Editing Dragon Quest Builders (section)

==Development==
Builders began development under series producer Noriyoshi Fujimoto, who wanted to address the unfamiliarity of sandbox-style games with Japanese players. As the series has a precedent of spin-off titles that eschew the traditional RPG formula of the main line games for more action focus, Fujimoto felt that an experimental title such as ''Builders'' would not clash with the fans, and instead introduce them to a new type of genre altogether through crafting.

The setting of Alefgard was chosen due to the relative simplicity of the landscape compared to later entries in the series, which Fujimoto felt would be more intuitive to ''Builders''' theme of exploration and restoration. The Dragonlord's infamous offer of half the world lent itself to a scenario that would easily explain why the game's setting was in dire need of rebuilding in the first place, and not clash with the design sensibilities the series is known for.

The initial planning document specified that the game would be an open-world style adventure in which all areas were connected, rather than featuring sequential chapters that remove the resources accumulated previously. Director Kazuya Niinou proposed a change to this plan, citing that if players completed one area and moved to the next with their materials still accessible, the game would become too easy and not rewarding to play. He suggested a switch to the chapter format, which would have the added benefit of giving more distinction to each area and the people within along with resolving the difficulty curve issues.The chapters would originally reverse the order in which towns are normally reached in the original, which is why the game begins in Cantlin. This was changed later during production to begin near [[Dragonlord's Castle|Charlock Castle]] and radiate outwards before reaching Tantegel in the final chapter, rather than the more predictable reverse-order.

For quality assurance, play-tests were done from the perspective of gamers with no prior experience with the series so as to make the game accessible to newcomers. Rather than finalize a concrete story at the start of the project, the development team instead focused on the types of materials and items the player can make use of, only beginning work on the story once the team was satisfied with the tools they had created.

===Nintendo Switch version===
In early 2018, Square Enix released a Switch port of the game. It included the same content seen on the PlayStation versions, but with a few tweaks and changes.
*Graphically, the game was practically on par with the PS4 version.
*The challenges were changed. The speedrunning ones were replaced by item collection ones.
*Some new content was available in Terra Incognita. The Sabercub mount was the main addition, but no the last. Defeating enemies by jumping on them while riding the sabercub would provide the player with pixel blocks that could be used to create items based on the original game's 8-bit sprites.

===Smartphone and PC versions===
On May 27 of 2022, as part of the 36th anniversary celebrations, Square Enix released a mobile version of Dragon Quest Builders, surprising to most fans. This version can be considered the definitive version of the game as of 2022, due to the numerous changes and improvements present on it. It was later ported to PC in 2024.
*It includes everything available on the Switch version of the game.
*This version supports every language the game has ever been translated to (Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, English, German, French, Spanish and Italian) in a single version. It also includes two new translations: Brazilian Portuguese and Latin American Spanish. The PC version also includes Simplified Chinese.
*There is an "undo" button.
*There is autosave. It triggers when sleeping or when using a chimaera wing.
*A buildnoculars-like feature called "Build Mode" is available from the start. Players can build and destroy from afar with this feature by just clicking on the screen.
**The "Builder Mode" is expanded in Terra Incognita. It's a function even more similar to Builders 2's Buildnoculars, allowing for a great level of accuracy due to it's crosshair.
*Doors open automatically when the player moves close to them.
*Equipment degradation is gone.
*The character can now run.
*Players can now choose how many items to craft at once.
*The menus are completely redone.
*Swipping up opens the bag / colossal coffer.
*Each slot can now hold up to 9999 items instead of 99.
*The bag can now hold more items as well. Chests can hold 50% more items, and the colossal coffer is also larger.
**The colossal coffer can now be organized normally or separated by item type.
*The color globes now emit a ray of light for extra visibility.
*The Big Bash technique from Builders 2 is available and unlocked upon obtaining the giant mallet.
*The recipe list now shows what monsters drop monster-only materials.
*The Bashmobile does not stop after colliding against blocks or items.
*Ability to unlock infinite materials for the workbenches in Terra Incognita, similar to the infinite materials from Explorer Shores in Builders 2. They can be unlocked by purchasing the related manual with Pixel blocks.
*Rare items can be purchased with Pixel blocks as well.
*New tools, accessories and items for Terra Incognita:
**Gloves: They function similar to their Builders 2 counterpart, allowing players to hold and rotate items without breaking them.
**Mega minecart: Ride tracks even faster than before.
**Liber Destructica: Turns Big Bash into Bigger Bash.
**Meteorite shoes: A pair of shoes that greatly increase speed movement.
**Reverse curved rail track: A rail section that turns to the left.
*A new item type for Terra Incognita: "Figurine". This type of item includes replica models of monsters and npcs, which can be assigned animations from a list.
*New paid DLC for Terra Incognita:
**Magic Carpet allows players to fly.
**Pixel Ring triples the drop rate of pixel blocks dropped by enemies.
**Astronomy Set unlocks recipes to create the celestial bodies of the Solar System.
**Boss Monster Model Set allows players to place replicas of the story bosses.