Colony-Sim

The Crust was good when it entered Early Access a couple of years ago. At 1.0, it’s still good. Not quite great. ...

Dungeon Settlers promises a combination that should be an easy sell: colony builder plus dungeon crawler. After a full seven-hour stream, however, it currently feels much more like the latter. The settlement side was surprisingly basic in the scenario played. With the colony safely isolated on an island like landmass, there was little concern about defending or securing it. The only reason to develop it at all was the requirement of work benches to be inside. Dungeon expeditions provide resources needed for survival, construction, and research, making them the real engine driving the game forward. ...

Generation Exile introduces a colony-building experience with an emphasis on characters and generational survival. Individuals within the colony are not just units, but persistent entities capable of growth — and death — adding weight to long-term planning. ...

Oceaneers arrives in Early Access with immediate comparisons to Oxygen Not Included, and while those similarities exist, the game quickly establishes its own identity within a water-world setting. ...

All Will Fall presents a water world colony survival experience centered around a physics-based building system. Structures must be carefully constructed with proper support from scavenged materials, while also having you face typical colony survival mechanics like providing food and water. The concept shows promise. At its best, the building system introduces a layer of physicality that adds weight to every construction decision. There are moments where the system works as intended, providing a satisfying sense of engineering and letting you use some creativity. ...

Eastern Era arrives labeled as a full 1.0 release, though its current state suggests a project still in active development. Built in the mold of 3D RimWorld, the game distinguishes itself through a Chinese cultivation theme, bringing in some interesting twists mechanics for creating your sect and practicing martial arts. ...

Going Medieval returns to the record after almost five years in Early Access, having gone unvisited since its earliest days. Upon reexamination, the game presents itself as a far more polished and complete experience. ...

Solargene reached version 1.0 shortly before this filing, and my first exposure to it came post–early access. Somehow I missed this while in development. Over the course of roughly fifteen hours across three streams, the systems revealed themselves gradually. ...