Video games, much like our favorite movies and television shows, thrust us into extraordinary new worlds as a means to escape our own. Whether your preferred in-game pad is a turn-of-the-century farmhouse, a storybook-like shack, or an ultramodern apartment smack in the middle of the city, the medium has a spot that’s perfect for your next maladaptive daydream sesh.
These 10 picks probably won’t be listed on Airbnb anytime soon, but a girl can dream, right?
Banjo’s House (Banjo-Kazooie)
A crackling fire, big bed, tons of meaningful photos — this cozy, straight-outta-storybooks abode looks like the perfect place for a nap. After you and your feathered friend Kazooie spend a whole day hunting Jiggies and searching for Tooty, there’s really no better place to kick back and unwind. Banjo’s quite the vibe curator!
Before you hit the hay, though, make sure you talk to that endearing shot of Bottles hanging over the fireplace.
Player House (Animal Crossing)
Speaking of curating vibes…
Animal Crossing‘s Player Houses are among the best parts of the cute town simulator series. Sure, you’ll have to deal with greedy real estate tycoon Tom Nook, but I’ll gladly trade a few Bells to secure a wholly customizable beachside spot. Decorate to your heart’s content, landscape, rub elbows with adorable new neighbors, and enjoy the view.
V’s Apartment (Cyberpunk 2077)
Night City’s a bustling metropolis packed with organized crime, corrupt corporations, and violence, but it’s not the city I’m interested in — it’s V’s sick studio apartment. Remarkable view of the skyline, convenient tech, theme customization, assorted collectibles to display, and even a couple of pets (if you’re lucky enough to find ’em). V’s place gets even cooler when you earn enough Eddies to graduate from studio to swanky suite.
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Michael De Santa’s House (Grand Theft Auto V)
Can I get the house without the De Santa family? As nice as the Los Santos McMansion is — full tennis court, massive spa-like bathrooms, pool, hot tub, two-car garage, awesome view, room for yoga — I’m much less interested if I have to hear the family fight the whole time.
The primo location and A+ amenities are hard to turn down, especially after you get a glimpse of Trevor’s living quarters. Yikes.
Shepard’s Apartment (Mass Effect 3)
I’m hard pressed to pick anywhere but the Normandy, but Shepard’s place from Mass Effect 3 gives the ship a run for its money. Given to the protagonist by Cap’n David Anderson, the sprawling pad is jam-packed with weapons lockers, top-of-the-line furnishings, all kinds of customization capabilities.
If you keep your eyes peeled for interactibles, you can tune into snippets of Anderson’s biography scattered throughout the apartment.
Elfsong Tavern (Baldur’s Gate 3)
“Scandals, vandals, where to buy sandals!” “A Gazette a day keeps the ignorance away!” Ugh. If you can make it into Wyrm’s Crossing, past the rowdy crowds and ear-piercing newsies, you’ll eventually make your way to the Elfsong Tavern. Play your cards right, and you and the gang can turn the upstairs space into an indoor campsite. Spacious, cozy, and INDOORS? Livin’ large! (Don’t worry — Scratch and Owlbear can stay, too!)
DK’s Treehouse (Donkey Kong Country)
The “Nostalgia Country” stage in Donkey Kong Bananza got me in my feelings, I’ll be honest. The chill treehouse, first introduced to players in the hit SNES platformer Donkey Kong Country, has stuck around throughout the series as a kind of “home base” for DK and the gang.
Wall-to-wall nanners, big TVs, boomboxes, tire swings — the treehouse feels like the ultimate fort. I bet he doesn’t have to pay rent, either. Worth it, even if I have to suffer through another Cranky rant.
Goth Manor (The Sims)
5 Sim Lane — that’s the mysterious two-level house where Mortimer, Bella, and the rest of the spooky Goth family stayed in The Sims. It’s been 25 years since the first game was released for PC, and the Goth family and all their off-putting vibes have appeared in every core Sims game since, even those released for consoles. Time passes and their address changes, sure, but the bizarre little family stays just as odd as ever. Whether that’s good or bad, well, that’s up to you (and the several bodies buried in their backyard).
House (Date Everything!)
In Date Everything, players start their first day at a big tech brand, but are immediately laid off due to company-wide AI implementation. Not long after, a pair of magical glasses arrive on your doorstep. When they’re on, every object in your house appears as an anthropomorphic version of itself. From the circuit breaker and that forgotten bobby pin on the counter to abstract human concepts like “existential dread,” you can really, y’know, date everything. If you play your cards right, maybe more than that…
Beecher’s Hope (Red Dead Redemption)
Now, I’m not saying John Marston’s tech-free, turn-of-the-century farmhand life is for me, but if I can install some modern fixtures, like a dishwasher and an in-unit washer/dryer, then I’m in. They’ve already done some serious work on the formerly dilapidated ranch; what’s a little more work?
Tons of land, gorgeous cabin, beautiful horses, proximity to nature, fresh air — all I need is electricity. Is that too much to ask?
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A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
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