RPGs With The Best Housing Systems

The RPG genre of video games is undeniably popular with gamers. People can find an element of escapism in these fun fantasy worlds, and one of the most investing aspects of these games is their ability for players to build and customize a homestead. Owning a home and land may feel like a far-fetched fantasy for some players, so this is a great way to feel some of that rewarding accomplishment for a fraction of the price.

There are loads of games out there with great housing systems that are sure to get players invested in their fantasy worlds. The ones that people gravitate towards will depend greatly on their own interests and playstyle!

Updated December 2nd, 2023 by Stephen LaGioia: As gaming hardware improves, RPG experiences inevitably become richer and more involved. One way developers look to expand their horizons and showcase the depth of their games is through systems of housing and settlement building.

Even franchises like Assassin's Creed now offer the option to build up settlements and decorate areas. Still, it's the RPG genre that maintains the throne when it comes to these rewarding systems. With so many titles to explore, we decided to revisit this list.

13 Dragon Quest Builders 2

Detailed Crafting That Can Be Shown Off To Friends

This dynamic sequel to Dragon Quest Builders shines as a charming Minecraft-esque sandbox take on the Dragon Quest formula. To balance out the emphasis on building and resource management, the game ditches turn-based battles in favor of fun and seamless hack-and-slash combat.

It also stresses more social elements compared to its predecessor, allowing players to explore constructed worlds to their friends a la Animal Crossing. As such, gamers can show off their crafted, detailed villages — complete with expandable home bases that can have kitchens, bedrooms, and the like.

To put the scope in perspective, the game offers over 100 themed "room recipes," from a Banquet Hall to an Oceanic Eatery. These features are fun to experiment with, and allow players to mix and match various functional rooms and designs.

12 Terraria

Endless Possibilities Of Home Building

Games with robust housing systems tend to favor either deep customization or gameplay-centric elements threaded into the campaign. Re-Logic's 2D sandbox epic, however, masterfully implements both. Building a safe, elaborate house isn't just rewarding — it's integral if one wants to truly progress and get the means to delve deep into the hostile depths underground.

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Players can craft highly customizable houses which they'll use to store newly collected items, shelter from baddies, and even spawn NPCs (with the right conditions met) that will aid them in their quest. Added strength and better means of production in turn yield access to neater, more useful goodies, which can be proudly displayed and built upon.

On top of this solid progression system, Terraria offers dynamic and seamless online features, so players can show off their lavish mansion or fortified castle to their friends.

11 New World

Nice Balance Of Cosmetic And functional Housing Features

This detailed MMO can somewhat be described as Amazon Games' take on an epic, Everquest or Skyrim-esque RPG, with grandiose Medieval themes and vast, lush locales. While the game itself garnered mixed reviews among fans and critics, the housing system proves quite rewarding, via resource-gathering and social elements that New World offers in abundance.

Players can team up with others to explore the fictional island setting Aetermum and delve into different activities. These include questing, slaying colorful monsters or other players, taking control of settlements, or adding to a player-driven economy. The ability to buy housing and place furnishings (which aid in progression and fast travel) meshes well with the organic, quasi-realistic experience.

10 Divinity: Original Sin

Housing Cleverly Interwoven Into The Campaign

In the first installment of the Divinity franchise, players are taken to another dimension in which they find a strange place that once served as a homestead to some long-gone heroes. As players discover more about the world, and this place, they discover that it was once theirs long ago, in another life, a life they don't remember.

There are secrets to be discovered and a mystery to be unraveled, as well as a furnished home for players to call their own. Tying some backstory in the players' home is a very unique experience, especially since many of the discoveries are directly linked to choices players make in-game!

9 Stardew Valley

Wide Range Of Customizations And Social Features

This iconic indie RPG has conquered the hearts of gamers all over the world for years. In this wonderful, relaxing farming sim, players are given the chance to escape their corporate life and take over their grandfather's farm in the picturesque Pelican Town.

Players are given a basic home to start with and can eventually purchase house upgrades to accommodate a kitchen, a cellar, and even kids. Stardew Valley provides players with an opportunity to customize and own a real homestead, so players are invited to have fun and arrange their farm to their liking.

8 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Can Pick From Many Moddable Homes

Perhaps Bethesda's most iconic entry to the RPG genre, Skyrim invites players to explore a gorgeous fantasy world with a myriad of places and people to interact with. The game also offers the real estate experience to its players, with multiple homes for sale across the world that players can purchase and customize.

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As is the case with most Bethesda titles, the homey experience of Skyrim is greatly enhanced by mods, and players are encouraged to peruse mod libraries to find the right ones to expand their estate-owning experience.

7 Fable

Allows For Settling Down With A Spouse And Children

This beloved entry into the RPG genre still lives in the hearts of gamers around the world, especially since the games' remasters in recent years. This iconic RPG invited players into the wonderful world of Fable and provided them with the opportunity to get married and settle down.

Similarly to other great fantasy RPGs, players can purchase a home from several options around the world, which is where the player's spouse will reside during their adventures. Players can also have children to look after in Fable 2 and Fable 3.

6 Fallout 4

A Whole Customizable Settlement To Call Home

Bethesda is no stranger to including a home-building aspect in their games. The Fallout series is a great example of their ability to make players feel truly in control of the world around them, even in a post-apocalypse.

The homey experience of Fallout 4 is greatly enhanced by mods that allow players to build in many unrestricted ways to craft the settlement of their dreams. Companions will call the settlement their home, so players are invited to customize the space and make it feel as unique as their companions!

5 Dragon Age: Inquisition

Modifiable Keeps Woven Into NPC Interactions And Quests

A much-beloved title in the RPG genre, Dragon Age: Inquisition not only invites players to get lost in the fantasy of magic and dragons but also in the wonderful fantasy of owning their very own castle.

Players can customize and modify their keep in a variety of ways, ensuring that it truly feels like home. Players will also be able to interact with NPCs here and even acquire quests, so the castle truly feels alive and will keep players coming back.

4 State Of Decay

A Reinforced Base Adds A Sense Of Respite Amidst Danger

Fantasizing about how well one would survive in a zombie apocalypse is normal, right? For the gamers who can't stop daydreaming about how well they'd fare in a real-life Walking Dead situation, State Of Decay invites players into its zombie-infested world and even allows them to build a survivor's camp/base.

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Players can customize the base as well, giving them a sense of comfort in an otherwise chaotic world within this deep survival horror.