Extremely Comprehensive World-building Checklist
Inspiration for every country
Map, or basic understanding of the layout. I recommend Inkarnate for making maps!
Major historical events, think about how wars have sparked new political philosophies and how they’ve shaped cultures today (think about how Liberalism stems from a response to oppressive monarchies)
What’s the culture of the different countries in your world? What kind of arts do they practice, if the arts are widespread? What’s available for entertainment, does the average person have enough downtime to participate in leisure? What’s the architecture like? What are the major exports of each country?
Are there any major historical figures in your countries? Any influential works of literature that have been studied?
What does daily life look like for people in different socioeconomic classes?
Is the culture of country side villages and towns similar to urban areas? How does it differ?
What is the religion? Does each country follow something different, or is everyone the same? Is it mono or polytheistic? Who are the religious leaders? Do people attend church, or is worship practiced in private? Are there any rituals?
Building off of religion, is there any religious conflict?
What does the government look like? Is it an absolute monarchy? Constitutional monarchy? Or some form of democracy or republic? Who’s the leader and what other positions hold power?
Does each country have a government, or is your world ruled under one government?
What do the different classes look like in your country? Do the higher social classes look down on those beneath them? Is there a general sense of class consciousness, and class conflicts?
Climate of each country, territory, or state
Typical jobs of every country, territory, or state
What kind of transportation is available?
What does the military look like? Is there one? Do any militias operate in the rural areas?
Does your world have any myths or legends? What were they influenced by, and how do they influence the culture? Are there any superstitions around these myths?
Typical foods, what do most people eat? Is the food bland, or flavorful? How does access to food differ for different people, and does the type of food eaten change with social status?
Type of laws, do the people have any protected rights? What might get someone thrown in a cell for a night? Do your countries have an organized prison system, or do they operate by throwing everyone in the castle’s dungeons?
What kind of economy do the different countries have? Is it regulated by the government? What’s the major currency?
What’s the social life like? Are there certain customs to follow? What’s considered polite or impolite?
How are foreigners seen? Is there any hostility towards them, or are the citizens of your countries more accepting of other cultures?
What are the relationships like between countries?
What weapons are used in war?
What’s the general attitude towards war and other conflicts? Do any of your countries use a pacifist approach? Do any countries protect their neighbors from a common enemy?
Sanitary system, do they have sewage? Think about how disease was common in cities before proper sewage was invented.
Educational System for the poor, is there any sort of public education? Is there any sort of access to higher education, if it exists in your countries?
Educational system for the rich, do nobles typically hire tutors or is there a system of private schooling?
How is education viewed? Is it valued?
How do the people communicate, between cities or even countries? Is there any form of published communication, or is everything passed through spoken word?
Morality, what is considered moral or immoral?
What are the beauty standards of your country? How are different physical appearances viewed?
What’s the clothing like? What does the average peasant wear, what does the average noble wear?
What language is spoken? Do different countries speak different languages? Is there a common tongue?
Are good hygiene practices common? How often does the average person bathe?
Is marriage viewed as a religious or legal institution? What’s the general attitude towards marriage? Is it common? What does the courting process look like?
Are water and other resources readily available? Do they have to be outsourced to other countries?
Science, is it accepted? Do people actively research new things in your countries?
Going back to the prison question, what is the legal system like? Do people get trials? What sort of crimes result in different penalties? Who makes the final decision of punishment, a judge? The lord ruling over the territory the crime took place?
How is death treated? Are funerals held? Do they bury their dead, or use funeral pyres? Are funerals viewed as a celebration of the person’s life, or a time to mourn?
What kind of diseases are common? What do the symptoms look like?
What are your countries’ attitudes towards alcohol and other substances? Is drinking a common practice, or widely frowned upon?
When looking at these different aspects of your world, it’s also important to remember that the histories of our world don’t have to dictate what happens in yours. For example, public education wasn’t really common in the United States until the 1800s. On the other end of that, one of the earliest formal schools was founded in Egypt in 2061-2010 BC and many Middle Eastern cultures have pushed for education since then as the ability to read religious scripture was important.
That said, using the characteristics of different countries can be useful in guiding your own and the histories of said countries can guide you even further. Your world can resemble ours, or be totally different and backwards. At the end of the day, have fun!
