I don’t know about you, but I’ve often dreamed about living in the pixelated worlds I adore. Whether it’s building a rustic life in Stardew Valley, indulging in my deepest desires in Night City in Cyberpunk 2077, or wandering into the tall grass in Pokémon, there are worlds that I come back to time and time again, romanticising what my life could be like, if only they existed.
But what of the hub worlds?
Not the big, sprawling maps full of danger and existential dread, but the safe places. The spots you return to to stock up on items, heal, or just take a break from the hundreds of Bokoblins itching to ruin your day. The main town, village, or place that you visit several times throughout the course of a playthrough, either to visit other levels or locations (the “true” hub worlds) or to just rest for a moment and chat to the locals before tackling the next big quest.
The places that quietly say: “You’re good. For now.”
Here are some of the hub worlds I’d happily call home – even if the worlds around them are… less appealing.
(Part 2, where I talk about the ones I absolutely wouldn’t live in, is coming, because some of these places are one bad day away from total disaster.)
#6: The Stillwater – Pathologic 3
Picture this: you’ve travelled from the capital to a remote town on the Russian Steppe in search of immortality. Instead, you find yourself amid a crisis: a deadly plague is ripping through the town, spreading faster than anyone can counter…
…and one eerily calm woman offering you a place to stay.
Classic miscalculation.
The Stillwater sits at the edge of town, removed from the chaos. Where the other wonder of the town, the towering Polyhedron, defies gravity and logic, the Stillwater does the opposite. It grounds you, acting as a necessary counterweight to the dangerous vector piercing both the ground and the heavens.
For Daniil Dankovksy, it’s the perfect sanctuary for him to call home while combatting the plague. It’s a place to sleep, to synthesise medicine, to reload a weapon he can use to dispel the plague (don’t ask). It’s also a control centre for managing outbreaks, allowing the Bachelor to oversee the town’s decrees that aim to keep both contagion and unrest at manageable levels.
It’s a place to breathe, and in Pathologic, breathing is a luxury. No matter how often I returned to the magical house on the pond, I could breathe a sigh of relief that, here, I could turn back time, pause my frantic rushing about to shuffle around decrees, and arm myself for the ever-present threat of the Shabnak and her disease.
And then, there’s Eva Yan. She’s not just the host of the Stillwater, but the emotional anchor, where the true magic of this hub resides. Developers Ice-Pick Lodge describe her as “ever shifting, a mirror to the observer’s soul” – she shifts as Daniil changes, reflecting his growing understanding (or unravelling) as the plague tightens its grip.
Also, and this is important: as de facto mistress of the Stillwater, she will house anyone. Orphans? Check. Strangers? Sure. A plague-infected bull? Why not.
The Stillwater shouldn’t feel safe. It doesn’t feel normal. But somehow, because Eva is there, it does. While its residents cannot stay for long (it was “an oddball space” that “stretched out” the soul), Eva has a sort of immunity to its effects. Her resistance, paradoxically, made me feel safe, too.
And actually, the Stillwater is only on this list really as it provides such a stark contrast to the world outside its doors. I’d only wish to live in the Stillwater in a vacuum, as I’m sure Daniil does: turning back time to spend every day with Eva, ignoring the disorientating, dangerous hellscape outside, housing the town’s residents, taking in strays in need, and living in peace. A house out of time, and out of responsibility.
#5: Evermore – Ni No Kuni II
Evermore is the ultimate “I’ll just build my own kingdom instead” fantasy.
Young King Evan gets overthrown (inconvenient) and is banished from his kingdom. What better time to travel with your newfound friends and start a new kingdom of your own?
Sure, the story involves travelling around with a bunch of misfits and battling baddies to save the world, yadda yadda. But you wouldn’t be able to do any of that without Evermore, the hub that you return to regularly. But what makes Evermore special is that it’s not just a hub – it’s your hub. You build it from the ground up. It’s not just a place you can visit to restore health and restock food and potions, but it’s used as a base of operations that players upgrade throughout the game to manage resources, research new technologies, and recruit citizens to support the main adventure.
What does this look like, really? Building Evermore means building and upgrading facilities like weapon workshops, magic research centres, and farms. You get to know the citizens you bring to the kingdom through side quests, and you delight in their plodding along in their chibi selves, farming away or just making their way from point A to point B, giving you little quips along the way. Yes, you absolutely will develop favourites among your citizens based purely on vibes.
The real magic is in the progression. What starts as a humble settlement slowly transforms into a thriving kingdom, with real-time construction reinforcing the sense that this place exists with or without you. You can’t rush it; you have to invest in it and keep returning, both to build the kingdom and progress the story.
And, perhaps most importantly, it means that Evermore truly begins to feel like a home that you have created yourself.
#4: Café Leblanc – Persona 5
At first, Café Leblanc isn’t exactly welcoming. You – Joker – have been falsely accused of something terrible you didn’t do, shipped off to Tokyo, and dumped in the attic of a café run by a man who clearly wishes you came with a receipt so he could return you.
Sojiro Sakura’s energy is very much “Don’t cause problems. Don’t talk to me. Pull your socks up – or else.”
But as the story progresses, Café Leblanc becomes a true safe haven for Joker. Leblanc becomes routine. Joker comes home every night to sleep, and the café provides a real, grounding place for him to recover after long days of changing hearts, fighting demons, and trying to sleep with every woman in Tokyo. Any time the gang need to have a team meeting, the café is seen as a secure place to plan heists that definitely won’t get you arrested. Joker’s attic room transforms from a dusty storage space into something personal. He can bring his confidants – and one annoying little cat – up here. He can craft tools. He can study, he can sleep – if Morgana allows it.
Upstairs, the attic transforms from a dusty storage space into something personal. Downstairs, the café becomes a hub for connection: quiet conversations, late nights, and Sojiro’s genuinely incredible coffee.
And yes, gameplay-wise, that coffee is vital. Early-game SP recovery is scarce, and Sojiro is out here basically fuelling your ability to fight literal manifestations of human corruption. He’s the real MVP of Persona 5, let’s be honest.
Sojiro truly is the real heart of Leblanc. What starts as reluctant guardianship evolves into something much deeper. His relationship with Futaba – and by extension Joker – turns him into one of the most grounded, human characters in the game. He becomes a driving force of doing the right thing and standing up for what’s right. He becomes a father figure to Joker, protecting him and the other kids to the very best of his abilities. Now, Café Leblanc is more than just a place to come back to every night. It’s a place where Joker can call home.
3: Peach’s Castle – Super Mario 64
Before hub worlds became a staple, Super Mario 64 said: what if the menu…was the game?
Peach’s Castle is deceptively simple. It’s the central, open-hub world, acting as a safe base for exploring the Mushroom Kingdom. By jumping through pixelated paintings and daunting doors, Mario can visit all sorts of memorable worlds on his quest to collect Power Stars and rescue Princess Peach from the relentless Bowser – but it’s not Whomp’s Fortress, Tick Tock Clock, or Dire, Dire Docks that you remember the most. It’s Peach’s Castle itself.
At first glance, it’s just a place to access these levels. But within minutes, it becomes clear that the place is full of secrets. Around the castle, you can jump into the moat and find submerged doors, or, inside the castle, you can find trap doors, endless staircases, as well as hidden paintings just begging to be discovered. It encourages you to try something just to see what happens.
Let’s not ignore the atmosphere. Outside the castle, there’s no music: only ambient sounds designed as the calm before the storm. Inside, warm, elegant music plays that instantly feels like “home base”. It’s a fully developed world in itself, seeming just as magical as the levels that are yet to be discovered.
And there’s always more to be discovered. Sure, you naturally unlock more within the castle as you progress through the game, gobbling up more and more stars, but it’s also just because you get better at the game. There’s the slow realisation that you’re getting better with the mechanics: not just progressing, but understanding the space. That cannon outside? That door you couldn’t open earlier? Suddenly, it all clicks.
Peach’s Castle didn’t have to be memorable, but it absolutely is.
#2: Traverse Town - Kingdom Hearts
The Kingdom Hearts series has some of the best hub worlds in video game history. Twilight Town in Kingdom Hearts 2 is a close second – I do prefer perpetual sunset to forever night, to be honest – but there are gangs roaming the streets ready to fight in Twilight. Would I ever feel safe? Not likely, despite the nostalgia.
Not that Traverse Town is that much better. Yes, the Heartless are there. Yes, they will attack you. But they’re also manageable. Which, in Kingdom Hearts, is basically the equivalent of a peaceful neighbourhood.
What makes Traverse Town shines is how it grows. Shops expand, new areas unlock, and characters arrive, displaced from their destroyed worlds. It’s not just a refuge for Sora, but for everyone.
You’ve got:
- Huey, Dewey and Louie running the shop like tiny capitalists
- Merlin casually teaching magic in his house
- The Fairy Godmother giving you all-powerful summons
But there’s so much more to do. Trinity Marks (Mickey Mouse ear symbols) are dotted throughout, and chests are everywhere, holding a variety of useful items for your adventure. Finding the Dalmatian puppies is also a cute side quest that keeps going throughout the game.
As you progress, the town becomes more and more populated. Alongside Merlin and the Fairy Godmother, you save other Disney characters like Gepetto, Pinocchio, and Cleo, as well as the Dalmatian parents, Pongo and Perdita.
But it wouldn’t be Kingdom Hearts without the Final Fantasy crossover characters holding their own, too. Cid, our burley engineer/pilot, has an accessory shop. Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith also stay in a Small House in the Third District, which they use as their base to study the Heartless and Maleficent. It’s great to see these characters all interact and work together – I hadn’t played Final Fantasy when I played Kingdom Hearts, and I loved getting to know Aerith and Cid and learning more about their personalities.
Ultimately, you have to return to Traverse Town throughout the whole game, meaning there’s always something new to unlock or more characters to meet and house. As much as I wish that Sora could bask in the morning sunshine, it’s still a cosy, yet exciting hub to call home.
Also, the music alone could probably lower my blood pressure.
#1: Evening Lake – Spyro 3, Year of the Dragon
How many hub worlds can a dragon and his pet dragonfly explore? As it turns out, SO MANY.
Out of the 13 Homeworlds lovingly created in the first three Spyro games, I picked Evening Lake for three reasons:
- The vibes are immaculate
- There’s a lot of fun secrets to find
- The Realms within this Homeworld are some of the best
Set in permanent twilight, everything is bathed in soft blues and purples. Water reflects the sky, ruins rise from the lake, and the whole place feels like it exists slightly outside of time.
The music, too, is so chill, whether you’re gliding from tower to tower or swimming underwater. This, as well as the gentle croaking of the Frog Fodders you can kill to regain health, makes it feel like you’re exploring a sanctuary out of time.
Exploration here is genuinely relaxing. You’re gliding, swimming, poking around for gems and eggs, and occasionally questioning your life choices as you deliberately swim into a giant whale’s mouth.
Yes, that’s a real mechanic. Yes, it’s terrifying the first time. Yes, you still do it anyway because there’s an egg inside.
If you swim towards the whale, you may be tempted to dash away – but hold your nerve! I often choose to make this the last egg of my playthrough, as you can never go back inside the whale once you’ve found it.
Don’t get me started on the Realms you can visit. Charmed Ridge asks you to rescue the fairy Princess Ami from evil cat wizards led by Prince Azrael. It’s a great concept, with magical enemies and a surprisingly messy romantic subplot (honestly, mind your business and take the egg).
Shout out to the Fireworks Factory, too, where you meet Handel and Greta, two kids with blackbelts attempting to “Destroy the wocket” that the Sorceress is building here. The Chinese-Japanese themed architecture is fantastic, and the fireworks that you can ignite here only add to the twilight theme.
The Spyro series, in general, is ingenious with its Homeworlds, and all of them are worth a visit. With so many fantastic ones to choose from, no wonder one of its best has made the top of my list.
Honourable Mentions
What about those that nearly made it to the list?
Kakariko Village in, well, any Zelda game will always hold my heart, as soon as I hear the music swell. In Horizon Zero Dawn, you slowly add to your group of misfits to help take down Hades, and it’s lovely to see loner Aloy finally accept help.
Besaid is a critical recurring location in Final Fantasy X, known for its tranquil beach, waterfall-filled forests, and impressive temple. Maybe I love it so much due to its contrast with the darker, more dangerous areas of Spira – and its tropical weather!
Finally, I can’t talk about hubs without mentioning The Stray Sheep bar in Catherine: Full Body. Much like Café Leblanc, the bar is used for crucial conversations, to prepare for gameplay, and is a grounded, intimate space to relax between the high-stakes horror puzzles.
