The best crafting games can let you unleash your creativity as you put your exploration and scavenging skills to use. However, the genre is massive and finding a new game to play in 2026 can be tricky. Well, that's where this list comes in handy.
We know that there's often some crossover between the best survival games and the best horror games when it comes to crafting experiences. After all, having to rush to gather resources and tools in order to stay alive makes things more interesting. There's also been an increase in cozy games utilizing crafting as well, asking players to rebuild forgotten towns and make their own cute decorations. We love all these crafting variants, and below highlight the best of each, so no matter what kind of gamer you are, you'll find something here.
The 25 best crafting games to play in 2026, ranked
25. Dig or Die
Developer: Gaddy Games
Release date: July 10, 2018
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One
Instantly recognizable as a crafting game inspired by Terraria, Dig or Die is a mixture of defense and crafting, complete with side-scrolling and platforming elements. Your task is in the title – after crash landing on a strange alien planet, you need to dig in order to find as many resources as possible before the inhabitants out for your hide come to knock on your door.
What makes Dig or Die special is that, besides crafting items that will help you survive in a hostile environment and work on a new spaceship, you also build your own home and its defense systems. If you're new to this type of building and crafting gameplay, Dig or Die is simple enough to quickly get you going. If you loved exploring new planets in this one, read our list of the best space games next.
24. The Lord of the Rings: Return of Moria
Developer: Free Range Games
Release date: October 24, 2023
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
If you're looking to venture to Middle-earth for some crafting goodness, look no further than The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Set below the Misty Mountains in the mines of Moria; you play as a dwarf who sets out to find all that was lost in Khazad-dum. In the procedurally generated depths, you'll be able to craft gear with the resources you mine and create your own base.
In fact, you can spend your time restoring the mines if you so choose, building up just about any area you come across. You also don't have to do it alone, with online co-op support. This is hands down one of the best Lord of the Rings games out right now and is a must-play for any Tolkien fan looking for a game that respects the Lord of the Rings timeline.
23. Satisfactory
Developer: Coffee Stain Studios
Release date: September 10, 2024
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
One of the best things about any crafting game is the rush of endorphins that you get once you unlock automation. So, imagine a game where automation is the main feature. That is Satisfactory, easily one of the best crafting games to fully release in 2024. It runs like a dream and will have you ravaging the natural resources of alien planets like a champ.
This is an open-world factory-building game where you aim to build a space elevator to save humanity. To do that, you need to build machines to build the resources for said elevator and have to explore the planet to find a way to make your setup as efficient as possible. One of the game's best features is its use of the cloud. You don't need to backtrack to storage boxes and pick up materials to craft. For more exploration, check out our list of the best open world games after trying this one out.
22. Craft the World
Developer: Dekovir Entertainment
Release date: November 24, 2014
Platform: PC
In crafting games, you tend to spend a lot of time underground, so it makes sense to play as the number one cave-dweller, a dwarf. As you craft and build in Craft the World, your dwarven populace also grows, ready to help you with large-scale battles.
This aspect makes Craft the World feel less like a Terraria-style dungeon crawler and occasionally more like a real-time strategy game, with a lot of bearded friends around you keeping busy. Craft the World is a game for all those looking for a beautiful fantasy crafting game with large-scale battles against well-known fantasy monsters such as Beholders. It's tons of fun and is a lot easier to pick up than most sim colony games out there.
21. Graveyard Keeper
Developer: Lazy Bear Games
Release date: August 15, 2018
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
Here, crafting meets "farming" – you may be able to grow crops, but this is no Stardew Valley. Instead, you need to get digging to create final resting places for the corpses that land at your door. You can't simply dump corpses in a hole and call it done, since embalming and creating graves are sciences in and of themselves.
It's a unique idea, implemented with a great love for detail. Crafting is essential to build a modern, partly-automated graveyard, as well as finding, er, alternate sources of income. Just don't tell anyone where the meat for those tasty burgers came from. Paired with a striking art style, tech trees, and a story to follow, this is a gem in the genre. It's also one of the best farming games to play right now, so definitely add it to your list if you love zombies and Stardew Valley.
20. Raft
Developer: Redbeet Interactive
Release date: June 20, 2022
Platforms: PC
This absolutely gorgeous survival sim takes crafting to the high seas. The home you expand upon here is, you guessed it, a raft. Not much more than a few planks of driftwood hastily cobbled together in the beginning, the raft can grow rapidly over time.
Of course, it's not just smooth sailing, as sharks are quickly lured to your floating home, eager to get a piece of real estate. Once you learn to manage the immediate dangers of starvation, dehydration, and unwanted visitors, you can fish for debris in the ocean and start seeking out islands to explore. This is also one of the best crafting games for couples to play, so jump in! If you are having trouble with your sea adventure, you can check out our handy guide on Raft cheats as well.
19. Factorio
Developer: Wube Software
Release date: August 14, 2020
Platforms: PC, Switch, Switch 2
Crafting in Factorio is the end product rather than a feature and may thus seem like a bit of an outlier on this list. This is a factory builder where you can produce items using fantastically intricate systems. If offshore pumps, engines, and motors are your passion, this is the game for you.
It's just as much fun to work out what you want to make as how to make the biggest, most productive factory ever. In multiplayer, you can build factories so big you need to delegate in order to keep everything running. While there's manual crafting, and the most interesting thing about Factorio is the journey and not the end product, you're still crafting many, many things.
18. My Time At Portia
Developer: Pathea
Release date: January 15, 2019
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
At first sight, you wouldn't peg My Time At Portia as a post-apocalyptic game. However, a catastrophic event is the very reason you're tasked with breathing new life into the town of Portia. In order to restore the different buildings needed, you need to gather resources or gain them through simple but fun hack-and-slash combat with many different cute enemies.
As we pointed out in our My Time At Portia review, everything about this game is downright adorable, from your new home to its big-headed inhabitants. The more you build, the more you grow in prestige, but there's also a large cast of town folk to befriend. Besides the flow that usually sets in when you play relaxing crafting games like this, it's especially the variety in quests here that makes time pass in a flash.
17. The Escapists 2
Developer: Mouldy Toof Studios
Release date: August 22, 2017
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Switch
To successfully escape prison, you need to, of course, transform unsuspecting items into the perfect escape tool. A broom handle, a tin of paint, and duct tape make a sledgehammer; the classic pillow stuffed into a bed sheet makes a bed dummy. It's great fun to see The Escapists 2 get creative with crafting.
Team17, who are also responsible for co-op cooking mayhem in Overcooked, knows how to make games that come from simple initial ideas. This game, too, is best when enjoyed together. The large number of craftable items, be it security passes, outfits or weapons, in turn imbues the gameplay with a lot of variety, and by now there's a whole host of additional content waiting for escapees. If you want to know more about this series, read our The Escapists review.
16. Grounded 2
Developer(s): Obsidian Entertainment, Eidos-Montréal
Release date: July 29, 2025
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S
Grounded 2 may still be in early access, but it has already surpassed our expectations and even manages to beat out its predecessor when it comes to crafting mechanics in the game. Following a similar story to the first game, you'll play as teens who have been shrunk down in size and have to stay alive in a dangerous park that's filled with insects looking to chomp on your head and other environmental threats. Grounded 2 is very much a survival crafting game just like the previous entry. You need to gather resources to analyse in order to unlock blueprints that are vital for your survival and also for progressing through the story.
The crafting mechanics aren't much different from standard games in the genre, but Grounded 2's setting feels immensely large, there's already a lot to unlock, and slaying bugs to craft armour gives me a personal jolt of joy. We have an in-progress Grounded 2 review if you want more details on this one, but know that it is glowing, and we can't wait for the full release.
15. Rust
Developer: Facepunch Studios
Release date: February 8, 2018
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Make no mistake, Rust is mainly about killing other players. The crafting portion of this game, which you start absolutely naked, is based around a few really simple ingredients, but the deadly arsenal you can craft is quite impressive. Just be careful – no game manages to make you wary of other people quite like Rust does.
The fact that most players you come across are out for your hide means that base building is rather simple, but it's interesting to start the whole process from zero, smashing trees with rocks, painstakingly putting a roof over your head and clothes on your back, making each item pretty hard-won.
14. Enshrouded
Developer: Keen Games
Release date: January 24, 2024
Platforms: PC
Released in Early Access and set to come to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S at a later date sometime later in the future, Enshrouded is an open-world survival adventure with oodles of crafting goodness. It's also a co-op dream, allowing for 16 players to work together, so if you love checking out the best multiplayer games, this one is for you.
From making your own weapons and armor to scavenging for materials to build up a base, you can basically work your way to bringing to life your own castle and customizing it inside and out. Of course, surviving is the name of the game, but Enshrouded will also allow you to let your creativity loose as you take on the role of the Flameborn.
13. The Long Dark
Developer: Hinterland Studio
Release date: August 1, 2017
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
The Long Dark brands itself as a "thoughtful" survival and crafting game, meaning it's less about animals mauling you at every corner, and more about the even distribution of dangers. The ever-icy landscape, scarce opportunities to feed yourself, and, of course, the occasional bear or wolf you can’t just take down as you please make the game a tense experience.
Even if you like your games a little more mellow, you don't have to give this one a miss – the different modes offer anything from a quiet and contemplative time with fewer dangerous animals to a story mode or regular survival challenges.
12. 7 Days To Die
Developer: The Fun Pimps
Release date: July 25, 2024
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Among the survival games that offer crafting, 7 Days To Die is one of the darkest and most surprising. It doesn't feature the kind of zombies that come at you no matter what, but when they do come, it’s very easy to be left unprepared. By far not a pretty game and likely doomed to forever remain overshadowed by other zombie titles (the console versions are a bit not good), 7 Days to Die nevertheless shambled its way to the top of the Steam charts following release.
This was thanks to the strength of its atmosphere and sheer challenge, and after years in Early Access, the survival horror landed on PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2024 with a major update. Here, successful teamwork means building a zombie trap that does the job instead of sprawling castles, so if you’re looking to build for your life, give this a go.
11. Valheim
Developer: Iron Gate Studio
Release date: February 2, 2021
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Taking you into a procedurally generated purgatory that's greatly inspired by all things Vikings, Valheim lets you craft all manner of items as you explore the lands as a soul who was killed in battle. In this open-world survival game, you can also play with your pals, so this is a great option if you're looking to scratch their crafting itch as you work together with friends.
From constructing a raft to building up your very own longship, you can take to the seas or forge weapons and items on land, and build up strongholds. With a vast landscape to venture through, you can also go in search of valuable resources to create even more effective gear.
10. Don’t Starve
Developer: Klei Entertainment
Release date: April 23, 2013
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, iOS, Android
The fun art style is as recognizable as it is deceptive, giving the impression of a simple bit of fun. Only behind its cartoony façade, Don't Starve is actually a game of life and death, with fire, disease, and insanity lurking just around the corner. That sounds harsh, but the game is a lot of fun in how it applies real-world rules to its virtual landscapes.
Would you normally make a campfire this close to a row of trees? Would you really stand that close to a herd of beefalo? You wouldn't, now, would you? So it’s upon you to find out what is dangerous to you and when and how to use that to your advantage. It's difficult, no doubt, but your first few crafted items are as much a necessity as they are a triumph – another way to eek by. Read our Don't Starve review for more information.
9. Sons of the Forest
Developer: Endnight Games
Release date: February 22, 2024
Platforms: PC
As the follow-up to The Forest, Sons of The Forest builds on its predecessor. With plenty of freedom when it comes to crafting, you'll be making use of resources on the remote island you find yourself on. From breaking down sticks to creating tools and eventually building up your own shelter.
You can even cook up something more complex if you're willing to get creative and put the time in. You're certainly going to have to get crafty to keep yourself safe from danger. With co-op support, you can also get together with pals and share items with your group to work together to create your own defenses. In our Sons of the Forest review, we praised how the crafting system is super streamlined and easy to understand, meaning that you won't be agitated or annoyed by progressing or trying to figure out what to make next.
8. ARK: Survival Evolved
Developer: Studio Wildcard
Release date: August 27, 2017
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android, Switch
By now, you'd think this list had covered every scenario, right? Wrong. One word – dinosaurs. Rideable dinosaurs. ARK: Survival Evolved has you starting off with nothing, and you build yourself a hut with a nice roof and some weapons to fight against said dinosaurs.
You can either use the dinos for resources (of course) or tame them. Like with Minecraft, the base game has grown into something that isn't just about crafting – it's a great community experience. And with Ark 2 on the way, now's the perfect time to step into the world of primaeval creatures.
7. Dragon Quest Builders 2
Developer: Square Enix, Omega Force
Release date: July 12, 2019
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch
Combining the sprawling Dragon Quest JRPG franchise with a sandbox builder doesn't seem like a very intuitive thing to do, but perhaps it's that mix of opposites that makes it so successful. You have an island to shape in whatever way you please and specific building quests besides, so you can be sure to craft everything the game has to offer at one point or another.
Since crafting is block-based, you can, of course, start to go absolutely crazy, but it's really the story that makes Dragon Quest Builders 2 such a standout. In a genre full of survival, tower defense, and general killing sprees, a real, heartfelt story, not to mention one of JRPG proportions, is simply so very hard to come by. Read our five-star Dragon Quest Builders 2 review for more on this crafting must-play.
6. Stardew Valley
Developer: ConcernedApe
Release date: February 26, 2016
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android, Switch, Switch 2
Stardew Valley rekindled everyone's obsession with Harvest Moon-style farming, and when we say everyone, we mean everyone – across six platforms, it has sold 30 million copies since launch, an unbelievable success story for something made at home by a single person. The secret doesn't only lie in the charming pixel art with its fat chickens and deliciously colored fruit.
There's simply so much to do that Stardew refuses to get boring, as much as you'd love it to be around 3 am. From fishing to exploring an old mine to dating your favorite villager, you will sink hundreds of hours into this game, building up and crafting your very own farm in Pelican Town. Head over to our list of the best games like Stardew Valley to play right now for more recommendations.
5. Starbound
Developer: Chuklefish
Release date: July 22, 2016
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
There are a lot of games on this list that ran with the style of gameplay and presentation that originated with Terraria, but none do the formula justice as well as Starbound does. No wonder – after all it initiated with one of Terraria's original creators. As the name suggests, Starbound is all about exploring different planets, and developer Chucklefish has crafted a number of quests and background as diverse as the different planets and biomes.
What Starbound has over Terraria is a story - one that fits into things so seamlessly that you can engage with it at your own pace. Simply craft items and build your base at your leisure and you may stumble upon quests that give you something interesting to do next.
4. Subnautica
Developer: Unknown Worlds
Release date: January 23, 2018
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
It's not always better where it's wetter – there's still plenty under the sea that can kill you, but Subnautica lives not so much of the excitement of clashing with the marine populace, mostly because, more often than not, they come out clearly victorious.
Instead, you want to craft equipment that allows you to explore more of its beautiful alien ocean for longer. You may be going out to find resources to enhance your base, but oops, you fled from an undersea monster to God knows where, or an interesting bit of undersea landscape caught your eye. Subnautica 2 has recently been announced, so now is the best time to try this one out for yourself! Check our Subnautica review for more details.
3. No Man's Sky
Developer: Hello Games
Release date: August 9, 2016
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2
Thanks to the huge updates Hello Games implemented, crafting is one of the aspects of No Man's Sky that can keep you busy for hours. You've always had ample options for upgrading your suit, multitool, and ship, but now you can also put work into your exocraft and a base worthy of a hardworking astronaut.
The number of blueprints and ingredients is huge, so you will definitely find multiple uses for whatever you pick up and even refine further in a multitude of ways. Essentially, No Man's Sky is about two of the great joys of gaming – exploring landscapes until you fall off a random cliff and lining your pockets with all types of stuff (the use of which will not become apparent until much, much later). Check out our No Man's Sky review before you buy this one.
2. Terraria
Developer: Re-Logic
Release date: May 16, 2011
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android
Don't accept anything but the original. Chances are, if you're one of the 20 million people who have bought Terraria since its release in 2011, you haven’t had much of a need for any other crafting game, not just because the updates steadily kept coming over the years. Every aspect of Terraria is enhanced through the crafting options, so if crafting is what you enjoy most, it hardly gets more varied and intricate than this.
On the other side of the crafting medal is battle that is as manic as it is difficult, making Terraria great for all those who love the relaxed atmosphere of crafting but don't want to boot up another game to have a go at SNES-era 2D combat a la Mega Man. Read our Terraria review if you need more details.
1. Minecraft
Developer: Mojang Studio
Release date: November 18, 2011
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, iOS, Android
Some games start a genre but don't stick around long enough to see it grow. Others will be replaced by better games. But not Minecraft. By now, this game is a symbol of the ingenuity of millions of diligent crafters around the world and no less than an absolute pop cultural phenomenon. With the AR spinoff Minecraft Earth, the story of the main game continues, not that it ever went anywhere.
With over 170 million copies sold, enjoy the block builder that started everything. It's a crafting game for everyone, not only because the only violence you find here is the fantasy kind – it's simply the best game to create something of your own. If you can think it, you can build it, and it's as much fun to play yourself as it is to watch others create. Also, A Minecraft movie was a massive hit in 2025, so now's the best time to dive into this title.
Why not check out our best fishing games for some satisfying aquatic goodness? Or look ahead with our list of all the upcoming PC games, upcoming PS5 games, and upcoming Switch 2 games.
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