What is the Decoration Games Genre?
There are many playable genres in the gaming world today, and decoration games are a popular category. Aspiring designers or casual players alike can appreciate and enjoy simple room decoration games. This guide introduces the world of decoration and design games and the best titles to get started with today.
Types and Categories of Decorating Games
House and room decoration games offer a different kind of interaction and immersion in the virtual environment. Some games in this genre allow collaboration between players, adding more fun to the experience. People of all ages can explore their creativity and take inspiration from designs they make in virtual space!
Here is a description of the different sub-genres of decorating games and an overview of their gameplay.
Real Life Simulation
Design is a true-to-life activity that most people will experience over their lifetime. Game developers take pointers from such scenarios to create real life simulation titles. In these decorating games, the player creates characters and builds the surroundings depending on the setting, either indoor or outdoor. The gameplay includes realistic graphics and physics that mimic the real person's movement.
This type of decoration game offers an 'alternate life' experience, providing the opportunity to relax and unwind for a while. Unlike other genres that focus on intensive battles, most decoration games are low-stakes and simulate ordinary situations. From suburban life to farming, there’s a setting that appeals most to every type of player.
Interior Decoration
Hopeful interior designers can experience a slice of their future with interior decoration games. The goal is to create a visually aesthetic room featuring elements that are on the trends list today. Players are tasked with beautifying a home, office, or any interior that typically starts as an empty space. What makes this category irresistible is the way users can bring their vision and ingenuity to life.
Interior design games challenge not only a person's creativity but also their practicality. Often, players need to earn points or in-game coins to purchase high-quality items like furniture or accessories. Some titles have a weekly leaderboard that ranks designs made by users, granting rewards to the winners.
Outside and Home Design
Plenty of house decoration games consist of tasks that go beyond interior design. Some titles delve into architecture, landscaping, and farming, delivering a more holistic gaming experience. Users can explore patterns, furnishings, and other elements that customize the entirety of the property. From the interior to the exterior, designers can create themes and streamline the overall look.
Games of this sub-genre are suitable for users who love to build a cohesive design for both indoors and outdoors. Spaces like the patio, backyard, and balcony are worth sprucing up to match the interior. These titles typically reward the player’s efforts to complete the house with rewards and points.
Single Room Decoration Games
Single-room decorating games are, in a way, the opposite of complete house design gameplay. In this category, the user focuses on completing the look of one room at a time. For example, they only need to prettify the room, which includes arranging the fixtures. The player commonly has the option to restart the customization or revert changes, as well as look back on past designs.
These room decoration games are perfect for children, especially since there are no complicated rules to follow. Younger audiences can easily understand the mechanics and start playing without needing to go through long tutorials.
Sandbox Games
Sandbox games are the type of decorating gameplays that grant a high degree of freedom to build their virtual space. There are minimal limitations in terms of the area they can roam to and manipulate. In essence, these titles allow the gamer to modify ‘worlds’ and select their preferred tasks for each session. They can experiment with their own path using their virtually full access to an expansive map.
However, it’s important to note that sandbox games do not have storylines. Some games in this classification can assign an end to the story, although players may opt to continue regardless. Thanks to this continuity, developers can build new updates over time, and players can keep playing for years to come.
City Decoration Games
Gamers are always up for a challenge, and there’s nothing more demanding in this genre than city decorating games. The stakes are higher since players need to build, maintain, and enhance a whole town or city! Creating a network of roads, placing buildings, and designing new facilities are some of the usual tasks in these games.
This sub-genre continues to gain a loyal following, especially city decoration games that deliver immersive play. Some titles require resource management and planning to succeed with tasks. It adds another layer of difficulty that competitive players can appreciate.
Food Decoration
The design genre is not limited to room or house decoration games. Foodies can also find the perfect titles in this category that focus on making visually appealing dishes. Food decoration games involve baking pastries or cooking meals by following a step-by-step procedure. Players can then put the finishing touches to the dish and make it look more sumptuous.
What makes these games fun to play is the chance to experience the ‘kitchen life’ from start to finish. The gamer can pick the ingredients, prepare, and cook the dish, then garnish and decorate it before serving. It allows the player’s creativity to shine through.
The Best Decoration Games Across Different Gaming Platforms
Here is a roundup of the best decorating games and where to download them. Get designing via these apps today!
The Sims 4
Coming from a highly successful franchise, The Sims 4 allows players to build and control a whole neighborhood. The virtual people called ‘Sims’ complete activities of daily living such as eating, sleeping, and working. These actions are controlled by the gamer, who is also responsible for building homes, creating relationships, and more.
This decoration game launched in 2004 for purchase, and later became free to download in 2022. The gameplay is primarily a real-life simulation, although players can choose which goals to prioritize. They can follow their preferred game style to create a story that suits their taste.
Where to get: Windows Store, Google Play Store, Appstore, Steam, Amazon Appstore, Xbox Store
House Flipper
Released in 2018, House Flipper is one of the room decoration games with renovation as its central theme. The story follows a budding house flipper who wants to buy their first property. However, they need to earn a significant sum to achieve this feat. The solution: take on jobs for nearby residents like cleaning, painting walls, and installing fixtures.
Where to get: Windows Store, Google Play Store, Appstore, Steam, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Meta
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The progression offered by Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a great adventure for players of all ages. Unlike preceding titles that focused on town buildings, this fifth installment took place on a deserted island. The character together with other inhabitants must develop the nearly deserted island, collect resources, and craft items.
This game's new premise was a welcome change to the older Animal Crossing titles. As such, the reception during its release in 2020 was warm, catapulting it to the top of the decorating games genre. Today, this beloved game still gets a hefty following from people who love building from nothing to something.
Where to get: Nintendo eShop
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise
Happy Home Paradise is the first purchasable DLC exclusive for the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Although not a separate title, it deserves a spot because the new design options are the creative’s ultimate dream. In this DLC, the player gets to design a lovely vacation home, from its interior to the exterior. These new resorts are built within the player’s New Horizons archipelago.
This game lets gamers customize the rooms, yard, and even the weather, whether rainy or sunny. There’s a ready-to-use inventory that includes furnishings, as well as recipes and other resources. This availability ensures that the player can explore limitless possibilities with their design.
Where to get: Nintendo eShop
Design Home: Lifestyle Game
A chart-topping mobile game, Design Home captures the interest of pros and amateurs alike. Players need to furnish a room based on the guidelines of the challenge. The type of room to be designed changes regularly, and each completed look is submitted for voting. Fellow users rate designs at random, giving points according to the overall aesthetic of the furnishing.
Creating iconic, post-worthy looks for the room is the primary goal of the player. This game elevates its value by including virtual versions of well-known furniture brands in existence today. There are themes to complete, such as Mediterranean, suburban, and other breathtaking looks. Challenge winners get rewarded with in-game diamonds and items they can use for the next contest.
Where to get: Google Play Store, Appstore, Amazon Appstore
Redecor: Free Décor Game
Another special mention for house decoration games is Redecor: Free Decor Game. Players have 24 hours to complete interior design challenges. These tasks include small item requirements such as a specific sofa, lamp, or other fixtures to complete the look.
A Design Duel is also available, which pits two players’ creations against each other. The charm of this game lies in the mixing and matching of furniture and accessories to create a stunning design.
Where to get: Google Play Store, Appstore, Windows Store
Home Design 3D
Home Design 3D is an app best suited for serious creators who want to discover the art of 3D rendering. This software is helpful for experts, enthusiasts, and students delving into house design and modeling. Users can draw a floor plan in 2D or 3D or utilize a template to get started with a design. The application is intuitive and uses exact measures for easy scaling.
Designers can create the floor plan, as well as import or export their designs. There's a version that can accommodate augmented reality, taking 3D modeling to a whole new level. It enables outstanding visualization of any dream home or property.
Where to get: Windows Store, Google Play Store, Appstore, Meta
Room Planner- Home Design 3D
Interior design made accessible and affordable is the aim of Room Planner- Home Design 3D. It is one of the room decoration games that takes the hassle and astronomical expense out of interior design. This app is like a preview of the designer’s preferred look for the home. Its inventory consists of world-renowned furniture brands and other resources that beautify the space.
Where to get: Google Play Store, Appstore, Steam
Kawaii Home Design
Kawaii Home Design appeals to young players who want free decorating games that have simple, cutesy visuals. The gameplay is stress-free: place furniture, customize the color, move, rotate, or change items to fit the area. It’s the perfect DIY interior design game for casual users who prefer to take their time and chill while in-game.
Where to get: Google Play Store
Merge Decor: Dream Home Design
Combining decoration games with puzzle genre mechanics is what makes Merge Decor: Dream Home Design stand out. In this game, players must solve puzzles to unlock tools and materials for the renovation. Progression happens as more objects are freed, eventually allowing users to complete the remodeling task.
Where to get: Google Play Store, Appstore
Minecraft
The widespread popularity of Minecraft is due in part to the endless building, crafting, and exploration players can do. Resources like blocks, planks, and stones are available for collection throughout the map. Monsters can come out at night, and gamers must survive their attacks and build a fortress to keep them away.
This sandbox-style design game adds more fun with its multiplayer mode. Players from across different locations can join the same server and interact in-game.
Where to get: Windows Store, Google Play Store, Appstore, Amazon Appstore, Xbox Store, PlayStation Store
Wrap Up
Decoration games not only allow players to waste their free time but also express their personality and creativity. These titles are just some of the numerous games in this genre available today. The trends keep changing but one thing's for sure—this genre will always be chart-topping!
