Overview
The building and construction system in Solarpunk allows players to construct homes, workshops, storage facilities, and other structures on the floating islands. Building uses a foundation-based approach where players place foundations first, then add walls, doors, roofs, and stairs to create multi-floor structures.
The Build-Hammer
Construction is performed with the Build-Hammer, a tool crafted from Stone and Stick. Equipping the Build-Hammer opens the building interface, which displays available building pieces, material options, and a placement preview.
Placement system
When placing building pieces, a color-coded indicator shows whether the position is valid:
Blue: Valid placement. The piece can be built here.
Orange: Invalid placement. The piece overlaps with existing structures, terrain, or lacks a proper connection point.
Pieces snap to connection points on existing structures, making it straightforward to align walls, floors, and roofs correctly.
Material categories
Solarpunk offers three categories of building materials. Wood was available from the start, while Glass and Brick were unlocked as Kickstarter stretch goals.
Material | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Wood | Harvested from trees and processed | Available from the beginning of the game; used in the demo |
Glass | Crafted from Sand (Kickstarter stretch goal) | Allows transparent walls and windows for greenhouses and decorative builds |
Brick | Crafted from Clay and Stone (Kickstarter stretch goal) | Provides a more durable, industrial aesthetic |
Building process
The standard building workflow follows these steps:
Foundation: Place a foundation piece on valid ground. This is the base that all other pieces attach to.
Walls: Attach wall pieces to the edges of the foundation. Wall variants include solid walls and walls with door spaces.
Door frame: Place a door frame in a wall opening to create an entryway.
Roof: Add roof pieces on top of the walls to enclose the structure.
Stairs: For multi-floor homes, place stairs to connect the ground floor to upper levels. Additional foundations can be placed above existing structures to create new floors.
Demolition
To remove building pieces, equip an axe and right-click on a wall or structure component. Demolition recovers approximately 50% of the original resources used to build that piece. This means rebuilding or relocating structures has a material cost, so planning the layout before building is worthwhile.
Signage and labeling
Signage and labeling systems are confirmed for the game. Players can place signs on or near structures to mark rooms, storage areas, or automation zones. This is particularly useful in multiplayer sessions where multiple players share a base and need to identify which areas serve which purpose.
Building tips
Plan your base layout before placing foundations to avoid wasting materials on demolition
Build greenhouses with glass walls to protect crops from storm damage
Use stairs to build upward when island surface area is limited
Place energy infrastructure (solar panels, batteries) on rooftops to save ground space
Keep the Build-Hammer accessible; you will use it frequently as your base grows