Unlike survival simulators , building games have been around for quite some time – at least a few decades. True, before they rarely went beyond specific genres like city-planning simulators. Minecraft , on the other hand, showed by its example that the construction of bases, dwellings and other objects is quite appropriate even where construction is not the main goal, as, for example, in the same “survival games”. We suggest you familiarize yourself with the top five, in our opinion, games, where buildings play one of the key roles.
Terraria
Minecraft had many followers, but Terraria was ahead of the release not only of them, but the original itself. While Markus Persson was pulling rubber with the beta version of his brainchild, the small studio Re-Logic was inspired by his work, came up with a two-dimensional adaptation of the same idea and brought it to life in a matter of months. Similarly, Terraria throws the player into a huge, dangerous world without any clear instructions. At first, attempts to explore the surroundings often turn into death – there are many enemies everywhere, and you cannot fight them off with primitive weapons. Therefore, first you need to somehow build a shelter for yourself, and then, in search of valuable resources, go deep into the bowels of the earth, gradually building a chain of tunnels and connecting more and more caves to your underground empire.
Terraria differed from its progenitor by its emphasis on action: more types of enemies and weapons, more sensible pumping, full-fledged boss battles … It is to go through Terraria that is both more difficult and more exciting than Minecraft. And the patches that were released throughout the ten years after the release made the game world even richer and more distinctive, which helped Terraria successfully pass the test of time. It is still a decent Minecraft alternative for those who prefer 2D. In terms of construction, you are limited only by your imagination: you can build at least a medieval fortress, at least a giant statue, at least an ingenious mechanism. And, of course, the most fun is to study architecture with friends.
Space Engineers
Space Engineers are fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. In 2013, the market was not yet oversaturated with “survivors”, especially those devoted to space exploration. Although the game that appeared in Early Access initially offered only a creative mode, completely focused on building, it was he who made Space Engineers popular. The rule of “amuse yourself” was ideally placed on the possibilities that low gravity and the endless emptiness of space opened up. Exploration of unknown planets, design of various (from small fighters to “Death Stars”) ships with a reliable physical model, construction of space stations and ports in orbit, planetary bases in hollow asteroids. Here at least be engaged in creation, at least arrange large-scale battles on your own ships.
And when the survival mode finally appeared in the game along with the support of mods, from just an interesting, but underdeveloped concept of Space Engineers, it turned into a full-fledged game for those who like to mine asteroids and move exclusively by hyperjumping. If earlier everything was pretty straightforward with her, now you probably won’t tell which mode gamers prefer – survival or creative.
ARK: Survival Evolved
The debut project of Studio Wildcard sold about 5.5 million copies even before leaving Early Access. The reason for such impressive sales was not only the rapid growth in popularity of the genre, but also an unusual setting: it was necessary to survive on a futuristic island straight from Jurassic Park . The world of ARK: Survival Evolved is home to many prehistoric creatures of all forms and species, from nimble raptors and die-hard Triceratops to tyrannosaurs, giant squids and many more. And if at the beginning of the adventure you have to wield a wooden spear, getting your own food, then at the higher stages of development, different clans of survivors storm each other’s bases astride dinosaurs – including flying ones. And even with rifles at the ready.
The success of ARK subsequently led not only to the appearance of console ports of the game, but also to the creation of several spin-offs, as well as a full-fledged sequel with a backlog of a story campaign. The main role in the sequel to ARK, by the way, will be played by Vin Diesel, who, by his own admission, played over 1000 hours in the first part. Against the background of the character Dominic Toretto from “Fast and the Furious” , firmly entrenched in the actor, there were some jokes about the brotherhood and the tribe, but who knows – for the first time, the authors succeeded. What if the sequel does not hit the face in the dirt?
Satisfactory
Satisfactory by Coffee Stain Studios (the authors of the unforgettable Goat Simulator ) is Factoriofrom the world of “survivors”. If there the wrecked astronaut needed to master the natural resources of the planet in order, in the end, to design a rocket and get away from an alien planet, then here the player, being an employee of a corporation, needs to establish an entire planetary factory. There are practically no elements of survival in the game – Satisfactory relies on the construction of complex production chains. Why work the sweat of your brow when you can fully automate the extraction of resources, the processing of raw materials and their delivery to their destination? Kilometers of conveyors deliver components to dozens of assemblers, and the finished product is sent straight to the space elevator for delivery to the needs of the corporation. Pumps pump water and oil for generators, power lines supply power to production,
In a word, the puzzle turns out to be quite intricate, but at the same time fascinating – especially if you were once fond of “production” mods for Minecraft, but did not get from them the depth and variability that you expected. Even if the world in Satisfactory is not procedural, you can explore it for dozens of hours without yawning from boredom. And social commentary on the ecology that the corporate economy sacrifices to its own greed is an optional bonus.
Valheim
Valheim very successfully relied on the setting of Scandinavian mythology. Its development began in 2018: then God of War came out, which convinced the authors of the upcoming indie hit that Vikings were fashionable. Valheim made it to Early Access in January 2021, right after the release of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla , an open-world action game devoid of the emergence that is inherent in survival and building games. It is precisely this request of the public that Valheim has successfully and satisfied, harmoniously absorbing the elements of many predecessors.
Unlike many of its indie peers, Valheim and her story of a fallen Viking who was exiled to a prison world offered a ton of content and a ton of mechanics as part of Early Access. Borrowed from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildCooking food and character parameters fuel interest in research: what resources are hidden in another unexplored area, what will happen in the end if you mix the first, second, third and tenth in a cauldron? And then it suddenly turns out that permafrost reigns in the new location, and without a warm jacket (or a special potion), death will overtake the hero very quickly. How many “survivors” force the player to ventilate the room so that his ward does not kick back from the carbon monoxide poisoning? And how do you like the realistic physics of trees, because of which a crookedly sawn trunk can nail a lumberjack? In Valheim, you can build at least Whiterun , at least the Eiffel Tower, but this must be done in compliance with safety rules – otherwise, accidents at the workplace will not be avoided. However, it was the unpredictable situations arising from realistic physics that were remembered by the public, as evidenced by the massive enthusiasm on Steam.
