Is there a creative mode?

[Avi]

...where I can just build with unlimited resources from the start of the game?

[kaori]

I think, its only just the "home" island, that I recall, for free roam, after you are done with game. You don't get unlimited materials.

Dont know if anything has changed, Over the years.

[lilisaur]

Not from start of game no. The game desires you to play through the story to learn all the mechanics and be introduced to all the concepts. There is no option to skip all this and go straight to building, even for the second of third save slots (for which an option to skip the story would have been great if first save had the completed flag)

Furthermore, only some of the more common materials (wood, coal, iron, etc.) become infinite in this game. There are still many construction materials that are not and may require manual collection - or editing the Steam save file to just grant yourself a load of such materials or set crafting materials that aren't normally infinite into being infinite.

Potentially can use the save editor to give yourself all the tools and materials you want as soon as you've cleared the brief slave ship introduction and made the first save point, but the game will likely still restrict certain actions (such as where you are allowed to build and travel) until such story elements are completed. The save editor doesn't yet handle story flags.

[Aura]

There are universal save files floating around to give you an endgame file (I believe they are on the reddits? maybe?)

And then if you use something like Cheat Engine or I think there's one called We Mod then you can make your bar always have a minimum number of items (so you don't run out of blocks) it can also give you endless stamina, and a big jump and always max hunger etc etc.

I don't know about we mod (not even sure if that's actually it's name and friend hasn't replied yet to confirm) but with cheat engine you can also cheat in items into your inventory. So it's about as close to creative mode as you can get.

[x2006charger]

Wemod will let you do things such as keeping any items on the hotbar at 999, as well as stuff like infinite health and whatnot. As far as i've seen it doesn't allow you to give yourself items, though, so it's not quite a creative mode thing.

[lilisaur]

The Turtle Insect tool does allow you to gain access to any item even if Wemod doesn't. However, you're still gated by story advancement. For example, even with all the tools and blocks you could want, you can't build in the Green Gardens area of Isle of Awakening until you've cleared Furrowfield. To date there is no known way to skip all those story advancement flags short of loading someone else's full save file.

[Projec7DarkZero]

As others said, No.

better answer: Not really, but KINDA. If you clear the check list on the free exploration islands and each themed one you can access unlimited uses of most of the base crafting items which lets you make as much as you want using those. It covers pretty much all your base building blocks and most other items. A few you cant like items that use Rare resources but even then, those are usally common enough on their island. (IE Orchamilium, can be found on the 2 2nd exploration islands in caves under ground.)