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To move in a normal merchant in Core Keeper, build a completely enclosed room with an interior floor area of 4 to 64 tiles (from 2×2 through 8×8), leave at least one floor tile empty, assign one crafted bed to that NPC, and drop the merchant’s specific summoning item inside. Then move more than 30 tiles away. The official developer FAQ says the move should take no more than about a minute after every requirement is met.
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The Spirit Merchant is the exception: its Ancient Hologram Pod summons it without a room or bed. Doors are optional under the current wiki guidance, although an older 2022 guide reported a door-related bug on early versions.
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Core Keeper merchant room requirements at a glance
These rules apply to ordinary merchants that occupy a room in your base. A valid setup has five parts: an enclosure, an allowed interior size, free floor space, an unclaimed bed, and the correct summoning item. The player’s position and the NPC’s previous bed also affect the move-in trigger.
| Requirement | What to do | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | Surround the room with walls on every side. | The current Core Keeper Wiki says any wall type works and a door is optional. |
| Interior size | Use 4–64 enclosed floor tiles. | This is 2×2 at the minimum and 8×8 at the maximum. |
| Free floor | Leave at least one interior tile unoccupied. | Torches and some 2×2 floor decorations can consume space the NPC needs. |
| Bed | Place one crafted bed for the merchant. | A bed can be shared with the player, but not with another NPC; the official FAQ calls for a bed not already taken by another merchant. |
| Summoning item | Drop the exact item for that merchant on the room’s floor. | An item for a different merchant will not satisfy the requirement. |
| Player distance | Leave the room and get more than 30 tiles away. | The official FAQ says the player cannot be near the room or merchant during move-in. |
How large can an NPC room be?
The current documented range is 4 to 64 enclosed floor tiles. In practical building terms, that means an interior rectangle from 2×2 through 8×8. The official developer FAQ specifically sets the upper limit at 8×8; the current wiki also states the four-tile minimum.
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| Interior dimensions | Enclosed floor tiles | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2×2 | 4 | Smallest valid room |
| 3×3 | 9 | Valid |
| 4×4 | 16 | Valid |
| 5×5 | 25 | Valid |
| 6×6 | 36 | Valid |
| 7×7 | 49 | Valid |
| 8×8 | 64 | Largest valid room |
| 9×9 or larger | 81 or more | Outside the documented limit |
Count the walkable interior tiles, not the outside footprint that includes the walls. A room can be rectangular rather than square as long as its enclosed floor count remains between 4 and 64; for example, a 4×8 interior has 32 tiles. Keeping the room close to the minimum makes it easier to spot an occupied tile, while a larger room gives you more decorating and storage flexibility.
What “fully enclosed” means
Every edge of the merchant’s room must be closed by walls. The current wiki describes the wall material as unrestricted, so you can use the building type that fits your base. The documentation treats a door as optional: a wall opening is not required for the move-in check, and a door is mainly useful for containing the merchant or matching your base design.
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One older source needs a version qualification. A PC Gamer guide published March 16, 2022 recommended wooden doors and reported that stone doors could prevent a merchant from moving in. That observation belongs to the game versions available at that time; it is historical troubleshooting, not a current universal rule. If you are playing an early build and a door appears to block the move, temporarily replace it with a wooden door or remove it while testing.
Bed assignment and free floor space
Use one bed per NPC
Place one crafted bed in each merchant’s room. The bed may be used by your character, but two NPCs cannot claim the same bed. If another merchant already owns the bed, the new merchant has no valid assignment even when every other part of the room is correct.
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Leave a genuinely empty tile
Keep at least one floor tile clear. Decorative objects that look harmless can still occupy the tile the game checks. The current wiki specifically warns about torches and certain 2×2 floor tiles. When testing, remove decorations first and leave a plain, walkable square beside the bed and summoning item.
Which item summons each merchant?
The item must be placed on the ground inside the intended room. The currently listed examples are:
| Merchant | Required item | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Bearded/Slime Merchant | Slime Oil | Drop it on the room floor. |
| Cloaked/Caveling Merchant | Mysterious Idol | Drop it on the room floor. |
| Fishing Merchant | Pile of chum | Drop it on the room floor. |
| Brave Merchant | Nuclear Battery | Drop it on the room floor. |
| Otherworldly Merchant | Void Idol | Drop it on the room floor. |
Use the exact item associated with the NPC you want. A correct room with the wrong idol, oil, battery, or chum will not summon that merchant. Keep the item on the floor while you move away and wait for the check to complete.
Step-by-step: build and trigger a merchant room
- Choose the location. Mark out an interior between 2×2 and 8×8 tiles. If you are relocating an existing merchant, first identify its current bed.
- Remove the old assignment when relocating. Pick up the merchant’s previous bed before setting up the new room. Leaving the old bed in place can keep the NPC tied to the former room.
- Build a complete enclosure. Place walls around every side. Any wall type is acceptable under the current wiki guidance; add a door only if you want one for access or containment.
- Check the floor count. Count only the enclosed interior tiles. Do not exceed 64 or fall below 4.
- Place the bed. Add one crafted bed that is not claimed by another NPC.
- Clear a tile. Remove torches, large floor pieces, and other objects until at least one floor tile remains plainly empty.
- Drop the summoning item. Put the item tied to the desired merchant on the room’s floor.
- Move away. Travel more than 30 tiles from the room and the merchant’s current position. The official FAQ says the player must not be nearby for the move-in to occur.
- Wait and return. Allow up to about one minute, then come back. The wiki notes that merchants can teleport while on-screen when the player is in the new room; leaving the room can give the game space to complete the teleport.
Why a merchant may not move in
The room is outside the size range
Recount the interior, excluding wall thickness. A 1×4 interior fails the four-tile minimum, and a 9×9 interior exceeds the eight-by-eight maximum. Resize the room before changing anything else.
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The enclosure has a gap
Inspect every edge, including corners and sections hidden by furniture. A single missing wall can make the area fail the enclosure check. The current documentation does not require a door, so adding one is not the first fix for a room that is otherwise sealed.
No floor tile is actually free
Temporarily remove torches and 2×2 floor tiles, then leave one bare square. Decorative clutter is a common reason a room appears correct but does not trigger.
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Use a separate crafted bed for each NPC. If the merchant is being moved, pick up the old bed first, then place the replacement in the new room.
The item is wrong or misplaced
Verify the merchant’s exact summoning item and drop it inside the enclosure rather than outside a wall. The examples include Slime Oil, Mysterious Idol, Pile of chum, Nuclear Battery, and Void Idol for their respective merchants.
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You are standing too close
Walk more than 30 tiles away from both the room and the merchant’s current location. Stay away long enough for the move-in check, which the official FAQ says should take no more than about a minute once all conditions are satisfied.
The merchant is waiting to teleport
The current wiki says merchants may teleport while they are on-screen in the new room, but they can linger if the player is close to their old position. Leave the room, move away, and return rather than watching the old location continuously.
The world state is stuck
If the checklist is correct and the merchant still does not appear, exit and reload the world. The current wiki recommends a reload as a final troubleshooting step after the room, bed, item, distance, and timing checks.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The Spirit Merchant exception
The Spirit Merchant does not use the ordinary room system. The Ancient Hologram Pod summons it directly, and because it is a hologram it does not need a room or a bed. Do not spend time resizing a room or assigning a bed for this NPC; verify the pod and its summon process instead.
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Room designs that work in practice
| Design | Validity | Advantages | Things to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact 2×2 room | 4 floor tiles, the minimum | Uses little base space and makes ownership easy to see. | One decoration can occupy too much of the available floor; keep a tile bare. |
| Medium 4×4 room | 16 floor tiles | Room for a bed, summon item, lighting, and limited decoration. | Count the interior, not the outside wall footprint. |
| Maximum 8×8 room | 64 floor tiles, the maximum | Most flexibility for themed rooms and access paths. | A room larger than this is outside the documented limit. |
| Shared merchant hall | Only if each NPC has its own valid bed and item arrangement | Efficient use of a central base. | Do not let two NPCs claim one bed; separate each merchant’s assignment clearly. |
For the fastest diagnosis, start with a bare 2×2 or 3×3 room, one bed, one empty tile, and the correct item. Once the merchant appears, expand or decorate within the 4–64-tile limit.
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The official Core Keeper Steam FAQ is the authoritative source for the eight-by-eight ceiling, the requirement for a bed not already taken by another merchant, the more-than-30-tile distance, and the approximate one-minute timing. The current Core Keeper Wiki supplies the broader present-day checklist, including the four-tile minimum, optional-door guidance, the free-tile warning, relocation behavior, the expanded merchant item list, and the Spirit Merchant exception.
The March 16, 2022 PC Gamer guide remains useful for identifying early-game summon items and documenting the old stone-door bug report, but its door recommendation should not override the current wiki’s statement that a door is optional.
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