There's plenty of games like Minecraft or Fallout4 with rich base building features but where a full scale replica of the Taj Mahal confers no benefits beyond the most basic shack that's exactly big enough to house all the equipment you need.

I get that there's a large amount of Lego-like "make your own fun" in these games but I tend to tire of them quickly.

I'm looking for games, preferably single player, where there's a substantial difference between a good base and a bad base. Where there is gameplay pressure to build something bigger and better over building a shack out of rocks and dirt with everything I need.

I know the obvious answer here is Rust, but I work for a living and have a partner and friends and cannot dedicate my life entirely to defending against raids in the always-on world of Rust.