The map in Satisfactory is absolutely massive. It's difficult to grasp the scale of it when you're running around on its alien landscape, but once you unlock the radar and can see it for yourself, it can get a little intimidating.
There are so many interesting and unique areas to visit and mine for resources in this survival management game by Swedish developer Coffee Stain Studios. Each location is beautifully designed and you can often spend quite a long time just standing there admiring the view. But it's not just the scenery that draws players to these locales, because just like Factorio, a game that also lets you build factories on alien worlds, they contain valuable resources. However, since the map is so massive it can be difficult to figure out exactly where to go and what area is worth your time. With that in mind, here are the locations worth checking out in Satisfactory Ranked in order of usefulness.
Updated On November 17th, 2021, by Matthew Mckeown:
Satisfactory is the perfect time sink. Its map is gigantic and takes a long time to cross, the machinery is satisfyingly complex and rewarding to build, plus the online co-op brings endless hours of base-building fun with your friends.
On top of all that, Satisfactory has also started to get some pretty big and meaty updates that have added all sorts of new machines to mess around with from Particle Accelerators to Drones and even hover packs. But it’s not just new machines as different areas are starting to get a well-deserved facelift, the most recent of which was the Northern Forest. With more updates to existing biomes in the pipeline, now is as good a time as any to jump back in and build yourself a mega factory. So with that in mind, here are some of the best locations in Satisfactory that are worth setting up shop in.
17 Red Jungle
This aptly named area is incredibly difficult to navigate. Filled to the brim with towering red trees that stretch into the horizon in every direction, it can be incredibly easy to get turned around here. However, bringing a friend along through co-op can make surviving and navigating this area much simpler.
To add to the difficulty, there's also a lot of monsters roaming around in this area, making it incredibly easy to run right into a pack of them and get picked off. The only main selling point of this dense forest, aside from the plentiful biofuel you can harvest from the trees, is that it's a great way to pick up Bauxite, Uranium, and Oil. Resources that are pretty scarce on the map.
16 Bamboo Fields
Skirting the rim of the Red Jungle, the Bamboo Fields form a densely packed brush of trees, plants, and small rivers that can make that initial base startup a little limiting. It’s an absolutely gorgeous area as the towering trees make everything feel closed in and cozy like you’re building your own high-tech hideaway. Plus, it has plenty of access to some great resource nodes.
For starter bases, there’s iron, coal, and copper to cover early tiers within easy reach, and there’s crude oil in the nearby lake. For those late-game machines, there’s plenty of bauxite nodes scattered around that can be mined and processed for aluminum and late-game tech as well as Uranium for those with the right protective gear. It’s got a lot going for it and if you plan on getting set up in this zone it’s highly recommended that you bring a chainsaw to clear out the brush and a Xenozapper to deal with the resident monsters.
15 Eastern Dune Forest
The Eastern Dune Forest is a place that really feels like the developers took a page out of No Man's Sky's book. Filled with all sorts of strange structures and plants, this alien landscape perfectly captures the feeling of being on hostile terrain.
Skirting around the infamous and deadly Blue Crater, the Dune Forest is a pleasant and resource-rich area to start in. Plus, there are large amounts of water to its north and south along with a large Nitrogen cluster in its center, perfect for when you reach those higher tier machines.
14 Titan Forest
The Titan Forest is aptly named, for titanic trees tower above wandering players as they explore this high-up hideaway on top of looming rock spires that form their own impenetrable fortresses.
Whilst it's not an easy climb to reach it, once inside this gigantic forest you'll find a nice cluster of copper, iron, limestone, and coal dotted around. Ideal for building a starter base amongst the relative safety of these massive trees. There's also a large river that spills out into a raging waterfall that can be used for Fluid recovery and a nice scenic view of the swamps below.
13 Blue Crater
The majority of Satisfactory's areas don't feel outwardly hostile, with most providing a somewhat safe haven to set up camp away from the various nasties that want to take a bite out of you. However, if you want a challenging survival crafting experience then the Blue Crater is worth visiting.
This dark otherworldy area feels very foreboding and it's filled with gigantic mushrooms that tower above you. Hostile bugs, Hogs, and Spiders roam around looking for lost Pioneers to hunt, and it's easy to lose valuable gear if you're not watching your back. It's a part of the game that can leave quite a lasting impression and although resources are plentiful, it's a constant fight to survive here.
12 Rocky Desert
When a new game is selected, there are four main starting locations that you can then wander away from. One of those areas is the Rocky Desert and it's perfect for intermediate players.
This wide-reaching arid landscape is filled with alien palm trees and long winding rivers that snake around small canyons and dunes. There aren't as many hostile aliens to contend with and this resource-rich area is great for players that want the challenge of interesting geography to build on without the fear of being constantly attacked.
11 Savanna
Savanna is way off the beaten path, but the long journey to this far-flung locale makes the arrival so much sweeter. Located at the most northeast point of the map, above the Rocky Desert starting zone, Savanna is a relatively flat area that offers an island sanctuary you can completely close yourself off in.
Resource nodes are plentiful and there’s a gigantic cave system located underneath the towering spires that any brave spelunker can explore and claim for its tucked-away rewards. The towering spires above also feature little nooks and a fun jumping puzzle that you can keep to torment your friends with or pave over to build a watchtower. With plenty of water all around to power your machines, the Savanna is an island paradise just ripe for the taking.
10 Spire Coast
The Spire Coast is one of those areas that often goes overlooked for most Satisfactory players as it’s quite a ways off from even the most northern starting point, The Northern Forest. Still, it’s worth setting up there as not only is it a fun desert biome, it also grants access to an utterly gigantic body of water that you can fill up with Water Pumps to power your machines.
Bodies of water within the internal parts of the map are mostly contained to ponds, rivers, and small lakes, so your base can get a little pokey and crowded. At The Spires, you have not only the huge sea at your disposal but also huge caverns and tunnels nearby for underground fortresses, easy routes to other areas, plenty of resource nodes, and towering spires you can link up with walkways to build a mountaintop stronghold. Although a word of warning, it’s an incredibly hostile area filled to the brim with spiders and other monsters, so bring a zapper or a gun if you can, or keep a jetpack filled with fuel on standby for easy escapes.
9 Crater Lakes
Just a short hop over from the Rocky Desert Starting Area, the Crater Lakes is a relatively small area dotted with Geysers and a few resources across a field pocked with large craters filled with water.
Although the origin of these gigantic divots in the earth is unknown, it does still provide some interesting ground to build upon. Still, it provides some interesting geography to build on, plus with its plentiful supply of Geysers, it's a great location to stick your thermal plants later on.
8 Northern Forest
Another of the options for players starting a new game, the Northern Forest is located roughly in the middle of the map. Not only does this area offer a mild challenge and plenty of resources, but it is also absolutely gorgeous.
Giant swooping stone arches sweep high above strange-looking willows that obscure everything around you from view. Clearing them out reveals an even denser forest and it's incredibly easy to just get lost after walking only a few feet. Plus just a few meters south of your drop pods landing spot is a basin area that contains multiple iron and limestone nodes. It's a place that's perfect for getting that jumpstart on a new factory with all the resources you need to speed through the game's unique crafting system.
7 Swamp
The alien swamps to the East of the map is an interesting area to get started in. Located a short walk from the Northern Forest, it's filled with hundreds of purple-colored willows and water that runs throughout this area in snaking rivers and small shallows. It's also incredibly easy to get turned around here.
Whilst it contains a little bit of iron, some oil to the south, and a few geysers nearby, this area is more suitable for building interesting and unique bases amongst the hazardous swamp. Although try to be careful of all the poison gas spewing towers that are clustered in the center as it's easy to accidentally wander into them.
6 Abyss Cliffs
If you have ever wanted to live in that one floating island area from James Camerons Avatar, then the gravity-defying rocks of the Abyss Cliffs are for you. This interesting area is filled with chasms, rising rocky spires, and small islands of safety that hang effortlessly in the air.
Resources are a little few and far between in this area and the drops are pretty perilous, but it's a good place to pick up Coal, Nitrogen, and Bauxite for those higher-tier machines. Just be careful you don't slip off the edge.
5 Southern Forest
Nestled between the easiest starting area in the game (Grass Fields) and one of the most difficult biomes (Blue Crater), the Southern Forest is a small yet peaceful zone that’s full of beautiful vistas, sweeping cliffs, and a gigantic towering waterfall that makes a great setpiece for any base.
It’s a tight and narrow canyon, and most of your buildings are going to need to be layered or stacked on cliffs, but the sheer beauty of this hidden away zone makes it more than worthwhile. With an abyss nearby that’s perfect for dumping radioactive waste into, the Southern Forest's low monster population guarantees a relatively peaceful session whenever you stop by.
4 Western Dune Forest
Another tightly packed zone, the Western Dune Forest is a relatively big zone that feels more like the Night Elf starting area from World of Warcraft. Giant purple-leafed trees cover the entire area as small game trails wind their way throughout the densely packed alien brush and huge monstrous spiders prowl around beneath their shadowy boughs.
With two main ways in and out of this spot, you can create a nice secure bottleneck to keep out wandering aliens as you make this bizarre-looking landscape your own. Just make sure to bring some weaponry and a gas mask with you when you go exploring as this area is covered in huge spiders and plenty of poison spewing plants that can devastate any expedition in seconds.
3 Red Oasis
A sanctuary tucked away within the sands. The Red Oasis is at the most northern point of the map, and whilst it may seem tiny in comparison to the other locations in Satisfactory, it’s a plant-filled paradise that offers a nice escape from the barren and heat battered planes of the nearby Dune Desert.
Gigantic rolling waterfalls tower over the entrance to this winding canyon filled with resource nodes, aliens, and lush plant life and its rabbit warren of caves and tiered cliffs allow for a lot of creativity and verticality in your factory construction. If you want to build a secret oasis base in the desert, then this scenic spot is worth checking out.
2 Dune Desert
Another of the four starting areas available when you begin a new game, the Rocky Desert provides a suitable Old Western backdrop for any budding space pioneer to explore. With sprawling canyons lining its edges, barring any immediate escape, it's a barren and harsh climate to start off in.
This ocean of dunes stretches for miles in every direction and whilst it can seem empty at first, there are resources and an oasis or two hidden away to the North and South of the Dunes for the intrepid explorer to find. Plus, scale the cliffs of the Red Oasis to the east and you'll have direct access to an entire ocean to use for your fluid requirements.
1 Grass Fields
The number one spot goes to the most bountiful and commonly picked starting spot, the Grass Fields. This lush sprawling area starts you off right next to your three main resource types of iron, copper, and limestone in a neat little cluster.
With plenty of wood for biofuel available from nearby forests as well as coal and oil just a short trek away, the Grass Fields is a great place to build and get to grips with Satisfactory.