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Immersive crafting can mean lots of different things: some games take the simulation approach, whereas others might be less realistic but make up for that with intricately designed systems. Whatever the definition, there are some incredible games out there that make use of crafting — so many in fact, across so many different genres, that there really is a crafting game out there for everyone.
Updated Jun 13th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: The Indie scene continues to explode with tons of games spread across a multitude of genres. Many survival games are starting to up their ante by adding robust crafting systems that help bring new and interesting mechanics to some truly genre-bending releases. Take V Rising for example, an entertaining and engaging top-down Vampire-based adventure that allows players to craft items and build bases when they’re not prowling the landscape for victims or other players. There are a lot of great games still being released in recent months that take the idea of crafting and continue to elevate it. To showcase even more games that utilize crafting, the following list has been updated and now includes even more entries for detailed crafting systems in games.
13 Minecraft
When it comes to crafting, many players think of Minecraft. After all, the word is in its name. Although Minecraft may seem like nothing more than a Lego-like block-building release, it actually features quite a few mechanics that utilize crafting. In fact, the crafting elements in the base game can be a bit overwhelming for new players. Without certain settings turned on, players will be forced to blindly craft items by placing ingredients within a crafting grid inside their inventory or at a crafting table.
Part of the magic of playing Minecraft is trying to dream up what certain tools, items, and armors look like when translated into a grid format. For the most part, the crafting is pretty “spot on,” with players having to make ladders, shovels, and an array of other shapes in order to survive in the harsh cube-shaped worlds.
12 Valheim
Valheim took the Indie world by storm when it was released back in early 2021 and there is still an abundance of players that log into the Viking-inspired survival title today. Although it may not seem like the most graphically intense title out there, Valheim features a robust and entertaining crafting system that has players traveling all over the land, entering different biomes, and battling against bosses to unlock new recipes and gear.
Players loved Valheim for its rather difficult gameplay, with some referring to it as a hardcore version of Minecraft, with more robust combat and challenging bosses.
11 V Rising
V Rising is the newest release on this list at the time of writing and it’s easily one of the most entertaining Indie games to come out in recent months. Similar to Valheim in a lot of ways, V Rising has players taking control of their own custom Vampires, recently resurrected from a cave and set upon a living world to build their empire. With top-down gameplay that looks and feels somewhat like Diablo, players will explore the map and take down enemies, feeding on them to gain precious blood and essence, which they will then use to power the hearts of their very own castles.
It’s a lot like Valheim with the ability to take on bosses and unlock new things but V Rising takes it a step further by giving players access to skills and abilities, making it a much more combat-heavy experience. The building mechanics are fun and the crafting is rather in-depth once players get further into the game, requiring them to produce materials from scratch.
10 Rust
While the survival game Rust uses a fairly basic system of collecting scrap, metals, wood, and a few blueprint-specific pieces, it’s the huge variety of items players can make that sets this game apart from the rest.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Rust allows players to scavenge materials from the desolate wasteland surrounding them. Players can channel their inner MacGyver and craft some funky things in the game. Take the assault rifle for instance: it looks fairly normal until you notice that the rifle’s stock is actually a shovel handle. Rust’s grungy aesthetic can be found in lots of its low-level clothing, too — the game has an entire set of wooden armor. Rust is a difficult game to pick up, but with some beginner tips, new players shouldn’t need to worry.
9 Don’t Starve Together
The survival game Don’t Starve Together has a huge variety of craftable objects, from weapons and farming equipment to wax paper that’ll keep your food from perishing. Even though this beloved 2.5D indie game isn’t the most graphically stunning, its signature art style doesn’t disappoint. Unlike many other survival games, Don’t Starve includes full animations for collecting materials, making every moment feel more immersive.
In Don’t Starve, players’ items even have a wetness factor, which will reduce the effectiveness of certain equipment. Thankfully there are plenty of crafting options to avoid any rain on your parade. The game also has base building, giving players free rein to be as creative as they’d like.
8 Factorio
The whole point of Factorio is to craft. While players start out doing everything by hand, they’ll quickly find themselves running a multitude of assembly lines that are constantly churning out resources, smelting raw materials, or processing everything from oil to uranium. Some people create such interwoven, complex systems that they almost look like a work of art.
Factorio is relatively easy to pick up but hard to master. For players looking to take their crafting to a whole new level, Factorio provides the perfect sandbox to master their trade.
7 Death Stranding
When Death Stranding was first revealed, players saw Sam Bridges (Norman Reedus) hauling boxes stacked much higher than his own body. The game takes an interesting approach to an inventory system: players need to physically carry everything they want to use. It’s a novel (though sometimes frustrating) approach to resource gathering, but it’s certainly one that adds to the game’s already powerful immersion.
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What’s more is that using the futuristic Chiral Network, Sam is able to fabricate loads of equipment — from motorcycles and bridges to mailboxes and charging stations — almost instantaneously. It’s a satisfying game mechanic that fits perfectly within Death Stranding’s sci-fi lore.
6 Far Cry 3
Though Far Cry 3’s crafting system boils down to “get this number of animal skins to craft that,” the way players harvest those hides is what sets this game apart. Ubisoft has gotten more than a few complaints over the years about its depictions of violence against animals.
In Far Cry 3(and Far Cry 4), skinning animals comes fully animated and bloody, with players removing the animal’s insides with a knife. Jason, the game’s protagonist, even gags and comments on how disgusting the task is. It’s an unexpected but welcome bit of realism in a game that otherwise is all about over-the-top carnage.
5 Ark: Survival Evolved
Ark: Survival Evolved, a consistently popular survival game, has one of the most unique settings on this list. With loads of different maps to choose from and a variety of real and fictional species dotted across them, the game is an explorer’s holy grail.
All this expansive terrain is filled with crafting resources that players can use to upgrade their stone-age tools to space-age gadgets. Playing Ark is like watching the evolution of human technology flash past in the blink of an eye. Just like the inventors of the ancient world, Ark’s players venture into the world to master their environment, one creation at a time.
4 No Man’s Sky
While No Man’s Sky caught some flak at launch, it has since expanded and fleshed out its universe, addressing many of the issues players had upon release. No Man’s Sky’s open-universe gameplay takes players on an intergalactic jaunt to strange new worlds (18 quintillion of them, to be precise).
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Throughout those adventures, players can harvest chemical elements from different resources, combining them with everything from antimatter to magnetized ferrite in order to craft new upgrades or gear. It’s the sheer scale of the craftable universe that makes No Man’s Sky an incredible game to lose yourself in.
3 The Forest
The indie survival game The Forest sees the player stranded on an isolated peninsula swarming with cannibal mutants. The sole survivor of a plane crash, the player is on a search for his missing son Timmy. Players harness the natural resources found around the peninsula in addition to scavenging supplies from other passengers and the area’s previous (that is, deceased) visitors.
While a bit tedious at times, it’s fascinating chopping down a forest by hand and watch as it transforms into a custom-built base. Players can deck it out with stockades, treehouses, walkways, and much more. Crafted armor even uses deer, lizard, and human components harvested during your adventures around the map. Fans of The Forest will also be happy to hear that a sequel Sons Of The Forest is coming soon.
2 Terraria
This 2D action-adventure masterpiece looks deceptively simple, but just beneath the surface (literally) is a treasure trove of things to do. Crafting is a huge part of Terraria. Players can use raw materials they’ve collected to build incredible bases full of cozy furniture, create powerful fantasy weapons and armor, and so much more.
The sandbox nature of Terraria — which uses procedural generation to keep things fresh — means that when it comes to crafting, the sky’s the limit (so true, considering much of the game is spent underground). With ever-shifting worlds and a variety of items to craft, Terraria has a lot going for it even outside of crafting.
1 Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls’ fifth installment in the series has a beautiful and expansive crafting system that is lovingly blended into the game world. Players can collect ingredients as they travel along the road, by looting enemies or chests inside dungeons and caves, or even by breaking into NPCs’ houses late at night. If players choose to, they can even grab a pickaxe and harvest raw materials like ore themselves.
What’s even more interesting is Skyrim’s alchemy, where players can mix ingredients like a Giant’s Toe with a sprig of Blisterwort to make useful potions. There’s a real sense of discovery in Skyrimwhen first starting out, too, since players mix random ingredients in order to uncover their properties. And if things ever feel overwhelming, there are loads of guides to help new players navigate the world of crafting.
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