Colonize

About

"Colonize is a survival and building strategy game set in the 17th century New World. Players must populate and build six different cities, each expanding game possibilities and increasing the challenge with factors like weather, expeditions, and ship size. It's an isometric, economy-focused city management simulation, with a focus on population and resource management."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

47%

Audience ScoreBased on 95 reviews

story3 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game has a great concept and potential for fun, especially for fans of city-building games.
Some players appreciate the historical perspective and the challenge of managing a community.
There is a helpful community and regular updates from the developers, indicating ongoing support and improvements.

The game is currently plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with saving, AI pathfinding, and resource management, making it nearly unplayable.
Many features from the prologue have been stripped down or are missing, leading to a feeling of disappointment and frustration among players.
The gameplay is slow and lacks depth, with players often experiencing a lack of content and repetitive mechanics.

gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the core concept and flow, particularly for an early access title, while others criticize it for being buggy and lacking depth. Many find the mechanics underwhelming, with issues like starvation occurring despite ample resources, leading to a perception of the game as barebones. Overall, while there are promising elements, significant improvements are needed for a more engaging experience.
- “In the dozens of city-builders I've played, I have never come across a mechanic that makes death from starvation commonplace while the warehouses are full of food.”
- “Colonize is similar to Farthest Frontier in its style and gameplay mechanics.”
- “I think the gameplay, the flow is very good for an early access level.”
- “In the dozens of city-builders I've played, I have never come across a mechanic which makes death from starvation commonplace while the warehouses are full of food.”
- “Basically, the game doesn't have an end but just gameplay... acceptable but not outstanding.”
- “Incredibly barebones in every facet of gameplay.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The graphics have been widely criticized for being clunky and subpar, with jittery animations for character movement reminiscent of older titles like Caesar III. Users noted that the overall visual quality does not meet modern standards, contributing to a less engaging gameplay experience.
- “The graphics are clunky; the characters walk around in a very jittery fashion. Gameplay isn't explained very well in the beginning, and the game is pretty slow-going.”
- “The graphics are definitely subpar.”
- “The graphics are poor; citizens move very strangely.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for being highly buggy, with frequent glitches and stuttering that can render it unplayable, particularly after the latest update. While players acknowledge the challenges of early access titles, the persistent issues, such as freezing during gameplay and in the tutorial, have significantly impacted the overall experience.
- “After 32 hours of gameplay, the concept is great, but it's just too buggy.”
- “As of the latest update, all my game loads start fine, but the entire game stutters, running for a second then freezing, then starting and freezing again, making the game totally unplayable.”
- “There was a bug in the tutorial part where you are required to build roads; the building menu freezes and you can't progress, forcing me to restart the game.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The music in the game is generally described as soothing and reminiscent of classic strategy titles, enhancing the gameplay experience. However, players report that it can become repetitive over time, and technical issues such as frame rate drops can lead to audio crackling, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- “Good: soothing music, camera movement is 360 and very easy to understand how placement works, overall it feels like the old strategy games like Age of Empires or in that sort of genre.”
- “At a certain point, you get tired of the in-game music.”
- “I was enjoying the gameplay; it's definitely a slow burner to start until you start to grow your population. Shame though that once the population starts to grow, the game starts to slow down. I got down to 15 FPS, and even the music crackles as the game has a hissy fit.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The game's story is inconsistent, with some players finding it lacking and choppy, while others appreciate the good storytelling and cinematics. However, issues such as the abrupt deaths of colonists and their random grave markers detract from the overall narrative experience.
- “The game features a compelling story and stunning cinematics that draw you in.”
- “I was captivated by the rich narrative and beautifully crafted cutscenes.”
- “The storytelling is engaging, complemented by impressive cinematic sequences.”
- “The game is choppy and lacks a coherent storyline.”
- “The colonists drop dead unexpectedly, and their grave markers appear randomly, which is frustrating.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is appreciated by players, adding an enjoyable element without affecting gameplay.
- “The humor in this game is absolutely delightful, adding a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.”
- “I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and clever puns throughout the game.”
- “The comedic timing of the characters is spot on, making even the simplest interactions entertaining.”