Individuals who enjoy turning small towns into busy cities will enjoy these realistic colony sims.
Taking on the role of a god and leading a small group of people through the ages to build a big, thriving society is one of the most fun things you can do in a video game. Colony models show the problems and successes of communities when people work together and do their best. They often put players at odds with their surroundings and give them only one goal: to survive.
This type of games has a lot of different settings and situations, from dark tundras in the Middle Ages to worlds in other solar systems. It has some of the most creative and unique ideas in all of gaming. The following games are some of the best and most famous colony sims on the market right now.
Timberborn
In Timberborn, players will not be controlling people but a society of beavers, making it a unique colony sim game. With its changing environments, one-of-a-kind wooden buildings, and clever use of river power to make electricity, this light-hearted game has a lot of depth.
Players will have to carefully oversee and balance the resources of their village while building a beaver society that gets bigger and bigger. The creators, Mechanistry, say that there will be a lot more content added to the game in the future since it is still in early access.
Aquatico
The Digital Reef Games’ Aquatico takes place deep below the ocean’s surface after it has become too dangerous to live on Earth’s surface. The players will have to build and run an underwater city while also staying alive in the face of many risks and threats.
Players will have to go deep into the ocean, set up supply lines, unlock new technologies, and keep the people who live in an underground city from going crazy. Because it takes place underwater, Aquatico is a very different kind of colony sim. It’s beautiful and relaxing.
Surviving The Aftermath
Another one-of-a-kind base-building and colony management game, Surviving The Aftermath takes place after a terrible event that has left people with no choice but to start over in a post-apocalyptic world. In an unfriendly and dangerous world, players must make sure their people stay alive and deal with a variety of chance events.
Every colonist has their own skills and traits, and players can teach them to hunt and explore the area. They can also be sent on trips to other areas to bring back special supplies and tools.
Dawn Of Man
Adafruit Games’ Dawn of Man is another game in the same type that does something different. Players will start in the Stone Age and work their way up to the Middle Ages, as long as they can avoid the many dangers they will face along the way.
As players try to stay alive in a hard, changing-seasons environment, they can experience the early stages of human evolution up close. They can do everything from hunting mammoths to building whole castles with irrigation farms.
Farthest Frontier
People who play Farthest Frontier have to build a village in the hard desert on the edge of the known world. Crate Entertainment put everything they had into making a difficult and engaging colony simulator that will delight fans of the genre. You can grow and pick goods and build up to 50 different types of buildings.
The very thorough farming system is one of the best parts of the game. To make sure that their townspeople are fed and that production stays steady, players will need to keep an eye on the changing seasons and the state of the land.
Rimworld
Rimworld is a sci-fi city sim with stories and events that are created in a way that makes each run different. The game has become very famous since it came out in 2018. It has a lot of complicated features, such as trade, battle, psychology, and environment.
As survivors of a shipwreck in a faraway world, players will need to take care of their colonists, keep them safe, and find their way through a variety of worlds and stories. The game is thought to be one of the most creative in its genre, even though it doesn’t have any co-op or multiplayer options.
Frostpunk
Frostpunk, also from 11 bit Studios and first launched in 2018, puts players against the elements with a different theme based on the dangers of being very cold. This game is still one of the best city sims out there, with a lot of different game types and interesting gameplay.
As Eggy Car players build a mechanical city in a harsh and empty world, they have to keep track of their people, energy, and supplies. But building is only the beginning. To make sure the colony stays alive, players will have to be good at managing the people who live there. In 2024, Frostpunk 2 will be released as a follow up.
Surviving Mars
The game Surviving Mars takes place on the not-so-distant Red Planet and lets players see what the future might hold as they build a city there from scratch. Players can turn the empty wastelands into a real paradise with the help of an army of drones and eager residents, especially after adding the Green Planet DLC.
If you like space and want a more grounded and realistic experience, this difficult sim is great for you. As they move across the yellow plains, players will have to deal with meteors, sand storms, and other secrets that will make it hard to stay alive.
Tropico (Series)
The Tropico series is the best settlement model there is. From the colonial era to the present day, players take charge of a small Spanish settlement on an exotic island that has the potential to grow into a full-fledged powerhouse.
The Tropico series is more than just a colony simulator, with a lot of complicated politics and management features. But what makes it great is that it makes you feel like you’re really making progress as you play. This brand has a lot of material for players to enjoy. There are now six games in the series.