Setting up a habitable room in Core Keeper is crucial for luring merchants to your base to purchase and sell products. Unlike other games wherein creating a habitable space might involve intricate details, the case of Core Keeper is pretty simple but important for the assurance of a merchant's arrival. Here's an extensive guide on how to make a suitable room for merchants.
How to Set Up a Habitable Room
- Defeat the Required Bosses
Before you can really set up a livable room, you have to defeat a few bosses to unlock the merchants. Each boss has a drop that is unique and critical for attracting that specific merchant to your base. Here's a quick rundown:
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Glurch the Abominous Mass: Drops Slime Oil. This item is required for the Slime Merchant.
Ghorm the Devourer: Drops the Mysterious Idol. This item is needed for the Caveling Merchant.
The Hive Mother: Drops the Heart of the Hive Mother. This item attracts the Spirit Merchant.
- Ensure Your Room Meets the Basic Requirements
For a room to be considered habitable and attract a merchant, it must meet the following criteria:
Size: The room should be at least 5 × 5 tiles internally. This space is necessary to ensure the room is considered adequate for habitation.
Light Source: At least one light source must be present within the room. This could be a torch or any other light-emitting object.
Door: A door must be included in the room to allow entry and exit.
Bed: A bed needs to be placed inside the room. This is essential for the merchant’s comfort.
Merchant’s Requisite Item: Place the specific item dropped by the relevant boss on the floor. Avoid putting the item on a pedestal, as this will not work for attracting the merchant.
Room Size: Some players reported that if the rooms are too large, it may not work correctly for merchant spawns. Follow the minimum size requirement to avoid issues.
Room materials: The room doesn't need to be made of special materials like wood walls or some type of flooring. Even a simple setup like dirt walls and a plain floor would suffice. It won't be the prettiest, but the merchants will make do as long as the simplest of needs are met.
By following these guidelines, you can create functional and welcoming spaces for merchants, enhancing your Core Keeper experience.

Luring a merchant requires you to defeat specific bosses for the items they drop. All of these items have to be placed on the floor of any habitable room. Note that the room has to meet the size, lighting, and furnishing requirements.
A habitable room must at least be 5 × 5 tiles internally. This is to ensure that there will be space for the merchant to move in.
Not at all; the room wouldn't require any special material. Only basic walling and flooring are good enough provided other requirements regarding the size, light, and furnishing are met.
You have to put the merchant's item directly onto the floor of the room. On a pedestal, it will not be useful for luring the merchant.