Runescape housing update has you shacking up in a Homestead with friends, and brings back house parties

Runescape's Road to Restoration update is well underway as part of its 25th anniversary, and player-owned housing is the next gameplay system to get a fresh lick of paint.

Following Spring's player avatar update, which upgraded visual fidelity for the models alongside a suite of new hairstyles, the next target Jagex has set its sights on is player housing. If you're anything like me, you'll have spent hours upon hours building up a Gielinorian home as a teen. And with 'From The Ground Up', Runescape has served up plenty to dig into, whether you're a regular player or are returning to the MMO once again.

"At the heart of the new player Owned Housing Experience is freedom," it's stated in the update's release trailer. Adding a suite of customization options like house styles, and over 650 unique pieces of decor and furniture, you can even use a Weather Vane to bend nature to your will around your homestead, or set down a Music Box to listen to your favorite tunes. Construction has been upped to level 120, and "the traditional build-and-destroy training loop has been replaced with a completely new furniture crafting system," providing plenty of unlockables as you go.

If you're a social butterfly, you're now able to join Homesteads with up to five players to build up a community together, and can access each other's plots freely while also unlocking shared benefits for those you live with. Public Homesteads are also a thing if you've hit a creative block and need some inspiration. What's more, visitor numbers aren't restricted - meaning you can throw your own house party for more than you and your neighbors.

And if you're a bit of a completionist, you'll find display cases, a Prestigious Cape Stand, and a Skillscape Stand to show off everything from Archaeological findings to your favorite cape or your own progress. You can even store items with the addition of new trunks, chests, and an aquarium.

Consider yourself more of a battle-hardened adventurer? Pop down an Armor Repair stand, interact with the new Gilded Altar, or utilize different cauldrons for different benefits to get yourself geared up and ready for questing.

Runescape's From The Ground Update is available now. I'll see you out there in Gielinor, fellow adventurer!