Summary
Base-building gameshave carved a niche for themselves in the gaming landscape. Plenty of players enjoy an immense sense of satisfaction as they construct massive structures and urban sprawls that let them flaunt their creativity and problem-solving skills. For the most part, most base-building games aren’t very strenuous and allow players to take their time as they form some truly impressive architectural specimens.
However, not all games with this core loop need to make players feel safe and secure. After all, the last thing a developer wants is for their game to feel like every other thing on the market, and setting a base-building gamein a post-apocalyptic settingis a great way to up the stakes and make players feel a palpable sense of pressure as they try to survive in these tough times by constructing practical bases.
Updated July 04, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:The post-apocalyptic setting is one of the most popular areas for games to take place in. Players love the possibilities that open up after the world has been shredded apart by a global calamity. This setting goes well with base-building gameplay, in which players try to attain a sense of civilization after everything around them has been completely destroyed. There are many base-building post-apocalyptic games that players can check out which do justice to this amalgamation of genres.
One of the most fleshed-out and engaging survival games out there, the rudimentary graphics ofProject Zomboidmight compel most players to feel that the game is far from enjoyable, but this statement couldn’t be further from the truth. The sheer amount ofthings that players can accomplishinProject Zomboidmore than makes it worth checking out for fans of the survival genre who want to interact with deep RPG mechanics during an apocalypse.
Players are encouraged to build a base where they can reside to protect themselves from the threat of aggressive zombies while leveling up their skills and ensuring that their survivor isn’t affected by any adverse conditions.Project Zomboidis a truly engrossing experience. Each death educates the player and makes them realize what they did wrong, so that they can avoid these mistakes in future playthroughs.
Many survival games with base-buildingare set during the zombie apocalypse, and it’s easy to see why this is the case. After all, players are constantly thrown into tense situations as they have to build a structure to protect themselves while being hounded by zombies, and7 Days to Dieis a great example of why this gameplay loop thrives in such a setting.
Building a base in7 Days to Dieis paramount to survival, since the zombies end up becoming extremely ferocious and home in on players at the end of every week. This makes it important to build up defenses and shoot up zombies without a care in the world if players wish to survive during this brutal portion of the game. Survival means that players have finally grasped the best way possible to deal with the undead when they’re at the peak of their powers.
Settlement building was a part ofFallout 4’s gameplay that some people enjoyed. It may not have been the deepest mechanic, but it let players enjoy the idea of constructing huge settlements with amazing defenses where settlers could come and make a home for themselves.
This gameplay mechanic was migrated over toFallout 76in the form of the CAMP system. These mobile homes could be deployed in the game world, and players could customize the various aspects of their domiciles. This included everything from cosmetic decorations to security contraptions.
Xbox gamers don’t have a lot of exclusives to boast about, which is whyState of Decay 2is so revered by fans of this console, even though the mechanics of the game aren’t all that deep. However, it’s the human aspect of this game that makes it so tantalizing. Survivors feel like their own people who are affected by the events around them, which shape their character.
Building an outpost is important if players don’t want to be swarmed every step of the way andwant some refuge from the constant threat of zombiesthat plague their existence. Players will enjoyState of Decay 2, even if its survival and base-building gameplay isn’t as intricate as most other titles.
Most people deridedFallout Shelterwhen it first came out originally. Many people felt that it focused on a freemium model, which made it seem way more predatory than it had any right to be. While these complaints are justified, that shouldn’t take away from the muted brilliance ofFallout Shelter.
This simulation game features an iconic art style that will help fans of theFalloutgames feel right at home. Despite the worries people have regarding this IP,Fallout Shelteris a fun and relatively low-stakes title that fans can enjoy for themselves.
The scope ofKenshiis truly massive, offeringRPG mechanicsalong with heaps of survival and base-building gameplay. Unlike most other titles where players are important figures with the world revolving around them,Kenshiis a game where players start out as a nobody and have to make a name for themselves with a combination of hard work and pure luck.
Players can either settle into the life of a generic trader or follow their lofty ambitions by creating a base and forming a faction that they’re the leader of. The latter is extremely engrossing and brings its fair share of challenges along the way, which makes it all the more impressive that this part of the game is almost completely optional! In fact, a lot of people can spend a ton of hours inKenshiwithout even touching the base-building aspect of the game, which is a testament to how open-ended this RPG is.
One of the most challenging games that players can check out,Frostpunkisnot a title for the faint of heart. The game can be punishing at times, and players need to understand the best way possible to survive a volcanic winter by keeping their residents as warm as possible while making a lot of tough decisions along the way.
Players have to either rule with an iron fist or show empathy, and both approaches have their pros and cons. This, coupled with the difficulty of the game as players slowly grasp the mechanics, makesFrostpunkone of the most difficult yet rewarding post-apocalyptic city-building games that fans can check out for themselves.
Most people don’t even know thatSubnauticais based in a post-apocalyptic world until they make some progress in this title. People with thalassophobia (fear of deep water) should give this game a wide berth, since this title is not for the faint of heart.
Subnautica’s relatively relaxed base-building gameplay hides something sinister underneath that isn’t revealed until either players make a lot of progress in the main game, or push their luck by entering the Crater Edge. The alien world that players explore has its own backstory. Players will love the idea of building their base and coming back to a safe zone after braving the many dangers present in this title.
Fallout 4garnered a mixed reception upon launch. Many weren’t fans of the simplified RPG mechanics or the poor dialogue system. However, there werecertain additions made to the gamethat fans enjoyed. The inclusion of settlement building, for example, was a great optional activity for fans to invest a lot of hours into.
It may not be the most fleshed-out base-building that fans can enjoy in a video game, but many people appreciated thisFallout 4option and what it brought to the table. Players could either ignore this mechanic altogether or spend many hours trying to upgrade the living situation in every settlement.
