Can You Turn Off Base Raids in a Building Survival Game? What to Check Before You Buy

Start with the exact kind of attack you want to avoid

Games use “raid” for different systems: a scheduled attack on a home base, a faction response to player actions, an optional challenge event, or a boss encounter that uses your base. A setting that disables one category may leave the others in place. Before choosing a game, look for the developer’s wording in its current settings guide or patch notes and match it to your concern: for example, “base raid,” “faction reactivity,” or “raid event.”

A useful distinction is between *frequency* and *permission*. “Fewer enemies,” “less aggressive,” or “reduced event chance” describes a lower rate or intensity. It does not establish that attacks can never occur. Look for explicit language such as “disable raids,” “no raids,” or an off switch—and check whether the documentation limits that control to a particular type of raid.

Check the mode and the cost of using the setting

A control may only appear in a custom world, or may require a host to configure a multiplayer server. That can affect whether an existing save can use it, what other rules change with it, and whether a solo player can edit it. Read the setup steps as carefully as the setting label.

Games illustrate why these details matter. Valheim’s official dedicated-server guide lists -modifier raids none as a valid world modifier, and says to put individual modifiers after a preset if using both. That confirms a server-side way to select the raid value; it does not, by itself, confirm every behavior of every event type. Valheim: A Guide to Dedicated Servers

Enshrouded offers a different lesson: its official difficulty update says the Relaxed preset reduces enemy numbers and provides more resources and loot, while Custom settings allow individual gameplay settings to be modified. The same update says difficulty settings must be set before hosting or starting a server and cannot be changed while playing; changing them requires a restart. A relaxed preset is evidence of a gentler configuration, not proof that base raids are switched off. Enshrouded: Back to the Shroud Update

Check when you can change the rule

Find out whether you choose the setting at world creation, before each session, or while playing an existing save. A control that is available only when creating a world is less flexible than one that can be changed mid-run. For a hosted world, also verify whether the owner or server configuration controls it; a guest may not be able to change anything.

Grounded’s official update notes document custom-game options and describe some settings that can be changed during a game, while others cannot. They also distinguish game modes and explain that some options require converting a Survival game to Custom. This is a good reason to confirm the *specific* raid-related option and its timing rather than assume every custom setting works the same way. Grounded: Update 1.3

For multiplayer, ask the host or server provider for the actual world configuration before joining. If the answer is simply “we use easy settings,” ask whether the raid control itself is off, reduced, or unchanged. For a solo game, check whether you can access the relevant world settings from the title screen or pause menu, and whether changing the save’s mode has side effects you care about.

Find out what remains after base raids are off

A quiet base does not necessarily mean a threat-free game. Roaming enemies, hostile locations, bosses, scripted story encounters, or optional summonable events may be separate systems. The game’s feature list or official notes can help reveal these distinctions, but if the documentation does not say whether the raid switch covers a particular encounter, treat that as unresolved and check a current support page or ask the developer community before purchasing.

Palworld’s official 1.0 changelog, for example, describes a reworked wave-based base-raid system, a negotiator who can cancel an upcoming raid for gold, and a dedicated raid event associated with a particular base structure. These are distinct details worth checking against your own preference. The notes do not establish that a general raid setting suppresses every special raid or other combat encounter, so do not infer universal safety from a setting label alone. Palworld 1.0 Official Release Changelog

Make a short list of the threats you mean by “raids”: attacks on structures, attacks on characters near home, scripted invasions, and optional encounters. Then look up each item separately. If a source only describes ordinary base raids, do not extend its claim to bosses or events it does not mention.

A practical pre-purchase check

Use this sequence on the game’s current official documentation, store page links to developer notes, or support materials:

Name the unwanted event. Identify whether you mean attacks on the base, faction retaliation, or a separate event or boss.

Find the exact control. Look for the setting’s name and a clear description. “Reduced” is different from “off.”

Confirm its scope. Check whether it applies to solo worlds, hosted co-op, dedicated servers, and the attack types you identified.

Check timing and trade-offs. See whether the setting can be changed on an existing save, whether a restart or custom mode is needed, and whether other rules are affected.

Verify what remains. Check official notes for roaming threats and separate encounter systems. If the answer is not documented, count it as unknown rather than assuming the switch covers it.

This process gives you a more useful buying answer than a difficulty label. If the game clearly documents an off switch for the specific base attacks you want to avoid, and you can use it in your intended mode, you have strong evidence that the central concern is configurable. If it only promises fewer enemies or a relaxed preset, expect some attacks may remain unless the developer states otherwise.

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