When people hear “housing” and “home decor” in games, the first thought is usually a cozy game like Stardew Valley or The Sims franchise. But the truth is that many games from a variety of genres that aren't just simulators or survival crafters have started to include these as part of their core gameplay loop, or at least as an optional activity.
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For all aspiring designers and architects, there are several titles that make living and interior design better than the rest. Not to mention, they do it in an open world, further immersing players in the world of the game. The following games have been selected on that basis, as well as their depth and the amount of freedom and options they have for housing and decoration.
The Sims 3
Create and decorate to your heart's content
The Sims 3 maybe showing its age now, but it has some trump cards left The Sims 4. First, it has an incredible open environment with huge neighborhoods to explore and build in. The worlds are also customizable. For two, it comes with solid design tools: a color wheel and a wide selection of patterns and textures. You can choose any piece of furniture in the game and design it to look exactly the way you want.
The franchise is also known for having one of the best building modes in gaming. Sure, it may take some practice, but once mastered, the sky's the limit for what players can create. Of course, the more expansions you have, the better, as each content unlocks more things, more walls, floors, ceilings and such to design homes. There's also the option to download custom content if you really want to push the creativity.
Fallout 4
Build homes for settlers and yourself in the post-apocalyptic wasteland
For players looking for something a little more boring, with maybe some resource management and survival games on the side, Fallout 4's the settlement game is the perfect rabbit hole to jump into. You have to progress the Minutemen mission to get started, but after that it's a matter of unlocking and setting up multiple settlements across the Commonwealth, making sure they have good defenses, water, food and the settlers are happy.
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Further down the line, these deals may even start making some caps for players. Of course, to build more, you have to go there and find trash and scrap to afford bigger and badder builds. And don't worry: there are decorations too. Settlements can be made to look just as funky or futuristic as players would prefer. In true Bethesda RPG fashion, there's also a robust modding community there to keep you stocked with even more settlement building and management options.
Minecraft
Creative location is a builder's and decorator's dream
Minecraft has been hailed as the ultimate sandbox game, and it delivers on that promise. Jump into creative mode if you want infinite building resources and instant access to all blocks in the game for those epic base builds. Or, if you prefer a challenge, you can start by surviving and collecting all the resources yourself. Because everything in Minecraft is shaped like a block, some creative thinking outside the box is needed to create houses that look really realistic.
The decoration options have also improved throughout the many editions, with candles, flowers, pots and paintings available in the game. Carpets too. Wood, wool, terracotta and several other blocks come in a variety of shades, making Minecraft truly a builder's paradise. Thanks to the open world, choosing where to build is also a fun part of the process, with a dozen different biomes and three different dimensions to go through. As with the previous two, there are also some incredible mods for Minecraftsome of which come with functional furniture such as chairs, refrigerators, stoves and the like.
Valheim
Viking-themed builder's paradise
If Minecraft is your cup of tea, imagine it, but in a Viking-themed Nordic world. The result is Valheim. There are a variety of biomes from large mountains to beautiful meadows, a large open world to explore, and of course, Viking-themed building and decoration. This is the perfect choice for those who like the distinct medieval style and enjoy creating rustic villages and homes.
There is a good variety of decorations and items that can be built, but remember that you need to discover the crafting recipe first. Just some cool examples include the Maypole, which fits the overall theme, of course, but also more quirky items like a hot tub and a lava lantern. A bit of creativity is needed if players want to build more complex items not found in the game, such as flower pots or cabinets made of wooden walls and item racks. Even in vanilla alone, Valheim's the possibilities for housing and interior design are endless.
No Man's Sky
The ultimate Sci-Fi building and decorating heaven
Medieval settings might not be everyone's cup of tea, so there's that No Man's Sky steps in. It's one of the most expansive open worlds out there with great exploration and no shortage of great places to pick up at your next settlement or home base. And yes, players can have several of these in the game, each one more complex than the last, as more blueprints for tunnels, doors, chambers and such are unlocked.
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There are different color and pattern options for these as well, and while they aren't the most exhaustive options, you can definitely get very creative and silly with how you place different modules or items (especially when free placing things). Thanks to the detailed difficulty settings, you can decide how hard or easy it is to make your home too.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Cutesy Block based house building
Minecraft fans will definitely see visual similarities to Mojang's games and Dragon Quest Builders 2but there's a whole RPG aspect and story to the latter that's quite charming. Your job is to help the locals of this small but adorable open world rebuild, and you can make some really elaborate creations as you earn more blueprints.
Keep in mind that the rooms will have requirements or recipes for certain items, which will need to be met for the occupants. The decorative options alone are impressive, everything from flowers to curtains to rugs and sconces, on top of all the different block types that allow you to mix different textures and colors. As with many games here, you can do a lot depending on where and how you place items to create a lot more variety in the game.
inZOI
Visually stunning and very realistic house and decoration
Although still in Early Access and far from a finished product, inZOI is a game that has come to challenge The Sims franchise's hold on the life simulation genre, and it does so with great promise. This is a game that will require a more powerful computer for players to run in its full glory, but it's absolutely worth it for the sheer variety of customizations it gives you in build mode.
Similar The Sims 3every aspect of a piece of furniture can be customized with a color wheel, but it doesn't just stop there. Players can also use the game's AI feature to generate almost any pattern they can imagine, as well as upload an image of any item they have in the game to turn it into a 3D object. These features are far from perfect, but there are already great examples of them being used on inZOI's Canvas website.
Game with deep foundation building freedom
These games allow players to unleash their full creativity when building bases.
