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Playing a game like The Sims 4 won’t make a person an expert in architecture, but it will help them unleash their creative mind. The following house building games place people in real-life situations where they have to build under budget constraints or with limited resources.
Updated on July 25, 2022, by Jack Pursey: One of the best things about video games is they let players experience high-risk, high-reward things that most of them wouldn’t realistically do in real life, such as single-handily take down a crew of villains, compete in a street race, or go on a perilous adventure. Another, slightly more monotonous thing that many people like to do in games is build their own house.
House building in gaming is great because there’s no immense stress or fear of something going wrong like there is when building one in real life, but players will still get that satisfying feeling of success once it’s complete. For those who love house-building mechanics, we’ve updated this list to include a few more games that let players build a house.
15 The Forest
Release Date: April 30, 2018
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4
The Forest is asurvival game that was developed by Endnight Games. The game doesn’t take long to get started as it immediately kicks off with players crash landing in a mysterious forest. Although The Forest is branded as survival horror, the game became a huge hit in early access for how much fun it was to play with friends and for how popular it was among YouTubers and streamers.
Building is a key gameplay mechanic in The Forest, though house-building isn’t just for fun, as players need to build shelter to protect themselves from the dangers of the forest. However, the game gives players plenty of freedom to make their own creations, and there are many incredible structures that players have made and posted online, which are a great source of inspiration.
14 Skyrim
Release Date: November 11, 2011
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
One of the many reasons why Skyrim is still such a popular game, over ten years after it first hit stores, is due to how much there is to do in the game and how much choice players have in the paths they take. Whether players want a purely passive or ultra-aggressive playthrough, Skyrim provides hundreds of hours of content.
One of the best things to do in a passive playthrough is building a house. Although there are numerous ready-made houses that can be purchased in the land of Skyrim, nothing beats making a house from scratch. Building a house isn’t easy, as players need to gather all the necessary resources first, though this is an excellent time-sink and an ultimately satisfying experience.
13 Conan Exiles
Release Date: May 8, 2018
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
As an open-world game set in the brutal and unforgiving universe of Conan: The Barbarian, Conan Exiles will force players to deal with a few unique challenges when building their base. Not only will savage beasts and other wandering threats assault the player, but other humans gamers can do so as well since there is a robust online multiplayer function.
However, if one can survive long enough to get a foothold on some desired terrain, players can put together impressive structures from the individual wall and floor tiles that grant a great degree of flexibility. Thankfully, there are some anti-griefing procedures that prevent players from destroying or building over another’s hard work.
12 Don’t Starve
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Available Platforms: Android, iOS, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
While the building aspects in Don’t Starve don’t include being able to build a literal house from individual components, there are still plenty of structures that can be built in-game to create something akin to a home. For example, players can surround certain areas with walls to keep out unwanted visitors and put down various kinds of flooring for benefits like increased movement speed and more.
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There are even structures that can be built which will allow players to sleep indoors temporarily, such as the various huts which can grant shelter from the rain as well as provide recovery of one’s health and sanity. If players have access to mods, such as when playing on a PC and using Steam’s workshop, these housing options increase exponentially.
11 Lego Worlds
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Much like utilizing Lego bricks in real life, this video game is all about creative freedom, and, in regards to that concept, appropriately lets players build awesome homes as well as a tremendous variety of other structures. Lego Worlds offers infinite building options thanks to the sheer quantity of different bricks in the game, which is definitely something architectural enthusiasts should check out!
So far, players have been able to not only build their dream houses, but also recreate famous locations from their favorite movies, books, and even other video games. This is always a great sign when it comes to building games, as such pursuits act as the greatest kind of test for a title’s potential.
10 Minecraft
Release Date: November 18, 2011
Available Platforms: PC, Android, iOS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Raspberry Pi, Microsoft Windows Phone, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Fire OS, Universal Microsoft Windows Platform, tvOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U
Players who own the PC version of Minecraft can use mods to enhance the building experience. One can build their dream house and live in it if they choose to. Minecraft is a sandbox game that gives players various tools to build.
Find a location to build the house, level the terrain, create a Crafting Table, and build away. Players may want to make a bed before starting, as it acts as a respawn point in case baddies attack them. Evidently, a house made out of blocks can look brilliant.
9 House Flipper
Release Date: May 17, 2018
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
One can renovate the heck out of a home in House Flipper. The idea is to take dilapidated homes and remodel them into something that can be sold. Players get a variety of tools to turn around homes in this indie simulation game.
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This hidden gem is available on the Steam Store for a bargain. With DLC, people can find new locations to build houses and plant gardens.
8 Prison Architect
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
Played from the top-down perspective, Prison Architect gives users the tools to build a personalized penitentiary. Players will make areas like the infirmary, a cafeteria, and a workshop, as well as much more. This game accomplishes its goal of doing what it sets out to do; create a simulation game with a prison theme. There is a level of excitement contained in this game, as well as horror elements; Prison Architect is unlike any architecture game out there.
7 Cities: Skylines
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Available Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
One can build entire cities, including suburban houses, in Cities: Skylines. This game is open-ended, meaning there is virtually no end. Take control of the urban planning and road placement involved in the development of a city. The houses in Cities: Skylines are easily created in the game’s sandbox mode, which offers more freedom. Without mods, however, players can’t customize homes. Players make the zoning, and houses improve if their occupants are looked after.
6 Rimworld
Release Date: October 17, 2018
Available Platforms: PC
The construction and management simulation game Rimworld is set on a distant planet where players need to build a colony to survive. Watch out for raiders since colonies will likely need double walls to withstand impending attacks.
Using mods adds layers of complexity to building houses; they let players get things like doormats and can allow them to create more beds in homes, adding more realism. The top-down perspective has its limitations, yet Rimworld has plenty of customization for fans of architecture.
5 Fallout 4
Release Date: November 10, 2015
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Although Fallout 4 can be criticized for its bugs and predictable plot points, it has a fun building component. The story revolves around the only survivor of Vault 111; one of danger and betrayal.
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One can build thousands of items in the most complex crafting system thus far; build a single house or an entire settlement! Fallout 4 provides players with the tools to build standout homes of the wasteland. From the rubble, survivors can build and develop until they are satisfied with the result.
4 Subnautica
Release Date: January 3, 2018
Available Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Unknown Worlds Entertainment’s Subnautica takes the best elements of survival games and pushes them into the depths of an alien ocean world. Visit marine life as players partake in a perilous adventure.
In addition to creating underwater houses (called seabases), one can craft things like submarines and equipment. People can explore Subnautica’s open-world as they descend into an ocean filled with coral reefs, volcanoes, and networks of caves.
3 No Man’s Sky
Release Date: August 9, 2016
Available Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
When the open-world game No Man’s Sky was released, unfulfilled promises held it back from reaching its potential. Developer Hello Games has since done a turnaround with the game, integrating features that bring the game to life.
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No Man’s Sky is a game that encourages exploration, but there is also a substantial building component. The game’s procedurally generated universe is the ideal setting for its building. If someone has some architecture chops, they can build a polished home. The Beyond Update 2019 brought depth to No Man’s Sky’s base designs.
2 Terraria
Release Date: May 16, 2011
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows Phone, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia
This indie game has role-playing elements, but many will love it for its substantial building component. Not only can players build a house, but they can also build entire cities to house allies they meet along the way.
Terraria is a sandbox game in the sense that players get a great degree of creative potential. This is a title someone can invest over a thousand hours playing. It contains exploration and boss fights, so the game offers a lot more content than just building.
1 The Sims 4
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
DLC The Sims installments bring more customization to an already great series. One can build modern and sleek homes that are the envy of the Sim neighborhood. Players can pour their imagination into quaint homes or construct a mansion for a family of Sims.
Players have the creative license to make stunning homes; paint the outside, or furnish the interior of a home. The Sims 4 could be the best building game for architecture geeks.
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