To some people, crafting, especially in epic video games like Dark Souls, can be tedious, boring, time-consuming, and only a necessary evil so you can have a chance to beat a monster boss. We don’t share that opinion, luckily, and find joy in scavenging for resources, completing quests, and putting things together. In our opinion, this genre of video games is more about the journey rather than the destination. For those that share the same attraction, here’s a treat. For those that don’t – why not give it a try, you might fall in love with the process after all. Here are the best crafting games for PC.
1. Minecraft
Not only is Minecraft one of the best-rated survival games, but it has also spawned a plethora of a genre of clones and games similar to Minecraft. The game can be played in two modes, Survival and Creative, and it’s the former you’re looking for. You will spawn on a random location in the massive open world, without a single thing in your inventory. You are forced to chop wood, dig dirt, mine cobblestone, build a shelter, hunt for food, cook meals, fend off monsters that spawn at night, and hold on to your dear life. As you progress, you start crafting weapons and armor and gain companions.
2. Terraria
Some call Terraria “Minecraft in 2D” although it’s a separate platformer looting game. But, like Minecraft, it’s widely recommended as one of the most fun games for kids and boys in general. The premise is similar – you spawn on a random spot on the map, start gathering resources, building a shelter, crafting armor and weapons, running through dungeons, or chasing and killing world bosses. We also need to mention that it also works on Android, iOS, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. So, even though it looks simple at first, it’s a very cute game and incredibly hard to let go of.
3. Factorio
Although it doesn’t look pretty, the game has picked up a lot of praise from the Steam community since its release in August 2020. As the name suggests, you’ll be building factories. To do that, you need to construct infrastructure, mine resources, research technologies, and craft required products. Eventually, you can automatize production by employing robots, so that you can focus on exploration and crafting. The game also has a multiplayer mode and supports modding and map editing.
4. Rust
You probably won’t find a more realistic multiplayer first-person survival experience than Rust. It’s among the older games on our list as well. You spawn with only a loincloth and not a penny in your pocket. You must gather, hunt wildlife, fish, build a fire, craft a primitive shelter, tools, and weapons, and hope to survive the night. And, as mentioned, besides NPCs, your enemies are also real-life players who are trying to steal the products of your hard work. You can befriend some, sure. To others, you either need to deliver an educational beating or try to be a ninja and use stealth to avoid them completely.
5. No Man’s Sky
We’ll be honest – the game didn’t start too good when it came out. But that’s because it was too ambitious – set in a galaxy of randomly, procedurally generated open worlds while still focusing on delivering hyper-realistic graphics. Updates fixed a lot of issues, and while No Man’s Sky is still GPU-intensive, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this shooter experience while staring at the crazy-looking flora and fauna. And while crafting and exploring is fine and dandy, driving starships and engaging in air combat is even better, believe us.
6. ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolved provides an awesome 3D fantasy survival experience because you are forced to co-exist with dinosaurs on a remote island. Even worse – you only have a loincloth in the beginning. Plus, you are hot, hungry, and thirsty, and in the way of apex predators wandering around. If you want to stay alive, you need to collect resources and build a base, and pronto! Eventually, you can tame and ride dinosaurs, join a clan of and collectively attack other players’ bases while engaging in an incredible dinosaur vs. dinosaur combat. It’s something to behold, for sure.
7. 7 Days To Die
Come on, you must have known that we would throw a zombie game into the mix, and an upcoming one at that. It’s a mix of a military-based third-person shooter, forcing you to utilize guns and craft tools, shelter, and weapons to stay alive. Besides reanimated dead creatures and wildlife infected by the mysterious virus, you’ll also need to worry about other players. True, some of them you can befriend in this cross-platform multiplayer. But you should never stop looking behind your back while you play. After all, it is every man for himself in the world after the civilization fell and laws became invalid.
8. Craft the World
We wish Craft the World was a free game. Not because it isn’t good, but because we want to discuss it with as many people as possible. It’s an indie RPG game, with elements of strategy, simulation, RTS, and tower defense. In it, you’re essentially a God to a tribe of dwarves, and through the campaign, you instruct them who to attack, where to dig, what to gather, and where to build. You also need to provide them with food, clothing, and items, crafted from collected recipes. Oh, and you also have access to magic spells to help your earthly minions.
9. Fallout 4
Although Fallout 4 has many elements from games like Borderlands, Just Cause, and Zelda, we’re interested in its Settlement system. Because you’re presumed as the sole survivor after an apocalypse, you are free to explore, loot resources, and even dismantle constructions and bases. Then, you can use those items to build a base of your own, and slowly improve its features and even furnish it to your liking. In short, you pretty much have the freedom of crafting drugs, weapons, armor, and bases and settling anywhere in the vast world of Fallout 4.
10. Stardew Valley
Farming is risky in real life. Well, this cartoon game, very reminiscent of the idle games we played, is a safe replacement. It’s also sort of tower defense, actually. You inherit your grandfather’s old farm plot but are threatened by the Joja Corporation, which strives for village destruction and modernization. Your goal is to prove them wrong, solo, or with up to 3 more players online. Improve 5 in main areas and the farm will thrive. Additionally, you can interact with 30 different NPCs, and even marry them off to start expanding the farming community.
11. Raft
Being stranded at sea is a terrifying experience. Even worse is when you’re stuck on a four-panel raft drifting without a land in sight. Luckily, in this game, you’ll have a friend, as this is a two-player experience. It is filled with trials and tribulations if you want to stay alive, though. You need to swim, dive, hunt fish and sharks, and scavenge resources from underwater life, coral reefs, and even wreckages. Then, you start crafting and expanding the raft, until it turns into a floating kingdom. The game also has a PvP (player vs. player) aspect, if you’re into that kind of thing.
12. Conan Exiles
Do we need to explain who this game is about? For those that don’t recognize the name, it’s about Conan the Barbarian, a masculine icon, hero and warrior, and a terrifying foe to those who cross him. Playing as Conan, you’re forced to survive in a cruel world filled with enemies. Through blood, sweat, and violence, you are forced to declare war to nearby foes if you want to build your kingdom up. Additionally, you are forced to gather resources, explore, and level up your Knowledge Points to unlock recipes. You basically start with a rag and a torch and eventually build entire interconnected cities.
13. Scrap Mechanic
This game has taken the best elements from a wide variety of games. It’s hard to describe Scrap Mechanic accurately – give it a try yourself. You crash-land in an alien world full of robots. To survive, you can scrape the malfunctioning ones, and re-engineer them into contraptions only limited by your mind. The most common shapes are buggies, cars, and monster trucks, but you have over 100 building parts, so you can even build a moving house if you want! It is definitely satisfying watching the Frankenstein monster vehicle come to life after you spend a lot of time connecting complex circuitry.
14. Don’t Starve Together
Don’t Starve Together is an upgrade of Don’t Starve, a wilderness survival game. It adds multiplayer capabilities, making it very fun for cross-platform co-op or online gaming. It’s also very underrated, probably because it looks like a cartoon or a comic book, but loads of fun, trust us. It’s jam-packed with mysteries waiting to be unraveled, a big world to be explored, and resources to be crafted into something usable. The game is not a horror per se but gives off a very creepy vibe while you play. This is mainly because you never know what’s lurking in the dark.
15. The Forest
Do you want a game that will challenge your brain and make you feel like a detective solving a mystery? How about we add crafting into the mix? The result of that is The Forest, a game where you’re the sole survivor of a plane crash on a remote island. Around you is a thick, lush forest, and your only resources are the things from the fuselage. To survive, you need to start to scavenge, explore, and craft while trying to solve the puzzle and figure out your location. But, you will quickly discover you aren’t the only person on the island. The other inhabitants are hostile and cannibalistic.
16. Trove
Trove is a voxel game, which, in simple terms, means it resembles Minecraft. But it’s far from that – it has fantasy and magic elements, and we’d crudely describe it as “Minecraft MMORPG“. It has all the right elements – slaying monsters, exploring dark parts of the world, collecting resources and loot, developing strategies with friends, and leveling and building your character up. There are plenty of classes to play with, so you’ll never get bored. Additionally, there are multiple worlds to immerse yourself in, and some of them are created to be built upon.
17. Portal Knights
This one is both a single-player and a split-screen LAN game. Portal Knights is a masterful mix of RPG, action-adventure, Japanese anime, and LEGO characters. Yes, there’s plenty of slaying enemies as Warrior, Mage, or Ranger, but a lot of emphases is put on leveling up your skills and abilities. When it comes to crafting, besides exploring the vast world of randomly-generated islands, you can also purchase a private island. That means you can become a tycoon while taking a break from killing, and show off your creativity to friends.
18. Subnautica
In Subnautica, you wake up in a Life Pod in the ship named Aurora middle of an ocean planet. Your inventory is empty, and you don’t even know how you got there, which forces you to use all available resources to gain knowledge of your origins. But, while you explore, you’ll realize not every member of the wildlife is friendly, and some of them are ancient alien species. Besides keeping your vitals in check, you need to manage the day-night cycle wisely, construct tools, underwater bases, and build ships and submersibles.
19. Dragon Quest Builders 2
Dragon Quest Builders 2 has many elements. The genres such as RPG, hack-and, slash, and action are obvious when it comes to the survival and dragon-slaying part of the game. The part we’re interested in is “Builders”. The game also has a strong emphasis on crafting items and upgrades, including armor, weapons, and buildings. Furthermore, the game allows for up to 4 players to play in co-op, so this makes for a great late-night crafting experience. The end goal? Destroying a malicious cult that wants to destroy the retro world you’re trying to build.
20. Robocraft
It should be pretty obvious what this game is about – crafting and robots. Furthermore, the graphics in the game are built out of blocks and reminiscent of Minecraft. Another familiar fact is that the game can be played online. You begin with a bare robot, and start crafting and constructing its components. You are free to choose how the robot will develop – to resemble a spaceship, Ferrari, Batmobile, airplane, tank, or something never before seen. Be warned, the game is pretty complex, and has a steep learning curve.