No Man’s Sky gives you the freedom to set up a base on just about any planet you land on. Picking the right spot matters since resources, hazards, and power can make or break your setup. With all the updates over the years, base-building has grown into one of the most fun parts of the game. | © Hello Games
Terraria takes the sandbox idea and runs with it, letting you build bases in any style or shape you can imagine. Different biomes change how your creations look and play, while NPC housing adds another layer since characters bring shops, healing, and other perks. Enemy invasions are a constant threat, so players often design defensive bases to keep their world safe. | © Re-Logic
Rust mixes brutal survival with base-building in a way that keeps every session unpredictable. Multiplayer adds a sharp edge, where your base can make you a powerhouse or leave you at the mercy of stronger groups. Building and defending a shelter isn’t optional here; it’s the only way to last more than a few nights. | © Facepunch Studios
Once Human makes base-building the heart of survival, giving players a hub to store loot, craft gear, and keep resources flowing. Farms, purifiers, and other structures help automate the grind, so you can focus on exploration and defense. Friends can even jump in to share resources and decorate, turning a survival shelter into a personalized home. | © NetEase Games
Kenshi doesn’t force you into base-building, but it’s there for players who want to make the world feel more like their own. You can ignore it entirely and just explore, trade, and fight your way through dangerous lands. If you do build, getting a self-sufficient and automated base running adds a whole new layer to the experience. | © Lo-Fi Games
Subnautica throws you into the depths of an alien ocean where survival means more than just swimming to the surface. Managing hunger, health, and oxygen quickly becomes second nature as you push further into the unknown. Building underwater bases and crafting submersibles turns exploration into a little less of a risk and a lot more of an adventure. | © Panic Button Games
Satisfactory drops you onto a massive alien world where building efficient factories is the only way forward. Starting small, you’ll gradually piece together complex machines and conveyor networks that churn out resources nonstop. All of this work contributes to the towering Space Elevator, your link back to FICSIT Inc. and the larger goals ahead. | © Coffee Stain
Medieval Dynasty starts small as a survival game, teaching you the basics of crafting and setting up your first shelter. Before long, the focus shifts to recruiting villagers and managing workers to keep everything running. What begins as a simple base can quickly grow into a full town, often bigger than the one you started near. | © Render Cube
Astroneer puts you in charge of shaping entire planets while scavenging for resources across vibrant alien worlds. Instead of being tied to one spot, the game pushes you to explore and expand, building bases that stretch across caves, mountains, and deep planetary layers. With seamless four-player co-op, setting up and expanding your outposts feels more like a shared adventure than a grind. | © System Era Softworks
Factorio is all about transforming raw resources into sprawling, automated factories that operate almost entirely on their own. Players start small, but soon find themselves building complex networks of machines that mine, refine, and craft without much manual effort. Expansion attracts hostile creatures, though, so defending your growing industrial empire becomes just as important as building it. | © Wube Software
Enshrouded gives you plenty of freedom to design shelters, but the real essentials come down to housing NPCs, setting up crafting stations, and getting the comfort bonus. Everything else, from stacking furniture to cramming companions into a tiny hut, is completely up to you. The building system is flexible and fun, even if it doesn’t play a huge role in how the game itself unfolds. | © Keen Games
Raft begins with you stranded on a tiny wooden platform in the middle of the ocean, armed only with a hook. Gathering floating debris is the key to expanding your raft and turning it into a livable base while fending off the shark that circles below. Over time, the simple platform grows into a full survival hub, with new story elements being added as development continues. | © Redbeet Interactive
Fallout 4 adds settlement building to the wasteland mix, letting you turn spots like Red Rocket into fortified bases or busy marketplaces. The system can feel overwhelming at times, especially with endless settlement requests, but it still offers plenty of room to experiment. Whether you’re setting up defenses, crafting shops, or just making a place to crash, base-building becomes a big part of the journey. | © Bethesda Game Studios
Valheim makes base-building central to the whole experience, giving you a place to rest, craft, and push further into the world. Messing up a build isn’t a big deal since tearing down structures gives back every resource you used. Over time, a simple hut can grow into a full settlement, or even a sprawling city if you want to keep expanding. | © Iron Gate Studio
RimWorld drops you onto a distant planet where survival depends on how well you manage a ragtag colony. Every colonist comes with their own quirks and skills, which makes base-building more than just placing walls – it’s about organizing people. Random events constantly shake things up, forcing you to adapt and rethink how your colony grows. | © Ludeon Studios
Base-building games scratch that creative itch while still testing your survival skills. Whether it’s defending a settlement, automating factories, or just making a cozy home, these titles make building as fun as the adventure itself.
