Settle down into your new home in these open-world RPGs that come packaged with their own base-building system.
Base building in open-world RPGs is typically more of an optional, fun feature you can engage with. That, or a core part of surviving in a harsh environment. Either way, there’s something satisfying about leaving your mark on the environment and watching it stand there against the tests of time, whether it’s the attacking raiders or the harsh weather conditions. They’re a place for you to shape as you like, to store your items, maybe even bring your companions or squad into, or share with friends if there’s co-op available. Plus, who doesn’t love decorating?
If you, too, love base building as a side hustle in your open-world RPGs, I’ve got a few good games to try depending on your style. There’s sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, and a bit of medieval fantasy mixed in here. The games I’ve featured here also have immersive open-world settings, which means you’ll have a ton of different biomes and sceneries to pick from when it comes to choosing your next spot for housing. We’ll rank these loosely based on the depth and variety you have with your base-building tools and options.
Before any feathers are ruffled, Valheim has some exceptional base-building gameplay. It’s an open-world game, but where it runs a bit short compared to some other entries are its RPG elements, which are mostly related to skill progression. You could make that argument for Project Zomboid later down the line, but that game comes with starting “classes”, which in my books make it more RPG than Valheim. In any case, Valheim’s sandbox and the biomes you progress through are well-worth exploring if you enjoy its Viking aesthetics. It’s a step deeper into survival sandbox gameplay from Minecraft, so be sure to give this one a try if you love making medieval-style housing.
Starfield
Bethesda’s Fallout 4 settlement building system has endured and made it all the way to Starfield, its newest IP. Despite the game’s lukewarm reception, given all the procedurally generated planets and the massive amount of space available for you to shape in the game, it’s one of the best RPGs to get stuck into if you’re into base building. You can pop down multiple little outposts on any plant you like across the system, to act as your vacation home or a spot to extract resources from the planet you’ve landed on.
If this sounds familiar somehow, it’s probably because it’s similar in many ways to No Man’s Sky, but with an added layer of RPG gameplay, quests, factions, companions, and more. You can leave your companions in these outposts to lead a peaceful life, too, if your ship is getting a bit crowded and your inventory is constantly full. Just keep in mind that the building is a bit limited compared to some other games, forcing you to snap it into an invisible grid.
Kenshi
Unlike many of the other games here, Kenshi’s base-building feature doesn’t really become relevant or even attainable until later on in the game, once players have progressed enough.
