Blissing your rules in The Elder Scrolls: Castles can be a little tricky until you unlock some of the more advanced Bliss features. Fortunately, you can still manage the overall happiness of your castle from day one by understanding how your actions affect the game. Here’s a guide on how to keep your rules happy in The Elder Scrolls: Castles.
You’ll learn about happiness fairly soon after enthronement of your first ruler, but The Elder Scrolls: Castles doesn’t delve too deeply into the issues of making your whole castle happy.
Fortunately, through a little trial and error, I’ve gathered enough tips to help you keep your subjects happy, even when they’re determined to sneak around the castle with their heads down. If you’re having trouble keeping your rules happy in The Elder Scrolls: Castles, this guide is for you.
Rules affect happiness
Every time you make a decision in your Throne Room, it affects the happiness of your subjects. A single ruling can affect not only the person standing before you, but entire groups, races, and social classes. So… One wrong decision, and suddenly half your castle is grumpy. If you’re not sure what to do, go neutral. Yes, it will usually cost you some coin or some resources, but it’s better than tanking the happiness levels of everyone under your roof.
Of course, if you want to play it smart, consider who is the least happy when making a decision. Leaning toward the person with the lowest happiness can keep the balance in check. Because trust me, if a subject hits rock bottom in happiness, you might find yourself on the wrong end of an assassination attempt. I learned this the hard way when my Queen was insulted by an upstart named Jofarr (yes, that one). Don’t worry though – I made sure his life was miserable before getting rid of him after my new Queen took over.
Eliminate annoying topics
Speaking of expulsion, let’s talk about those subjects with nasty features. Some topics just aren’t worth the trouble. Bossy? Heartless? Remove them. They will only cause more problems by dragging down the happiness of your other hard working subjects. Negative traits like these can spread misery faster than cold in winter, so it’s better to eliminate the source altogether.
The great thing is that there is no penalty for deleting a topic. If you have a subject that is constantly making life difficult for everyone else, don’t hesitate to send them packing. It’s not like they’re going to be productive anyway.
Subjects with compatible characteristics work best together
On the other hand, grouping subjects with compatible positive characteristics can make some dream teams. For example, subjects with the Considerable trait are amazing when paired together. As part of their trait, they are more productive at the Kitchen and Loom stations than other subjects would be. When you bring two Mindful subjects together, not only do they get along, but their happiness levels can remain more stable, making your production more efficient.
Always try to keep subjects with similar positive characteristics together when assigning them jobs. If you have a team of Volatile or Sophisticated workers, you will notice that things go much more smoothly, and no one gets too upset.
Best Workstations to Boost Happiness
If you’re really in a pinch and need to boost your subjects’ happiness, some workstations and decorations can go a long way.
The Music Stage
The Music Stage unlocks when you reach Dynasty level 26. Once you hit this level, you can build the Music Stage, which is your best bet for boosting happiness at lower levels. You can assign it two subjects, and after a few hours (no, seriously), they’ll regain happiness. If they have the Sophisticate trait, they will heal faster. Just keep an eye on them to make sure they’re not sitting there longer than they need to be, or you’ll lose valuable production time.
The Bookshelf
The Bookshelf unlocks at Dynasty level 42. It works similarly to the Music Stage but gets the job done much faster. Same rules apply – two subjects at once, and Sophisticated workers regain happiness faster. If you’re in a hurry to raise the spirits of your castle’s most valuable workers, this is the way to go.
The Art Studio
The Elder Scrolls: Castles had an early launch before its full release on September 9, 2024. It first launched in the Philippines back in January 2024, and then headed to various Nordic and European countries (among others!). If you played back in February, you might remember the Art Lover’s Bundlewhich appeared in the in-game store for 675 Gems.
One of the items in that package was the Art Studio, which is the fastest way for your subjects to express themselves and regain happiness in the game. It’s not currently available, but don’t worry – it’ll probably make its way back into the store at some point.
In addition to these workstations, build decorations like the Iron Armor Stand can lower happiness loss by 1% for all subjects. These effects also stack, so feel free to place several around your castle for maximum happiness insurance!
Other Ways To Make Your Subjects Happy
There are a few more tricks to keep in mind to boost happiness in The Elder Scrolls: Castles. First, make sure your castle is well stocked with food and oil, as this has a direct impact on the content of your rules. Also, never skimp when it comes to paying your wizards – you don’t want them throwing curses and spreading misery.
For those pesky Bossy traits, if you’re not ready to get rid of them completely, you can try pairing them with three Volatile subjects on the same workstation. It’s a risky strategy, but it might just balance out their negative influence.
Remember that not every subject is cut out for every role. If someone isn’t pulling their weight or seems to be causing more trouble than they’re worth, it might be time to make some tough decisions — whether that means reassigning them or saying goodbye altogether.
Keeping your rules happy in The Elder Scrolls: Castles takes a bit of strategy, but with the right rules, workstations, and subject management, you can build a productive kingdom.
Want to read more Elder Scrolls content on Pro Game Guides? Check out Best ESO DLCs for beginners in Elder Scrolls Online and All ESO DLCs and Chapters in order of release.
