In Core Keeper, you’ll find several merchants around the depths who can shack up in your base. But to get them to move in, you need to build a “habitable room” and place their favorite items inside.
The survival-crafting game doesn’t exactly tell you what a habitable room is. If you’re like me, you’ve probably already tried a combination of objects. There’s a certain set of requirements you’ll need to meet when you’re building your room, though, and once you have the right furniture and design, the merchant will spawn almost instantly.
Table of contents
Habitable room requirements in Core Keeper
A habitable room must have the following components before a merchant will move in:
- Walls
- Door
- Flooring
- A bed
- Torches (or other lighting)
- The merchant’s spawn item
I’ve found that both wood and stone floors and walls will work, but I opted for wood in my own builds since it’s an easier material to come across than other options. It doesn’t need to be big, either; the rooms I have are five-by-six spaces, counting the walls. You could go even smaller if you’d like. Don’t forget to line your room with walls instead of just carving out a space in the rock, though. Merchants prefer a well-insulated room, after all.
All Core Keeper merchants who can live in your base
There are a total of five merchants you can invite to stay in your base in Core Keeper. You’ll find many of these merchants after defeating a boss; the Bearded Merchant, for example, spawns after taking down Glurch the Abominous Mass. While he stays close to the area after the fight, you can get him to spawn in your base by placing the Slime Oil item you’ll receive after defeating Glurch.
Here are all the merchants who can live in your boss and how to summon them.
| Merchant name and image | Favorite item | Sells |
|---|---|---|
 Bearded Merchant | Slime Oil – From defeating Glurch the Abominous Mass | Tin Ore Copper Ore Gold Ore Larva Meat Shiny Larva Meat Fiber Scrap Parts Curious Egg |
 Cloaked Merchant | Mysterious Idol – From defeating Ghorm the Devourer | Caveling Bread Giant Slime Summoning Idol Ghorm Summoning Idol Hive Mother Summoning Idol Mechanical Part Ancient Gemstone Rune Parchment Empty Crystal |
 Seasonal Merchant | Seasonal Calendar – Crafted at a Carpenter’s Table | Furniture that varies depending on the season. |
 Fishing Merchant | Pile of Chum – From defeating Awakened Azeos | Basic fish, bait, and fishing equipment. |
 Brave Merchant | Nuclear Battery – A change to drop from the Alien Tech Chest | Hazmat Helm Hazmat Suit Jacket Hazmat Suit Pants Geode Wall Display Unusual Potion Lunar Cheese Bait Pillar |
How to get a merchant to move into your base
If you’ve met all the requirements for a habitable room in Core Keeper and you still can’t get a merchant to show up, there may be a fix. I had built several rooms with the above components and placed the merchant’s item on a table. But after waiting an extended period of time, the NPC still hadn’t spawned in my base.
It wasn’t until I removed the merchant’s item from the table and placed it on the ground that they finally appeared. You should know whether this trick works or your room isn’t considered habitable in moments after setting the item down. The merchant will spawn almost instantly. If it doesn’t, check the list of room requirements and compare it to your base to ensure you have the correct items placed.
