The Merlies Village Guide - Build, Decorate, Expand
The village loop of The Merlies: scraps into buildings, buildings into a growing flock, and comfort as the game's win condition.
Published September 27, 2026 · Last updated October 7, 2026
Quick Answer: How Does the Village Work?
The village is The Merlies' economy, quest hub and reward screen in one. Scraps gathered on expeditions become buildings and decorations; buildings accommodate rescued Merlies; accommodated Merlies train for exploration; trained birds bring home more scraps and more rescues. The official description calls it creating and decorating your village out of collected scraps — no gold, no vendors, no exchanges.
- Income: scraps hauled back from every biome.
- Sinks: buildings, decorations, accommodation, training facilities.
- Return: a bigger, braver flock that opens more of the map.
The Official Building Blocks
The developers have shown the village growing inside unlikely shelters — official screenshots include a settlement under a repurposed sports ball and warm lamp-lit interiors, with a "manage village" interface for arranging it all. The named conversions (lamp to house, slate to map, ice cube tray to store room) are the pattern: nothing is bought, everything is upcycled.
Village Progression: What to Build First
Early village building follows a clear priority: housing for rescued Merlies first, then training facilities to prepare them for exploration, then storage to carry more scraps per trip, and finally decorations that raise comfort. The official conversions give the pattern — every building starts as a piece of human junk found in the biomes.
| Priority | Building | Purpose | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Housing (lamp → house) | Accommodate rescued Merlies | Flock grows → more abilities |
| 2nd | Training facility | Prepare birds for exploration | Trained explorers bring more scraps |
| 3rd | Storage (ice cube tray → store room) | Carry more scraps per trip | Longer expeditions, richer salvage |
| 4th | Map (slate → map) | Track progress and secrets | See what areas remain unexplored |
| 5th | Decorations | Raise comfort and happiness | The solarpunk win condition |
Comfort Is the Score
The store text is explicit about what the village is for: "wacky constructions and clever upcycling are the key to bringing comfort and happiness to your tribe." Decoration is not cosmetic filler here — it is the game's win condition, the solarpunk answer to a power fantasy.