Hideout Showcase

What it is

Hideout Showcase is the reference community site for Path of Exile hideouts. It has accumulated player-submitted designs from around the world for years, with a voting system, comments, tags, and filters by category, popularity, base type, and MTX usage.

The big advantage over just "search YouTube" is that many hideouts allow downloading the .hideout file — you import it into the game and have the author's exact design without having to recreate it manually.

While it now supports PoE 2 (via a game_version filter), its original and largest catalog is PoE 1. For PoE 2 there's a separate section with a smaller catalog.

What problem it solves

Designing a hideout from scratch means knowing what decorations exist, where to get each one (some are MTX, some drop from league mechanics, some are quest rewards), and having time to build. For many players, all of that is friction and they'd rather start from a template.

Hideout Showcase attacks that with two benefits: visual inspiration (you browse thousands of designs by more experienced players) and direct file downloads you import into the game in one click.

Differentiation

There's no comparable community alternative. Subreddits and Discords occasionally share hideouts, but without a search system or browsable database. The official PoE site doesn't have this functionality.

What people use it for

Inspiration for your own hideouts: scroll the highest-voted, identify a style (medieval, sci-fi, garden, dungeon), decide on a look for yours.

Importing complete designs: download the .hideout file, import it, tweak details. Saves hours versus building from scratch.

Studying advanced decoration techniques: how others use dramatic lighting, decoration grouping to create scenes, scale of small vs large objects.

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

Hideouts by base type: each base (Alpine, All at Sea, Skybound, Karui, etc.) has its own sub-section. Useful if you've picked a specific base and want to see what others have done with it.

Inspiration for seasonal themes: around events (Halloween, Winter, etc.) the community uploads themed hideouts. A good starting point for your own festive touch.

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.

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

If you expect recent PoE 2 designs, the PoE 2 base is small. Your best investment is in PoE 1.

If you play strict SSF and don't want "external inspiration", you obviously skip this resource.

How to use it in practice

1. Go to hideoutshowcase.com/hideouts/search?...&game_version=1 or just hideoutshowcase.com/hideouts. Browse by sort (newest, most viewed, most favorited, most commented).
2. Filter by base type, tags (medieval, garden, sci-fi), MTX usage as preferred.
3. Clicking a hideout opens its page with screenshots, comments, votes, and (if the author allows) a download link.
4. To import in-game: download the .hideout file, in PoE 1 enter your hideout, "Import Hideout" option in the menu, select the file. Done.
5. To upload yours: register a free account, take in-game screenshots, upload file and screenshots, fill metadata.

Honest limitations

English only. UI without Spanish localization. Search works on English keywords (medieval, garden, etc.) — searching in Spanish returns no results.

Closed source. No public GitHub repo. The site's sustainability depends on its team and implicit donations (ads on the site).

File quality varies. Hideouts uploaded in old game versions may have removed decorations or stale paths. Check upload date before importing — newer = more likely to work without tweaks.

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

Some downloads require MTX you don't own. Although the "MTX free" filter helps, mixed hideouts may import and surprise you with parts that don't render because you're missing MTX decorations. Check the MTX tag first.

Comments can be corrosive. As with any anonymous community, sometimes there are negative comments without constructiveness. If you upload your own, be prepared.

How to start

Go to hideoutshowcase.com (or the direct PoE 1 link with filter). Browse all-time top-voted first for a sense of what's available.

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

To upload your own: register for free, take in-game screenshots with good lighting (prefer "Day" time so details show), export your file from the game, upload with relevant tags and an honest description.

Tip: the best-received hideouts usually go through 2-3 iterations before publication. Don't rush the first attempt.