Highlights

  • Base building in horror games enhances player survival against terrors by creating safe spaces for defense and resource management.
  • Games like State of Decay 2 and Project Zomboid prioritize facilities and fortresses built by players for critical survival needs.
  • Sons of the Forest and Don't Starve require players to utilize surrounding resources to protect against mutants and darkness for survival.

Base building is commonly seen in survival games, as players must make a home for themselves that will keep them protected from the dangers that surround them. These base building mechanics are, therefore, perfect for horror titles, especially survival horror games, as they allow players to build their own safe place while they cope against the terrors.

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With this in mind, these horror games in particular have some of the best base building, allowing players to not only build up their own fortress, but also implement well into the gameplay of the horror title to make the intense experience even more exciting.

5 State Of Decay 2

Facilities Are Crucial For Survival

State of Decay 2

Platform(s)
Xbox One , PC
Released
May 22, 2018
Developer(s)
Undead Labs
Genre(s)
Action , Survival Horror

State of Decay 2 has players picking one of three base locations once they've completed the tutorial of this action-adventure game. Managing the base is important as each base idea will fulfill different desires for a player's survival, with collecting resources allowing the player to build various facilities which are vital for surviving.

Not only does the player live within this base, but so do the various other survivor NPCs players are likely to encounter during their adventures away from their homes. The base must manage these survivors' needs. Players manage outposts and foster a community that will see them progress through various technologies during this apocalyptic world.

4 Project Zomboid

Turning Homes Into Fortresses

Project Zomboid

Platform(s)
PC
Released
November 8, 2013
Developer(s)
The Indie Stone
Genre(s)
Survival Horror

Project Zomboid is one of the best survival horror games available on PC. Gathering food and water is only one part of surviving in Project Zomboid against the zombies, as when the seasons start to change, a player will need somewhere to call home so they can stay warm when the winter begins to roll in.

Players will likely find various buildings that they have cleared of the undead, which they can then transform into their own homes. Through gathered resources, what once was just a regular house can eventually be turned into a fort that no zombie can penetrate while also having all the player's necessary resources stored in one place.

3 Sons Of The Forest

Using Surrounding Resources To Protect Against Mutants

Sons of the Forest

Platform(s)
PC
Released
February 22, 2024
Developer(s)
Endnight Games
Genre(s)
Survival

Sons of the Forest is the sequel to The Forest, also developed by Endnight Games. Like the previous survival horror title, players find themselves stranded on an island, surrounded by cannibals and mutants. Players must work fast to find a good spot and wall themselves in before the locals become aware of the player's position.

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Players will need to use the resources that surround them and make the most of what they have if they want the chance of surviving. Eventually, it won't just be cannibals that attempt to take down the walls of the player's base, as mutants will take their place, horrifying monsters that can easily become a nightmare for players if their base isn't set up properly.

2 Don't Starve

Bases Are Needed To Survive The Night

Don't Starve

Released
April 23, 2013
Developer(s)
Klei Entertainment
Genre(s)
Survival , Management

While many survival horror games tend to have players defending themselves against an undead horde, the danger of Don't Starve – apart from going hungry – is the darkness that approaches every night.

If the player finds themselves within this darkness, they will lose not only their sanity but also their health, which can quickly mark the end of a player's survival. Building a campfire and expanding their base will gradually allow them to not only survive the night but also protect themselves from the winter days and the hounds that can sometimes attack the players' base.

1 7 Days To Die

Tower Defense In A Survival Horror

7 Days to Die

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , Xbox One
Released
December 13, 2013
Developer(s)
The Fun Pimps
Genre(s)
Survival , Horror

Of all the available survival horror games with base building, the best that players have enjoyed for countless years is 7 Days to Die. This title mixes multiple genres together, such as survival horror and tower defense.

Players spend their time in 7 Days to Die collecting the resources needed to stay alive while also preparing for the horde of zombies that will approach their location every Blood Moon. Players will be shocked when they hear the blood-curdling scream that announces the beginning of the horde, and they had better hope their base holds as they break through anywhere they can.

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