Bot Colony

About

Bot Colony is a single player open world role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by North Side and was released on June 16, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Bot Colony" is a unique game set in August 2021, where you are recruited by Nakagawa Corp. to investigate strange behavior in robots at their private island, Agrihan. Utilizing AI-based conversation as the main game mechanic, you'll speak in English with robots to advance in the game and uncover what happened. The genre-defining title combines adventure, simulation, RPG, and puzzles into a language-based gameplay set in an eerie South Pacific environment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

65%

Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and ambitious concept of interacting with robots through speech and text, providing a fresh experience in gaming.
Despite its current bugs and issues, many players find the interactions with the robots to be entertaining and engaging, often leading to humorous moments.
The developers are responsive to community feedback and show a commitment to improving the game, which gives hope for future updates and enhancements.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues, making it frustrating and often unplayable for many users.
Voice recognition and AI understanding are inconsistent, leading to frequent misunderstandings and a lack of fluidity in gameplay.
The game has been in early access for a long time without significant updates, causing concerns about its future and overall viability.

gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
63%
10%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by innovative mechanics and a unique focus on AI interactions, offering a mix of fun and frustration as players navigate text and speech conversations with robots. While the game shows potential with its ambitious design and engaging concepts, it suffers from bugs, a laggy interface, and limited resources, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, many players appreciate the game's originality and are optimistic about future improvements as it continues to develop.
- “The developers of this game have succeeded in bringing to the market some completely new game mechanics that other companies are just dreaming about.”
- “The game has a unique concept and mechanics; though some robots seem to be stubborn or plain stupid, it varies from fun to frustrating to try to communicate with them properly.”
- “Great gameplay, high potential, pretty good graphics, nice concept with voice implementation, good controls, overall 9/10, I liked it!”
- “I never had a gameplay lasting more than 1 hour without having to restart the game, and I played the first level 4 times due to bugs that forced me to start over.”
- “That has caused a lot of confusion and problems in gameplay for gamers.”
- “That said, though it has been getting worked on for quite some time, it looks a bit dated, and the actual gameplay in Bot Colony is really klunky.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The story in "Bot Colony" is described as ambitious and intriguing, allowing players to engage in non-scripted conversations with robots and explore a rich backstory. While the game features a linear narrative structure, it offers opportunities for investigation and character interaction, contributing to an overall engaging experience. However, some players express disappointment over the game's incomplete story and technical issues that hinder progression.
- “Bot Colony is an ambitious title, aiming to provide a non-scripted story by allowing you to freely converse with robots.”
- “The game does not solely rely on that as a selling point either, as it is also visually pleasing and contains an intriguing story (although it is likely to remain an open-ended tale).”
- “I've only had the chance to get ankle-deep into the story so far, but Bot Colony offers a fairly rich and developed game world with interesting characters, plot, and mechanics.”
- “The 'plot' to the story would be a side-quest compared to just trying to teach your bot to do things with a series of basic commands.”
- “The introductory mission is a test to train the player - which brings me to the second issue.”
- “While no longer purchasable, one of the videos does cover the story as it would have unfolded.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
41%
18%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the art style and futuristic atmosphere, while others find the graphics dated and lacking in options. Despite some graphic bugs and limitations due to resource constraints, many users still enjoy the overall aesthetic and design elements. Overall, the graphics are described as decent but not cutting-edge, appealing more to those who value art style over technical prowess.
- “The art-style was pleasant, and they nailed the futuristic sci-fi atmosphere.”
- “Great gameplay, high potential, pretty good graphics, nice concept with voice implementation, good controls, overall 9/10, I liked it!”
- “I like the graphic art style and how the robots look, the interior is fine too.”
- “Just played it today and there are still graphic bugs.”
- “Very dated; if you simply must have the latest shiny graphics, then this is not for you.”
- “Graphics are lacking.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting game-breaking glitches and frequent crashes that hinder gameplay. While some appreciate the developers' responsiveness to reported issues, the overall experience remains marred by bugs, making it difficult to progress, especially in the tutorial. Despite its innovative features, the instability detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
- “I love the premise, but it's too buggy to actually play.”
- “The game had tons of big, game-breaking glitches.”
- “Unfinished, buggy, lots and lots of crashes.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
29%
57%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting severe performance issues, including consistently low frame rates around 12-13 fps, particularly on lower-end PCs. Many reviewers attribute these problems to poor choices in the game engine, suggesting that the overall experience could have been significantly improved with better optimization.
- “If we ignore the optimization and obvious performance issues due to a bad choice in the game engine, we see a thing that has never been done before.”
- “Overall, I had a terrible experience with this game, mostly because of the optimization.”
- “I played at a constant 12/13 fps throughout the whole game, and my specs are:”
- “My final thoughts on this game are that if the game wasn't so poorly optimized and full of bugs, it would have been a good experience.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of "funny bad" moments and amusing dialogue, with players encouraged to engage in humorous conversations. While some funny scenarios, like a robot's antics, provide entertainment, the reliance on text and speech can become agitating for some, and the humor may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the game features moments of genuine hilarity, though it can also lead to frustration as gameplay progresses.
- “It's up to you to ask the right questions, or to make some funny conversations!”
- “Sometimes you will find really funny sentences.”
- “There was also one bug that required me to restart the level, but it was so funny that it's hard not to forgive it.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The music in the game is highly praised for its futuristic sound and ability to create an immersive atmosphere, complementing the beautiful level and character design. Overall, it enhances the overall aesthetic experience, making it a standout feature for players.
- “I love the music and art style too.”
- “Nice futuristic music, nice atmosphere, beautiful level and character design.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Reviews on replayability are mixed; while some users find the game lacking in replay value, others highlight the numerous interactions and achievements available in each level, suggesting significant potential for replayability.
- “There are tons of interactions that can be explored in each level, as seen from the achievements list, so there's a lot of replayability there.”
- “There is no replayability.”
- “Plus, there are tons of more interactions that can be explored in each level (I can see that from the achievements list), so there's a lot of replayability there.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its pleasant art style and effective portrayal of a futuristic sci-fi setting, complemented by engaging music and beautiful level and character design.
- “The art style was pleasant, and they nailed the futuristic sci-fi atmosphere.”
- “Nice futuristic music, creating a beautiful atmosphere with stunning level and character design.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the reviews highlight the game's impressive futuristic music, atmosphere, and visual design, they do not provide specific insights into character development, leaving that aspect largely unaddressed.