Most Perfect Open-World Game with Base Building, Ranked

The Wombo combination of base building and open world environments is on the rise, especially in the open world survival crafting genre. It's a match made in heaven: a huge world to explore, with multiple locations to set up your base. You choose not only a strategic location for yourself, but also the view. There is something immensely satisfying about all of this, and leaving your own personal mark on a big world.

While base building has been introduced in plenty of open-world games, RPGs also like it Fallout 4 and Starfieldthere are only a select few games that really stand out from the rest. For this ranking, we will focus on the games that provide the most complete and fun experience, and have in-depth base building mechanics. We'll rank them roughly according to their overall quality, which combines both gameplay, their reception on Steam, and how good the freedom of building really is.

Honorable Mentions:

• Icarus
• Project Zomboid
• Kenshi
• The forest
• Windrose

9

Abiotic factor

SCP meets survival base building

Starting, we have Abiotic factor. It earns a spot at the bottom here because of its slightly more limited base build, but it's more than worth mentioning because of how unique it is as an open-world game. The best way to describe Abiotic factors vibe is think of SCP mixed with Half-life vibes, with a hearty serving of backroom lore. It's surreal, scary and there's nothing like it. At least not in the open world survival crafting genre.

You can set up a base in the various pre-existing locations, which can be anything from abandoned offices to mushroom-filled grounds. A lot of base building revolves around furnishing these places, so you won't necessarily be building anything from scratch, unless you count barricades as “walls”. Still, a worthy and quirky take on the genre that is extremely loved by gamers.

8

Wrapped up

Upgrade your Flame Altar while fighting the Shroud

Wrapped up is the perfect option if you're more into traditional fantasy RPGs, but would like a lot more sandbox gameplay in the mix. One thing to note about this game is that it's still in Early Access, so there's definitely more to come. But already, it's showing plenty of promise. It has a really robust base building system where you can put down a Flame Altar to claim a spot for your base.

You put down a total of 10 of these around the open world, so don't feel like you have to pick the perfect spot right away. Then you just upgrade the altar to increase the area it covers for your building. Construction is voxel-based, with pieces that snap together, so it's pretty intuitive to get into, and you get tons of options with different walls and textures. You can get incredibly creative with it.

7

No Man's Sky

Settle wherever you want in the galaxy

Fantasy might not be your jam, in that case No Man's Sky is the perfect next stop. Although it had a rough release, the game has really come a long way over the years, and is by far one of the funnest and most complete open-world sci-fi survival crafts out there. You can build your own ships, go practically anywhere you want and do whatever you want, but the best part is choosing a place for you to call your home.

It's kind of similar in a way Wrapped upwhere you must first place a base computer to take your place and gather resources to start crafting. The various modules and walls all snap together conveniently, so again, you won't get too confused with its system and can easily be sucked in, making the perfect outpost of your dreams.

6

Based

Protect yourself from hostile backyard creatures

Back to something a little different, Based has one of the more unique concepts in open world survival crafting. It puts you in the shoes of survivors shrunk to the size of small insects, trying to survive in the Backyard full of hostile and friendly animals. All the classic tropes of a survival game are here, including base building, which will really leave you scratching your head as you try to figure out the best way to hold off any dangerous animals.

You can go pretty wild with your designs, from huge, defensible fortresses to cozy little nooks, thanks to a commendable range of walls and floors to keep things interesting. That said, don't get too comfortable in your new house. Always be prepared for bugs to raid your hideout, and make sure your structure is defensible and in a good location.

5

The Planet Crafter

Turn the planet into a paradise

Back to the sci-fi world we have The Planet Crafter. This game has become a fast favorite for many fans of the open world survival genre due to its addictive gameplay loop. Your mission is to turn a planet into a habitable place by slowly terraforming it over time, and of course building your new base on its surface. That process is insanely satisfying, even when you spend hours gathering materials to build the foundation of your dreams.

To begin with, you have a few simple modules you can put together to get you started, but as you progress through the tech tree, you'll unlock more things to add to your base. With relatively low graphics requirements and the ability to enjoy this game with over 10 people in co-op, it's easy to see why so many have fallen in love with the game. Simple, but impossible to put down.

4

Subnautica

An incredible underwater playground

Not many open world games have managed to nail underwater worlds as magnificently as Subnautica has, and with the sequel around the corner, we're all excited to see what else has been cooked up. In the first game, your job was to find a way off the planet you'd crash-landed on, but you could also just stay there forever after building a huge, huge underwater outpost.

Location is key again, and you'll be combining different modules as you slowly expand your new aquatic abode. There have been some pretty crazy designs over the years, like players building their homes in the dead zone to admire the absolutely terrifying views there. A good challenge for all veteran builders!

3

Valheim

From biome to biome, Viking style

Valheim has become a bit of a phenomenon over the years, and it's easy to see why. It boasts charming old-school graphics, a compelling Viking setting with progression like bosses and skills, and the building is actually pretty deep. While it has its limitations in terms of structural integrity and all that, the possibilities are impressive.

Also, as you go from one biome to another to access rare resources and defeat the game's bosses, you will have to face new constraints, which will also make you see the base building part as a strategic task. It's no wonder this game is a huge favorite among players on Steam, who praise it for being a cornerstone of the open world survival crafting genre.

2

RimWorld

For your colony's glory (and efficiency).

Another phenomenon in a game, RimWorld is something that every player who cares about base building should try at least once. It's quite different from the rest of the games here, leaning more towards colony simulation and strategy. You randomize yourself and an open-world, procedurally generated planet, and choose where your first colonists (who you also get to create and name!) spawn.

The freedom of this game and the depth of it is astounding. Base building isn't just for you to keep your colonists somewhat healthy and alive (or not, depending on what kind of story you want to tell), but it's also strategic. Enemies will try to raid your home, and if you want to keep things running smoothly, it's important to know where to place certain areas and how. At the same time, RimWorld is a narrative game, so even if you don't max to perfection, you'll have a great time growing your colony and unlocking new tech.

1

Minecraft

A limitless experience

No base building list would be complete without mentioning the king of all building games, Minecraft. Although everything in Mojang's games is made of blocks, the possibilities in its Survival and Creative modes are astounding, and one might even say, overwhelming. With well over three hundred blocks available, with varying textures and colors, you can make some pretty wild megabases and starter houses.

You also get a variety of biomes to choose from, either build into a mountain, a jungle, a cherry blossom forest, or even underwater in the middle of a coral reef. With redstone, you can also automate doors and rail systems for your base. Whether you like messing with the game in creative mode or you're a hardcore gamer, Minecrafts The building system is intuitive and fluid enough to keep you entertained for years. Its longevity is a testament to that, even if the last update, which contained sulphur, was not the best received.