Hideout Showcase

What it is

Hideout Showcase is a community website where Path of Exile players upload their hideout designs, others vote and comment, and everyone can search by category, popularity, date, or tags. The vibe is like a hideout-specific Pinterest.

It supports both PoE 1 and PoE 2 via a game_version URL filter. The default homepage mixes everything (mostly PoE 1 due to age), but the direct link with game_version=2 takes you to the PoE 2 section.

The site has existed for years (originally PoE 1 only) and migrated to include PoE 2 when the new game's hideout system shipped.

What problem it solves

Designing a hideout from scratch means understanding PoE 2's decoration system, knowing where each decoration comes from (some are MTX, some drop from league mechanics), and having some aesthetic sense. For many players, all of that is friction and they'd rather start from a template and customize.

Hideout Showcase solves this with two things: visual inspiration (you browse hundreds of designs made by others) and, in many cases, downloading the .hideout file you can import directly into the game to use the full design or parts of it.

Differentiation

There's no real alternative for this in the current PoE 2 ecosystem. It's either this or building a hideout from scratch. r/PathOfExileBuilds occasionally has hideout posts but doesn't function as a searchable database.

What people use it for

Inspiration for your own hideouts: scroll the highest-voted, find a style you like, decide on a look for your own hideout.

Importing complete designs: many hideouts offer download of the configuration file. Import it in-game and you have the author's exact design.

Studying decoration techniques: see how others handle lighting, scale, decoration grouping — useful if you want to improve your own hideouts.

Browsing "MTX free": useful filter if you don't want designs requiring purchased MTX, so you know you can replicate everything without spending real money.

Hideouts by base type: different hideout bases (Alpine, Karui, Skybound — the ones from PoE 1; PoE 2 is adding its own) have sub-sections for inspiration per template type.

Who it's not for

If hideout decoration doesn't interest you and you only use it as a crafting bench, this site adds nothing — entirely outside that game flow.

If you expect to find thousands of PoE 2 designs — the PoE 2 base is still small. PoE 1 has tens of thousands, PoE 2 has hundreds. It grows with the community.

If you want an in-browser editor to design your hideout without opening the game, Hideout Showcase isn't that — it's a showcase of finished designs, not an editor.

How to use it in practice

1. Go to the direct PoE 2 link: hideoutshowcase.com/hideouts/search?...&game_version=2. Without the filter, it mixes with PoE 1.
2. Browse by sort order (newest, most viewed, most favorited, most commented) or by filters.
3. Clicking a hideout opens its page with screenshots, comments, and (if the author allows) a download link to the .hideout file.
4. To import: in PoE 2 go to your hideout, "Import" option in the menu, select the downloaded file. Done.
5. To upload yours: register a free account, upload screenshots and the file, fill in metadata (base type, tags, MTX used).

Honest limitations

PoE 2 base much smaller than PoE 1. The PoE 1 hideout community has years of momentum; PoE 2 is starting. If you expected to find your style among 50,000 hideouts, you'll be frustrated — it's hundreds for now, not thousands.

English only. The UI has no localization. PoE 1 has partial community translation; PoE 2 is all English.

Closed source. No public GitHub repo. If that bothers you, there's no equivalent community-built alternative yet.

Quality of downloaded files varies. Some .hideout files are current with the latest game version, others may have outdated decorations or broken paths. Check dates before importing.

Voting system can bias toward "popular styles". If your taste is niche, top-voted isn't necessarily what you'll enjoy. Worth exploring newest and less-viewed too.

PoE 2 compatibility evolves. As the game is in early access, hideout mechanics can shift between patches. Hideouts uploaded in early versions may need manual tweaks after updates.

How to start

Go to hideoutshowcase.com/hideouts/search?...&game_version=2 (direct PoE 2 link). Browse top-voted first for a quick read on the quality bar.

When you find one you like, click in, read comments for any reported bugs, download the file if available.

To upload your own: register (free), take good in-game screenshots (preferably daytime with normal lighting), export your file, upload with relevant tags.

Don't rush to upload your first attempt — the best-received hideouts usually go through several iterations before publication.