early-access release of Dune: Awakening and the enduring popularity of The Forest. Both games treat base-building as a dynamic, consequence-driven system — not just a place to stash your loot.

Dune: Awakening — When You Have to Abandon Your Base

One of the most-searched base questions right now is deceptively simple: when should you abandon your base in Dune: Awakening? According to Game Rant's guide on abandoning your base in Dune: Awakening, the answer is tied directly to the main story progression.

Players are required to leave their first base in Hagga Basin South as part of the main story mission called Moving On. This isn't optional — the narrative forces you out of your early-game comfort zone and into the broader, more dangerous world of Arrakis. For new players, this can feel jarring, but it's intentional game design that mirrors the themes of Dune itself: nothing stays safe forever.

How to Abandon Your Base Correctly

The method you use to abandon your base matters — and it affects what resources you recover. There are two ways to do it:

• Construction Tool method: Using the Construction Tool to abandon your base will return Salvage Metal from the Sub-Fief Console. This is the recommended approach if you want to recoup your investment.
• Map method: Abandoning via the map does not return Salvage Metal, meaning you walk away with nothing from your Sub-Fief Console.

Always use the Construction Tool when abandoning a base — it's the difference between leaving with resources or leaving empty-handed.

What Happens to an Unclaimed Base?

Once you abandon your base in Dune: Awakening, it doesn't simply disappear. Unclaimed bases persist in the world but lose their protection status entirely. Other players can freely enter, loot items, destroy structures, or even claim the base for themselves. This makes the timing of abandonment strategic: if you have valuable items stored, remove them before walking away.

The Forest — Choosing the Right Base Type

While Dune: Awakening has players thinking about when to leave their base, The Forest challenges players to choose the right base type from the very beginning. According to a comprehensive guide on building the best base in The Forest, there are three distinct base types available:

• Ground base — The most straightforward option, easy to build but more vulnerable to cannibal attacks.
• Tree house base — Elevated and harder for enemies to reach, offering a significant safety advantage.
• Water base — Built on or near water, providing natural barriers but requiring careful resource planning.

Each type comes with its own set of trade-offs in terms of safety, resource access, and build complexity. The "best" base depends heavily on your playstyle and how far into the game you are.

Wood vs. Stone: The Core Building Decision

Beyond base location, players must decide on their primary construction material:

• Wood is faster to gather and easier to work with early in the game, but structures are weaker and more susceptible to damage from cannibal raids.
• Stone takes longer to source but produces significantly more durable structures, making it the preferred material for late-game fortifications.

A common strategy among experienced players is to start with wood for speed and utility, then gradually upgrade critical structures to stone as the game progresses and threats escalate. The Forest's guide — originally published in October 2023 and updated in January 2025 — remains one of the most referenced resources for players making these decisions.

Project Horizon: The U.S. Army's Plan for a Moon Base

Base building isn't just a gaming concept — it's a military and geopolitical one too. In 1959, at the height of the Space Race and Cold War anxiety, the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency produced a classified study called Project Horizon. As detailed in a deep-dive by Task & Purpose on the Army's Project Horizon Moon base plan, this wasn't science fiction — it was serious military planning.

The proposal outlined a nuclear-powered lunar military outpost staffed by 12 soldiers. The base would be constructed as a series of interconnected tubes powered by nuclear reactors, designed to withstand the extreme conditions of the lunar surface. The soldiers stationed there wouldn't be unarmed — the plan called for space-adapted weapons including rifles derived from claymores, modified for use in the vacuum of space and the Moon's low-gravity environment.

The Logistics of Project Horizon

The scale of the plan was staggering. Project Horizon called for 149 rocket launches to deliver all necessary cargo to the Moon. Full staffing of 12 crew members was projected for November 1966 — a timeline that would have placed the base operational before the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969.

The project was ultimately never approved or funded, but its declassification has made it a fascinating piece of Cold War history — and a reminder that the human instinct to establish a fortified base, even on another world, runs very deep.

What Gaming Gets Right About Base Building Strategy

The best base-building games — Dune: Awakening and The Forest among them — succeed because they force real strategic decisions. Do you invest heavily in your starting location or stay mobile? Do you prioritize speed or durability? When do you cut your losses and move on?

These are the same questions military planners face when establishing forward operating bases. Project Horizon's architects had to balance resupply logistics (149 rocket launches), personnel safety (nuclear power, armed defenses), and long-term viability (12-person staffing by 1966). The parallels to survival game design are striking.

For players who want to enhance their gaming setup for long sessions of base building, a quality gaming headset can make a significant difference in immersion, especially in games like The Forest where audio cues alert you to incoming threats. A comfortable gaming chair is equally valuable for extended play sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Base Building

When should I abandon my base in Dune: Awakening?

You are required to abandon your first base in Hagga Basin South when you reach the main story mission called Moving On. Before you do, make sure to use the Construction Tool (not the map) to recover Salvage Metal from the Sub-Fief Console.

What happens to my base after I abandon it in Dune: Awakening?

Abandoned bases remain in the game world but lose all protection. Other players can enter, loot, destroy, or claim your former base. Remove all valuable items before abandoning.

What is the safest base type in The Forest?

Tree house bases are generally considered the safest, as their elevation makes them harder for cannibal enemies to reach and attack. However, they require more planning and resources to construct than a ground base.

Should I build with wood or stone in The Forest?

Wood is faster to gather and great for early-game construction. Stone is slower to source but produces much more durable structures. Most experienced players transition from wood to stone as they progress through the game.

Was Project Horizon a real U.S. government plan?

Yes. Project Horizon was a real 1959 study produced by the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency proposing a nuclear-powered military outpost on the Moon staffed by 12 soldiers. It was never funded or built, but the declassified documents confirm it was a serious proposal.

Conclusion: The Timeless Appeal of Claiming Your Ground

From the shifting sands of Arrakis to the cannibal-haunted forests of a mysterious peninsula, and even to the cratered surface of the Moon — the drive to build, defend, and eventually abandon a base is one of humanity's most fundamental impulses. Gaming has turned this instinct into compelling, strategic entertainment, while history reminds us that the impulse to plant a flag and call somewhere home has motivated some of the most ambitious (and strange) planning in military history.

Whether you're optimizing your Dune: Awakening exit strategy, debating stone versus wood in The Forest, or simply marveling at the audacity of Project Horizon, the concept of "base" sits at the intersection of survival, strategy, and human ambition. And right now, it's more relevant than ever.