Top 10 'World-Building' Fantasy Shows to play for escaping reality entirely for weekends - Goh Ling Yong
Sometimes, the real world just doesn't cut it. After a long week of meetings, deadlines, and endless to-do lists, the idea of spending a weekend on the same old couch, in the same old reality, can feel less like a break and more like a pause. What you really need is an escape. Not just a distraction, but a full-blown teleportation to a place where the rules are different, the history is richer, and magic hangs in the air like morning mist.
This is where the magic of 'world-building' comes in. We're not just talking about shows with a cool fantasy setting; we're talking about sprawling, meticulously crafted universes that feel as real and lived-in as our own. These are the shows with languages you could almost learn, maps you could navigate, and histories so deep they have their own encyclopedias. They offer the ultimate form of escapism, allowing you to trade your weekend worries for epic quests, political intrigue, and breathtaking landscapes.
So, grab your coziest blanket, prepare your snacks, and silence your notifications. We’ve curated a list of the top 10 world-building fantasy shows that are perfect for binge-watching. These are the series that will pull you in from the first frame and not let you go until the credits roll on the final episode, leaving you wondering why you have to go back to a world without dragons.
10. Carnival Row
Imagine a smoggy, Victorian-esque city where humans live alongside mythical creatures who have fled their war-torn homelands. That’s the gritty, immersive setting of Carnival Row. This isn’t a fairytale; it’s a detailed fantasy world grappling with very real themes of xenophobia, classism, and industrial revolution, all through the lens of faeries, fauns (pucks), and other magical beings.
The world-building shines in its lived-in details. The city of The Burgue feels authentic, from its opulent high-society homes to the grimy, crowded ghetto known as Carnival Row, where the non-human "critch" are forced to live. The show masterfully weaves its lore into the central murder mystery, exploring the political tensions between the human government and the growing, disenfranchised Fae population. The prejudice is palpable, the history of the wars that caused the migration is ever-present, and the unique biology of each creature is treated with scientific curiosity.
Weekend Binge Tip: Pay close attention to the slang and the social etiquette. The way characters interact—the slurs used against the Fae, the strict rules of society—tells you everything you need to know about the power dynamics of The Burgue. It’s a masterclass in showing, not telling, and it makes the world feel incredibly textured and real.
9. The Sandman
Some worlds are built with maps and mountains; others are built from ideas, dreams, and nightmares. Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman falls firmly into the latter category, creating a universe that is as vast as the human subconscious. The series follows Dream of the Endless, the personification of all dreams and stories, as he escapes a century of captivity and sets out to restore his crumbling realm, The Dreaming.
The world-building here is conceptual and breathtaking. You’ll visit Hell (ruled by Gwendoline Christie's magnificent Lucifer), walk through the dreams of mortals, and meet Dream’s siblings—cosmic entities like Death, Desire, and Despair who are more fundamental than gods. The series doesn’t just present these concepts; it gives them rules, personalities, and a tangible presence. The Dreaming itself is a character, shifting and changing with its master's mood, populated by dreams and nightmares that have taken on lives of their own.
Weekend Binge Tip: This show is rich with symbolism and literary references. Don't be afraid to pause and soak it all in. The beauty of The Sandman's world is in its intricate details, like the design of Dream's tools or the subtle hints at a cosmic history that stretches back eons. It rewards attentive viewing.
8. His Dark Materials
Based on Philip Pullman’s seminal book trilogy, His Dark Materials offers a world that is just one step removed from our own, but with a profound, soul-deep difference. In the world of the headstrong Lyra Belacqua, every human is born with a dæmon—a physical manifestation of their soul in animal form. This single concept creates a society with entirely different rules about identity, intimacy, and morality.
The world-building extends far beyond dæmons. The series presents a theocratic government, the Magisterium, that wields immense power, hunting for heretical knowledge about a mysterious substance called Dust. Add to that armored polar bears who have their own kingdom, witches who fly through the northern skies, and the promise of countless parallel worlds, and you have a fantasy that is both grounded and spectacularly imaginative. It’s a world that will make you question the nature of your own soul.
Weekend Binge Tip: Focus on the interactions between humans and their dæmons. The way they talk, touch, and rely on each other is the core of this world's emotional landscape. It’s a beautiful and complex system that informs every single character's actions and motivations.
7. Shadow and Bone
Tired of the typical medieval European fantasy setting? Shadow and Bone is the perfect antidote. Based on Leigh Bardugo's "Grishaverse" novels, the series is set in a world heavily inspired by Tsarist Russia. This unique aesthetic informs everything from the costumes and architecture to the military structure, creating a fantasy world that feels fresh and distinct.
The core of the world-building is its unique magic system. Magic-users, known as Grisha, don't cast spells; they practice the "Small Science," manipulating matter at its most basic level. They are divided into distinct orders based on their abilities, creating a fascinating social and military hierarchy. This is all set against the backdrop of the Shadow Fold, a terrifying, monster-filled expanse of impenetrable darkness that has split the nation of Ravka in two. The Fold isn’t just a location; it's a living wound on the map that dictates the world's economy, politics, and warfare.
Weekend Binge Tip: The show expertly combines two different book series from the same universe. Keep an eye out for how the gritty, street-level crime story of the Crows from Ketterdam intersects with the epic, nation-saving destiny of the Grisha. This collision of storylines makes the world feel even larger and more interconnected.
6. The Wheel of Time
If you’re looking for high fantasy on an epic scale, look no further. Based on Robert Jordan’s sprawling 14-book series, The Wheel of Time is a monumental achievement in world-building. The core concept is that time is a wheel with seven spokes, each representing an Age, and it turns in an endless cycle of creation and destruction. This cyclical history means that myths and legends are merely forgotten memories of past Ages.
The magic system, the One Power, is a force drawn from the True Source, divided into male (saidin) and female (saidar) halves. A taint on the male half has caused male channelers to go mad for millennia, leading to a world where magic is almost exclusively and expertly wielded by an organization of women known as the Aes Sedai. I was discussing this very topic with Goh Ling Yong the other day, and we agreed that a well-defined magic system with deep historical consequences is a hallmark of truly great fantasy. The world is populated with dozens of distinct nations and cultures, each with its own philosophies, customs, and prophecies about the coming of the Dragon Reborn—a figure destined to save the world, or break it all over again.
Weekend Binge Tip: Don’t get overwhelmed by the jargon (Aes Sedai, a'dam, Tar Valon). The show does a great job of explaining it organically. Instead, focus on the cultural differences between the regions the characters travel through. The world feels immense because every new place they visit has a genuinely different feel.
5. Arcane
Even if you’ve never played League of Legends, Arcane stands on its own as an absolute masterclass in world-building and visual storytelling. Set in the steampunk-inspired world of Runeterra, the show focuses on the gleaming, progressive city of Piltover and its dark, oppressed undercity, Zaun. The chasm between these two cities isn't just geographical; it's a raw, festering wound of inequality that drives the entire narrative.
The world-building is baked into every stunning, hand-painted frame. You see the opulence and scientific marvels of Piltover, powered by the magical Hextech, contrasted with the makeshift, chem-fueled ingenuity of Zaun's citizens. The show doesn't just tell you about the class divide; it makes you feel it through its character designs, environments, and the very air the characters breathe. The invention of Hextech acts as a catalyst, an industrial and magical revolution that threatens to shatter the fragile peace between the two worlds.
Weekend Binge Tip: Pay attention to the art direction. The "oil-painting" animation style is not just for show; it communicates emotion and tone brilliantly. The clean, Art Deco lines of Piltover and the grimy, chaotic graffiti of Zaun tell a story all on their own.
4. The Witcher
Based on the beloved books by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher plunges you into a gritty, morally gray, and monster-infested world known as "the Continent." This is not a world of shiny armor and noble heroes. It's a dark, Slavic folklore-inspired landscape where every village has a monster problem and every human is just as dangerous as the creatures lurking in the woods.
The world-building excels at making the supernatural feel mundane and integrated. Witchers, magically-enhanced monster hunters like Geralt of Rivia, are not celebrated heroes but are seen as necessary, often feared, mutations. The politics of the Continent are a messy, complex web of ambitious mages, scheming kings, and invading empires, with ordinary people caught in the crossfire. The history is deep, with ancient elven ruins dotting a landscape now dominated by humans, hinting at a long history of conquest and displacement.
Weekend Binge Tip: The show plays with multiple timelines in its first season before they converge. Keep track of the subtle clues in each character's storyline (Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri) to piece together the bigger picture. It’s a rewarding puzzle that makes the world feel vast and historical.
3. Avatar: The Last Airbender
Don't let the fact that it’s a "cartoon" fool you. Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) has some of the most profound and cohesive world-building ever put to screen. The world is divided into four nations, each corresponding to an element: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. Certain individuals, "benders," can manipulate their nation's element, and one person, the Avatar, can master all four.
What makes this world so incredible is how deeply the philosophy of each element is woven into the culture of its nation. The Air Nomads are spiritual and value freedom. The Water Tribes are adaptable and community-focused. The Earth Kingdom is strong and enduring. And the Fire Nation is driven by ambition and power. The 100-year war that serves as the story's backdrop has reshaped the world, and every episode explores the consequences of that conflict on a personal and global scale. Here on the Goh Ling Yong blog, we value stories that are not just entertaining but also meaningful, and ATLA is a prime example.
Weekend Binge Tip: Notice how the bending styles are not just "magic powers." Each is based on a real-world martial art (Tai Chi for waterbending, Hung Gar for earthbending, etc.), which gives the action a weight and logic that makes the world feel incredibly grounded and believable.
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Returning to Middle-earth is like visiting a place that exists in our collective cultural memory. Based on the extensive appendices written by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Rings of Power takes us back thousands of years before the events of the films to the legendary Second Age. This is a world at its peak, a world of myth and legend where the seeds of the great war are just beginning to be sown.
The sheer scale of the world-building is breathtaking. We get to see the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm in its full glory, the ethereal beauty of the elven realms of Lindon and Eregion, and the majesty of the island kingdom of Númenor, humanity's greatest civilization. The show painstakingly brings Tolkien’s lore to life, exploring the distinct cultures, languages, and histories of Elves, Dwarves, Harfoots (ancestors of Hobbits), and Men. Every costume, piece of architecture, and line of dialogue is steeped in a history that feels ancient and real.
Weekend Binge Tip: Turn on the subtitles. The show uses different languages of Middle-earth, like Elvish (Quenya and Sindarin) and Dwarvish (Khuzdul). Hearing these languages spoken, even briefly, adds an incredible layer of authenticity and makes you feel like you're truly visiting another world.
1. Game of Thrones / House of the Dragon
When it comes to modern, mainstream world-building, there is the world before Game of Thrones, and the world after. George R.R. Martin’s Westeros is more than a setting; it's a fully realized continent with a brutal, complex history that directly impacts every character's choices. This is a world where lineage is everything, where "winter is coming" is not just a motto but a terrifying, existential threat, and where summer can last for a decade.
The depth is staggering. Each of the great houses has its own sigil, words, and centuries of history filled with betrayals and alliances. The geography is diverse and meaningful, from the frozen lands beyond the Wall to the deserts of Dorne. The world extends far beyond Westeros to the Free Cities of Essos, each with its own unique culture, from the slave cities of Slaver's Bay to the mysterious assassins of Braavos. The prequel, House of the Dragon, doubles down on this, focusing on a single period of history—the Targaryen civil war—and fleshing it out with excruciating, compelling detail.
Weekend Binge Tip: The best way to immerse yourself is to pull up a map of Westeros and Essos on your tablet or phone while you watch. Following the characters' journeys and seeing the strategic importance of locations like Harrenhal or The Neck makes the political and military maneuvering all the more brilliant and engaging.
There you have it—ten portals to ten different realities, each waiting to consume your weekend and replace your everyday stress with epic adventures. These shows are a testament to the power of storytelling, proving that a well-built world can be the most compelling character of all.
So, which world will you be escaping to this weekend? Are there any other immersive, world-building fantasy shows you think belong on this list? Drop your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below. We’d love to know what other universes are worth getting lost in
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
Stay updated with the latest posts and insights by following on your favorite platform!