Picture this, you’re a budding Explorer who has discovered an ancient relic in a strange underground world. At first, the landscape seems to primarily be made of dirt, but as you travel further afield, you uncover unique biomes with their own flora, fauna, minerals, mysteries, and more. You’re unsure of how to escape, but you feel as though this relic, The Core, might hold the key. You just need to survive long enough to uncover its secrets.
It’s time to build a base, but which biome is best? Come with us as we take you on a guided tour of the underground and explore the pros and cons of base building in each biome.
The Dirt Biome
All Explorers start out in the Dirt Biome, and this is where The Core is located. It’s filled with a handful of key resources that you’ll need to get started in the underground, such as wood, copper ore, and (you guessed it) dirt! The mineral-rich soil makes for ideal growing conditions for the humble Glow Tulip, the tasty Heart Berry, and the fiery Bomb Pepper, all of which will help you massively on your adventures.
You’re likely to run into some lower-level enemies from time to time in the Dirt Biome – from the passive Orange Slime to the more aggressive Red Slime – but they’re nothing a copper sword and the right timing can’t handle. There is one resident you need to keep an eye out for in the Dirt Biome, though, and that’s Glurch the Abominous Mass. He’s a giant Slime or, to be more accurate, a mass of Slimes, and he can be a little territorial.
Don’t worry, you’ll feel the earth trembling before you see Glurch, and if you give him his space, he won’t bother you. Overall, the Dirt Biome is a pretty decent starting zone for your very first base, but you may find yourself seeking greener, more resource-filled pastures in the future.
Safety: 4/5 – Relatively safe, so long as you don’t bother Glurch.
Resources: 3/5 – Lots of useful starting materials here.
Vibes: 3/5 – Fairly chill.
The Larva Biome
What can we say about the Larva Biome? It’s an entomologist’s dream, but if you’re afraid of insects, then you might want to avoid setting up shop here. All Explorers will likely have to spend a little time in the Larva Biome, though, especially if they want to upgrade their copper armour and weapons into something a little more durable. You’ll find tin ore in this biome, along with some other key resources that’ll make crafting and base building nice and simple. One such resource is the Grub Kapok, a seed that grows into a plant that produces fibre!
In terms of scenery, the Larva Biome has a very “organic'' feel to it, so watch where you step. You’ll find chrysalis groundcover that feels very strange to walk on, and you’ll need to be on the lookout for pools of acid slime that’ll melt the soles of your shoes! It might not be the most picturesque biome, but it certainly has a weird-and-wonderful charm about it.
The Larva Biome is not for the faint of heart, though, and moving in here will present unique challenges. As the name suggests, there are several varieties of Larva living here, and none of them are very friendly. The Red Larva are particularly vicious, and the Exploding Larva are a nasty surprise. There are ways to fool the Larva into leaving you alone if you know how to craft the Larva suit, but you’ll have to remember to put it on every time you leave the house! All in all, if you’re a fan of a relaxing afternoon walk, we suggest building your base in a slightly less volatile environment.
Safety: 2/5 – Everything wants to kill you, and rumour has it that something big and terrifying lurks within the depths of this biome.
Resources: 3/5 – Stronger materials here if you’re brave enough to collect them.
Vibes: ?/5 – You’ll either love it or hate it.
The Stone Biome
The Stone Biome is one for you history buffs. Here, you’ll find the remnants of an ancient civilisation, and you might even find a few historical pieces of furniture that you can “borrow” for your base if you want to. An abundance of stone makes for stronger building materials, and there’s plenty of iron ore to go around for weapons and armour upgrades. Farming may be challenging here, but there is one crop unique to the Stone Biome that you’ll find useful for bolstering your defences: the hardy Carrock! This tough root vegetable thrives in stone and won’t grow anywhere else.
We recommend putting a lot of effort into building a sturdy base if you do decide to move into the Stone Biome, as you may run into some less-than-friendly neighbours. Remember that ancient civilisation we mentioned? Well, some of its descendants haven’t quite moved out yet, and boy do they not like strangers. You’re sure to run into a Caveling or two here, and there are three distinct types you’ll need to watch out for.
The standard Caveling is small and sprightly. You’ll spot their red eyes glowing as they mine in the darkness. It’s best not to disturb these hard-working creatures, or to go anywhere near them in fact, as they will attack you with their mining picks on sight. They’re often flanked by Caveling Shaman – skilled magic users with melee and ranged attacks that will leave you scorched, singed, and feeling a little unwelcome to say the least.
Finally, you’ll want to look out for the Caveling Brute. This big boy is large, in charge, and ready to crush you with his club. He’s a little slower than your average Caveling, though. If you can defeat him, you might be able to harvest the wood from his club, which is very useful in an area where wood is scarce.
Safety: 2/5 – Crawling with Cavelings, and you might run into a giant worm known as Ghorm the Destroyer circling the perimeter of this biome.
Resources: 4/5 – Artefacts for a-plunderin’, along with a new crop and new ore!
Vibes: 3/5 – There’s a certain brutalist ambience here.
The Nature Biome
This one’s for all you Cottagecore enthusiasts out there. The Nature biome is a picturesque landscape of lush grass and vibrant plant life. How can such flora survive in the underground, you ask? It looks as though these plants have adapted to growing in slightly darker conditions and are able to thrive on the little sunlight that they do get from the various sky lights that are dotted around the Nature Biome.
This is one of the brighter areas of the underground, and it’ll probably be the one that reminds you most of the outside world. If you’ve got a green thumb, we’d certainly suggest building a home and, indeed, a farm here in the Nature Biome, as it is full of useful resources and plenty of fresh water for your watering can. You’ll be able to craft some of the toughest armour in the game (as of right now) from the scarlet ore veins running through this biome, though you’ll need some decent tools to mine it in the first place.
If you do decide to move in here, you won’t be the only farmer making use of the fertile soil and ample water supply. Keep an eye out for Caveling Farmers – they may look innocent in their straw hats, but they don’t like the competition and will attack you on sight. It’s also worth noting that not all of the plant life in the Nature Biome is friendly. Look out for Trapper plants that will hold you in place and make you easy pickings for nearby enemies.
Speaking of nearby enemies, you can never be too sure of what’s hiding in plain sight in this biome. Caveling Hunters are tricky little blights that spend their time in ghillie suits disguised as bushes just waiting for unsuspecting Explorers to wander into their paths. Then, BAM, they open fire with their muskets. There’s plenty of danger within the Nature Biome, but we guess that’s the price you pay for those spectacular views.
Safety: 3/5 – Unfriendly neighbours, and we advise you to keep your eyes on the skies for other…surprises.
Resources: 3/5 – Plenty of plant life and valuable ore!
Vibes: 5/5 – Best views in the entire underground.
The Mould Dungeon
Deep within the Nature Biome lies a much more sinister biome known as The Mould Dungeon. Not much is known about this pocket of the underground other than the fact that it is infested with toxic spores that’ll seriously slow you down and make you a prime target for this Biome’s inhabitants: the Infected Cavelings.
These zombie-like creatures have spent too long inhaling noxious fumes and have mutated into a murderous horde as a result. Be extra careful when exploring here, as once the horde descends upon you, you may find yourself unable to escape. If you can find some way to counter the effects of the spores and maintain your movement speed, you might just be able to take on the Infected Cavelings and get some fairly valuable loot in the process.
If you can survive in this terrifying place, you can find some useful jewellery, an edible fungus unique to the Mould Dungeon, and an intriguing new weapon. We can only recommend you make a home for yourself within this biome if you like a good challenge. It is a difficult landscape to navigate, let alone live in full time!
Safety: 2/5 – Beware the horde and mould-throwing tentacles lurking in the darkness!
Resources: 4/5 – Lots of loot, but at what cost?
Vibes: 1/5 – Genuinely terrifying.
There you have it, Explorers: a comprehensive guide to the biomes you’ve seen in Core Keeper so far. Will you play it safe in the Dirt Biome or travel through the more dangerous areas of the underground to get to the gorgeous Nature Biome? Let us know where you’d build your base in the comments or join the discussion over on the official Core Keeper Discord!