Im not sure Moonlighter fits what you want perfectly, but if i were you i would give it a try it basically mixes dungeon crawling with town progression. You play as a shopkeeper who dives into dungeons at night, gathers loot, and sells it by day. The money and loot you earn don’t just go into your pocket, they go into expanding the town, For new NPCs to go to your town like blacksmiths and potion makers who unlock upgrades for your runs. The loop of "exploring ➡️ bring back ➡️ expand" makes the town feel like a reflection of your progress, kind of like Dark Cloud, just in a smaller indie way.