One of my favorite aspects of almost any game in The Legend of Zelda series is the side quests. Whether it's acquiring Epona in Ocarina of Time or helping the residents of Clock Town in Majora's Mask, side quests not only serve as a necessary respite from the main story but are also often home to the most valuable rewards of their respective games. Unfortunately, not all Zelda games offer the same entertaining and worthwhile array of side quests, which is especially the case for some of the Zelda series' most recent entries.

As revolutionary as both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have been to the Zelda series, their side quests leave a lot to be desired. Many quests in either game often ask you to complete simplistic and mundane tasks, in exchange for some rupees or a random item of little use. That being said, there are some exceptions. One particular side quest shared by both BOTW and TOTK captivated me in a way few other side quests in the Zelda series have achieved, and I'm hoping it becomes a mainstay for future entries.

House-Building Is Great In BOTW & TOTK

There Are Many Benefits To Having Your Own House

Initially, the house-building side quest in BOTW can be a daunting task to overcome. This was certainly the case for me during my first playthrough of the game, as I was deterred by the steep 3,000 rupee cost to start the construction of my own home. It wasn't until I had put far more hours into the game, exploring more of Hyrule and collecting my fair share of valuable items, that I was finally able to pay the constructor, Bolson, to build my home.

The 3,000 rupees required in BOTW only pays for the building itself. There are a number of other cosmetics, such as beds, weapon mounts, and flower beds, that each cost 100 rupees. In order to fully complete your house, you'll be forced to pay 4,400 rupees in total.

While the side quest itself is fairly simplistic, the final result is what makes it so special. Having your own home is not only a nice cosmetic reward, but it also allows you to sleep in a bed and fully regain health at any time without the need to pay as you would at a stable or an inn. The huge benefit that having your own house provides makes the mission an incredibly worthwhile and rewarding experience, and it's emblematic of the best aspects of Zelda side quests.

This house-building side quest was expanded upon in TOTK, which allowed you to fully customize your home with multiple different rooms. I was completely enamored by how TOTK improved on its predecessor with its take on the house-building side quest, adding a level of variety and interactivity by allowing me to design the house the way I want to while still providing the same benefits as BOTW. House-building is undoubtedly one of the best aspects of both BOTW and TOTK, offering a necessary moment of respite while rewarding you generously for your overall commitment.

TOTK Proves How Construction Side Quests Can Evolve

House-Building Perfectly Compliments TOTK's Emphasis On Experimentation

TOTK's expansion on the house-building side quest is not just an improvement on BOTW, but a showcase of the potential that these construction-type missions possess. For example, unlike Bolson automatically building your house for you in BOTW, TOTK requires you to manually assemble each room together. By providing the player with more freedom in the design of their home, the house-building side quest serves as an integral aspect in communicating TOTK's emphasis on creativity and experimentation.

The house-building side quest served as a huge encouragement for me to head out into Hyrule and attempt more ambitious builds.

While I adored the idea of TOTK's Ultrahand mechanic and the many mechanisms that I could create, it was initially overwhelming to properly adapt to. The house-building side quest was the perfect way of easing me into what Ultrahand was capable of, as I was encouraged to experiment with the layout of my house and the different rooms I wanted to include. I became engrossed by the way TOTK allowed me to be creative, and the house-building side quest served as a huge encouragement for me to head out into Hyrule and attempt more ambitious builds.

The freedom granted during house-building in TOTK perfectly demonstrates how construction-based side quests can continue to evolve in future Zelda games. Rather than simply purchasing and owning a house like in BOTW, construction side quests can serve as important stepping stones in encouraging the player to fully interact with every aspect of a certain Zelda game. My time constructing my own house in TOTK opened my eyes to everything the game had to offer, and I now find myself begging Nintendo to keep this kind of side quest around for future Zelda entries.

How Future Zelda Games Could Make House-Building Even Better

Future Entries Could Allow For Greater Customization

If house-building does become a mainstay in the Zelda series moving forward, then there are many ways in which it can be improved. For example, while I'm thankful TOTK allowed me to choose my own rooms for my house, it's still frustrating that I couldn't alter the interior design of my house. Not only would greater customization allow for more variety in how you might choose to lay out your house, but it only emphasizes that sense of creativity and experimentation, asking you to make a house that's uniquely yours.

Meanwhile, making the house-building side quest more readily available to the player would be hugely beneficial. As great as the house-building side quests are, they can be quite easily missed, with Bolson hiding in a discreet corner of Hateno Village in BOTW, while TOTK requires you to complete a lengthy mission in Tarrey Town in order to proceed with construction. Considering how TOTK showed how influential these quests can be in introducing players to the game's core tenants, making them more readily apparent would make house-building far more impactful as a result.

There's no telling whether house-building will become a mainstay in the Zelda series, and it sat out of the latest installment, Echoes of Wisdom. That being said, house-building has proven to be both an entertaining and rewarding side quest in the Zelda series and an incredibly useful tool in encouraging players to engage with every facet of a certain title. House-building is easily one of the best aspects of both BOTW and TOTK, and I'm hoping the side quest will make a grand return in a future installment.