Base Building/Crafting Games in Steam

There are several categories of games available on Steam such as action, adventure, and fantasy etc. One of the categories is called Base Building. Base building games require the player to build their bases by gathering materials or planning strategically. It is not a short game like the other genres, it can go as long as years and still never end. These type of games require critical thinking and time management to ensure that your base is effective as well as economical. If you are looking to put in an hour or two every day, and still have something to look for the next day, this category is for you. We have listed down the most popular base building games available on Steam. Take a look!

Factorio

Factorio is considered as a 2D game where the players build factories in an alien environment. The gameplay includes mining resources, making infrastructure, fighting aliens, trying to automate the productions and upgrading after researching technologies.

This game focuses on a man who crash lands on a planet. His initial target was to make an alien planet which could be inhabited by humans. He faces a problem in which the inhabitants of the planet doesn’t like his arrival.

The game, on the whole, is very challenging and interesting. It takes the time to get anything done but the sense of accomplishment is very satisfying. This game also demands long term planning and thinking ahead of things. Of course, during the early stages of the game, your techniques may fall short. But as you progress and get to know the mechanics, it is very stimulating.

This game is different from other games as it demands long term thinking from both the players. Although one player can always assist the other one, it is much fun if both of them are on the same page.

Pros:

• There are always endless solution to problems. Through planning, users can “code” together to craft all the items needed for the game. The game challenges the players to think out of the box and try to look at every angle of the problem.
• The graphics are not that high if compared to modern games. This game has a touch of “old school” graphics implemented with impressive visuals available. The game is very well balanced and has its charm in its own way.
• The world you are in is as large as you want to explore it. In other words, there are endless lands to discover and if you get established enough, the gameplay is amazing.
• The gameplay itself is very addictive and provides a good challenge to both players.
• The economic aspects are perfectly balanced with nothing too overpriced. Every cost is calculated and serves its purpose well.

Cons:

• A single gameplay can consume several co-op sessions in a stretch. This may be a positive aspect in many ways but, this game isn’t suited for those who are looking for entertainment for a limited time.
• Because of the late game mechanics, the game may start to lag. Even the most graphically advanced PC’s may experience some lag until you turn the graphic options down.
• The game is still in its Alpha mode which means you will experience some bugs as well as some missing features. However, with the regular Steam updates rolling out, they get fixed pretty quickly.
• Some people may dislike the old 90’s feel in the game.

RimWorld

RimWorld is a colony stimulator developed by Ludeon Studios. It has an early access since 2013 and has been booming in the market and the community ever since. It is a unique game which emulates the success of games such as Dwarf Fortress.

When playing RimWorld the first time, the concept is a little difficult to grasp as there are little to no tutorials present. In some ways, this may induce frustration in the players while it may also add anticipation. There is a huge sense of achievement when you figure something out. There are also a lot of tutorials present in YouTube. The initial learning curve is considered to be very challenging, but once you get the hang of the game mechanics, you feel everything fall into place.

After mastering the controls, you will find yourself captivated by the lives of your colonists. Each of them has a unique personality and set of skills at their disposal. This causes the colonists to have grudges, intimate relationships and even cause them to commit crimes!

Once you have controlled enough colonists, you will make a small society. When you get to this stage, you will be greeted by a set of new challenges. Such as you may have to introduce joyful activities to ensure the people remain stress-free.

You will also experience certain unfortunate events such as a volcanic eruption, if your colony runs on solar power, you will experience a shortage of electricity. Overall, the game is very anticipating and forces you to think outside the box and look at the big picture. It allows you take minor details into account to ensure that your colony stays well and happy.

Pros:

• The graphics are more charming than high defined. Although many players would count this as a con, many people want to take a break from reality and the softer graphics do give them a break.
• The gameplay is very fun and interactive. Once you understand the mechanics, you will get the hang of it and enjoy it within no time.
• The Ai storyteller has really great mechanics and ensures that it crafts unique moments for you every time.
• It is a casual game and has a great replayability.

Cons:

• Although the game is easy to learn, you will most probably ruin your first few colonies.
• There are minor things such as heat strokes and cold snaps which can lead to disaster and many players may find it frustrating to give so much attention to so many things at once.
• The design and sound may sometimes feel “unoriginal”.
• There is little direction given to
• a newbie and he is expected to learn the mechanics through trial and error.

ARK: Survival Evolved

ARK: Survival Evolved is a sandbox survival game. The game is developed by Studio Wildcard. The players are stranded on an island which is lush with vegetation and trees with mammoth dinosaurs. The players have to ensure their survival by picking scavenging resources to craft useful tools. By using the tools you can make a house which can help you withstand the nature elements.

You can also farm by picking different seeds and planting them to grow vegetation. Collecting and applying dinosaur excrement can help fertilize your plants to help them grow faster and healthier.

There is also the concept of weapons which you have to craft yourself to hunt the dinosaurs and take their meat and hide. As you level up, you increase your stats and also unlock new creatable items. You can also tame tamable creatures to help you in traveling (land and water) or assist you in carrying weight as mules. There is beautiful hierarchy present amongst all the creatures in the island such as tamed Dodo birds can do much good against the Velociraptors. The good thing is, unlike many other games, no matter how much you train your animal, it will find it very difficult to advance above in the food chain. The mechanics are set and cannot be changed. This adds to the appeal of the game as it makes all the setting much more realistic.

You can also join other players to contribute to a thriving community and work alongside each other. The possibilities are endless. The game enables you to think on the level of your character, thinking ahead and always on the lookout for any threats.

Pros:

• Taming wildlife is huge plus to the game as this feature is rare in most of the game. There is a lot of detailing done to the NPC’s which further increase the appeal of the game.
• This game can be selected in both categories; base building and first person survival. This blend makes the game much more interesting and challenging.
• There is also a PvP option knows as Tribal PvP. You can join a tribe and help advance the community while also raiding other tribe’s bases.
• There is an enormous open world with a lot of features and freedom.
• The weather system is very dynamic and has all sorts of conditions present. It can have unforgiving heat as well as the frigid cold. This keeps the game from becoming boring.

Cons:

• The FPS can be very variable and totally depends on your machine. The game requires relatively a good graphic card.
• The PvP tribes can be a nuisance to new players as they can easily kill them at their spawn points.
• There are minor glitches present which make you fall through the ground and lose your items. Although this happens very rarely, it can happen to you too.
• The dinosaurs need feeding or they will starve to death. The developers added this feature to make the game more appealing and realistic but it can prove to be a real pain to log in every day just to feed your animals.
• The build mechanics can become frustrating sometimes until you figure them out yourself.
• The firearms are less effective against dinosaurs. This is a turnoff for the players who are used to playing action games.

Planet Coaster

Planet Coaster is a modern resurrection of the theme park sim genre. You are given an absurd terrain and landscape and your job is to build a dream theme park. However, it is still far from a great economical stimulator, the gameplay and the mechanics are great.

The interface is so great you can tweak and adjust every square inch of the park the way you want it to be. There are detailed guides and know-hows available in the Steam workshop and YouTube; you will have no difficulty in understanding the mechanics involved.

Your first designs will have many flaws and the Excitement level will surely decline. As you progress forward in-game, you will get a solid idea on what to avoid and what to do.

There are three modes available in the game and the most Challenge one is the most appealing. It is close to those classic games where you start with nothing and have to build your whole theme park brick-by-brick.

The economical side of the game has a very serious in-depth understanding, but you won’t worry about it when you have profitable rides coming in from all sides. You can control the economics of the game such as you can charge for the bathroom or the ATM; the possibilities are endless and everything depends on your game style.

While Planet Coaster may not be that great of a capitalism stimulator, it is surely a fantastic theme park-building sandbox. It allows creativity on par with other giant games such as Minecraft. The appeal to the game is more than enough to get playing it non-stop for a couple of months.

Pros:

• There are great ride lineups present from which you can choose from according to your choice.
• It has great scenery and the detail to different aspects of the game is great and fulfilling.
• The interface and the mechanics are worth applauding for. The build is very effective and the tools get things done in no time.
• The game is fun to play as there are no worries and fighting involved.
• Everything in the game easily customizable. You can change everything according to your choice.
• The cartoony visuals add to the softness and the appeal to the game.
• The graphics are great and don’t require very high-end graphics hardware as well.

Cons:

• The game isn’t a huge leap if you see it from the management perspective.
• Although the number and type of rides are admirable, it still lacks those classic rides and attractions.
• The management side can sometimes become frustrating for the gamers.
• The hitboxes for the rides tend to get a lot in the way.
• Some users may flag this game having an undercooked career mode.
• The business elements involved are simplistic and doesn’t require the users to have that much of a know-how to excel in the game.

State of Decay

State of Decay isn’t like the normal zombie games you hear about. There are no superheroes involved, no crazy weapons, and also no cheap checkpoints if you stumble to a mistake. The concept that this game gives is that death is permanent, even if you carry on the game with new survivors.

Despite all its mechanics, this game isn’t a nihilistic tale of mass carnage, but a zombie game where almost all the emphasis is given to the community; where all the people have to work together and stick together in order to survive and move on.

You start with a group of survivors where some are playable while some are not. You can expand your group by rescuing stranded people or you can join forces with another group.

Your aim in this game is to survive. You have to search abandoned homes in order to gather food supplies and essential items. You need medicine, construction material etc. Things don’t just end here, you have to ensure that they reach your base unharmed through the area filled with zombies.

In short, you have to keep a lot of things into consideration. At one hand you have to make sure that your group is thriving and have enough supplies to go on. On the other hand, you have to keep the story going and progress in the game. Such as you have to deal with other groups etc. Also, there are some missions present which is only available for a very short time so you have to prioritize yourself what you want to do first.

The combat can be considered messy and aggressive, but overall, it is good. The range weapons are plentiful in supply but the ammo is short. The melee weapons are considered to be your primary weapons. The vehicles present have to be used carefully as they draw a lot of attention but they are also the practical way of getting to different places.

While State of Decay may not have fixed all the bugs and flaws of its predecessor, the visual enhancements and the improvement to the story makes all the more reason to play it. The result is fantastic and gives a true concept of an open world survival.

Pros:

• Melee combat is extremely satisfying and is not easy at the start.
• The scavenging mechanics are very balanced and provide a challenge to the player every time.
• You can create your home base and fortify it against zombies in a unique way. This type of base building is very rare to find.
• There is also a structure of reputation and influence. The more you contribute to the society, the more access you can have.
• The social conflicts that arise in your home base increase the appeal to the game and gives it a realistic look.

Cons:

• The players have difficulty determining how much XP they get when they kill or shoot a zombie as the game does not indicate otherwise.
• The impact of leveling skills is rather vague. You level something up and the game doesn’t tell you its benefits immediately. You have to test it yourself when you use that skill.
• Players have difficulty sleeping in night even after they have made a bunk house. Since almost all the NPC’s are sleeping at night, you have to wait it out so its morning and you can get back to work.
• There are few home defense situations. While it may be a good thing for many players, many argue that it makes the game for fun.

Age of Empires II HD

The appeal of Age of Empires II HD is very apparent everywhere. The gameplay is instantly familiar to anyone who has played a real-time strategy game which focuses in the big picture. The fast paced game lets you exploit resources to help build magnificent castles and fortresses. You have to build barracks and other useful building for training troops and keeping your people fed.

There are 18 playable nations and each of them has their own unique units, tech trees and also bonuses. For example, the Frankish houses are cheap, the Huns don’t need houses to support their population etc. There are several real worlds and random maps upon which you can play.

The main difference between the non-HD and HD version is the HD version’s use of Steam for multiplayer matchmaking. The game is really interesting for both, friendly comp and 1 v 1 matches.

The Age of Empires II HD has a lot of potential. The game is enjoyable and attractive at the same time. The game involves a lot of strategies involved and forces the player into thinking ahead. You need to know your enemies in order to avoid any direct confrontation with them. You have to help your allies in defending if they come under siege from any common enemy. The game engulfs you into the medieval era and also imparts a lot of information. If you looking for a mix of base building, action, and strategy, this game is meant for you.

Pros:

• There is multi-monitor support available so this is good news for hardcore gamers.
• This edition also introduced Steam Workshop for it so it is quite easy to get guides, maps, and mods all in one place.
• The multiplayer matchmaking has a solid structure and teams people against you who are near to your level.
• There is more focus on economic stability instead of pure brute force of the nations. It causes you to think ahead and plan effectively.
• It is a classic game on an improved version and having improved graphics.

Cons:

• The new patch has minor improvements in mechanics although the graphics are changed considerably.
• There are still glitches and lag present in some areas.
• The multiplayer progression isn’t yet implemented in the game. Although this makes the multiplayer purely for skill and fun, many people argue that it should also benefit them in the long term.