Colony Survival

About

Colony Survival is a single player and multiplayer open world simulation game with a historical theme. It was developed by Pipliz and was released on June 16, 2017. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Colony Survival is a historical simulation game that offers both single-player and multiplayer/co-op modes. Players must build and manage a colony with dozens of different jobs and resources, while defending against monster invasions using dynamic 3D pathfinding. Explore a large, diverse world and expand your colony with advanced metals, weapons, and jobs using an extensive science system."

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,140 reviews

gameplay89 positive mentions

grinding97 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of colony management and tower defense mechanics, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
Regular updates from the developers keep the game fresh and engaging, with new content and features being added frequently.
The ability to automate tasks through colonists allows for creative building and resource management without the tedious grind.

The game can become repetitive and lacks depth in late-game content, leading to a feeling of stagnation.
The user interface and controls can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for new players to get started.
Some players have reported bugs and issues with save files, which can lead to frustrating experiences.

gameplay
316 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
68%
4%
The gameplay of the game is a blend of colony management and survival mechanics, drawing comparisons to Minecraft while offering its own unique features. Players appreciate the solid core mechanics and the engaging gameplay loop, though some find it repetitive and lacking depth over time. Frequent updates and a responsive development team are noted as positives, but there are calls for more complexity and variety to enhance the overall experience.
- “The gameplay is intuitive and it doesn't take long to get the hang of it.”
- “Colony survival is a truly exceptional game that offers an unmatched blend of strategy, survival, and base building gameplay.”
- “The gameplay itself is challenging, yet satisfying, as you work to build and maintain a thriving colony.”
- “The gameplay gets boring and repetitive after a while, as you're simply just doing the same thing over and over again.”
- “The new colony point mechanic slows the game to a crawl; it takes so long for the game to actually get reasonably complex that it feels like a mobile game.”
- “Gameplay is oversimplified and somewhat uninspired: I've put one archer in front of a bridge and I didn't even bother looking for something else.”
graphics
242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
51%
7%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players praising the stunning visuals and attention to detail, particularly in lighting and texture quality, which enhance the overall experience. While some comparisons to Minecraft highlight a more polished aesthetic, others note that the graphics can be simplistic or inconsistent, leading to a few graphical glitches. Overall, the game is considered visually appealing for a voxel-based title, though some players feel it could benefit from further refinement and variety.
- “The game's graphic design is simply stunning.”
- “From the moment you start playing, you'll be captivated by the stunning graphics and attention to detail in every aspect of the game.”
- “The graphics on the game are immaculate, every block is 3D textured and most of them have really smooth textures, there is also a focus mechanic when you get close to a block which just amplifies how amazing the overall visuals are.”
- “This game is a fun game and good idea; however, when it comes to graphics and gameplay, it's pretty poor.”
- “The graphics are actually low quality even for a Minecraft-like game, but it's somewhat understandable considering the premise of having hundreds of AI enemies loaded in.”
- “The graphics are terrible; there is a single mob that looks like a computer programming project from a freshman in college; there are no animations for building or destroying other than a progress bar that is not affected by tools.”
grinding
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
7%
92%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest significant time to progress, with some likening it to needing a "second life" to manage the tasks involved. While some players find satisfaction in the endgame and enjoy the automation of tasks through colonists, many express frustration with the repetitive nature of resource gathering and the lack of engaging content in the later stages. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable mechanics and frustrating grind, appealing primarily to those who appreciate micromanagement and automation.
- “When the achievable aim was a big, impressive colony, not tedious micromanagement of frustrating and bad mechanics.”
- “I played longer than I should have so I could 100% the achievements, but they reset them, so now I feel a bit foolish for caring about achievements and wasting time grinding all of them.”
- “The achievements aren't very fun to achieve, most being stuff you will unlock as you simply play, and a few others being tedious to no end with no challenge other than staying awake as you're assaulted by boredom.”
- “Unfortunately, the game gets a little grindy and boring in the very late stages, since almost all late-game items can't be used by the player.”
story
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
73%
18%
The reviews indicate a significant lack of narrative depth in the game, with many players expressing disappointment over the absence of a compelling story or end goals. While some appreciate the gameplay mechanics, they feel that the game would greatly benefit from the addition of quests or a storyline to enhance engagement and provide context. Overall, the consensus is that the game is enjoyable but lacks the rich storytelling elements that could elevate it further.
- “In my opinion, I love playing this game. I always play it in my free time and I hope that they add more content, like some Vikings to the north that attack every 10 days in the morning. Then they have axes, and when we unlock the matchlocks, the Vikings become pirates that use blunderbusses and swords. This time they attack every 15 days, and I really think we should have a storyline so that we can have lore behind the colonists against the zombies.”
- “My biggest complaint with the game is the lack of endgame. It would be cool if they added some type of quest-based story to go along with the gameplay.”
- “A story mode would change the game, I think.”
- “Unfortunately, this game has no story - 0/0.”
- “This game has a nice concept but it feels like nothing matters; there is no story and no true end goal.”
- “Don't bother if you want a story-heavy game.”
stability
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting various bugs and glitches, particularly related to AI pathfinding and menu functionality. While some users have experienced minimal issues and found the game generally playable, others have faced significant problems that hinder gameplay, especially in early access. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further polishing to address its stability concerns.
- “As it is now, a wonderful game and it's not buggy and very playable.”
- “I personally can overlook a temporary lack of content if the game is polished, visually appealing, and runs almost bug-free with very responsive developers.”
- “For an early access game with only two people working on it, it is surprisingly stable and bug-free.”
- “Buggy, bad support (game would not even start anymore after 2nd boot).”
- “It's one of those titles where you can tell really fast that it is going to be really buggy and a giant pain in the butt to play.”
- “So far the game is still really buggy (again to be expected) and here is a list of bugs I found out:”
optimization
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
38%
10%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many users reporting smooth performance even with a high number of NPCs and detailed graphics. However, some players noted issues with specific elements like lighting and AI performance, suggesting that while the game runs well on various systems, there are still areas that require improvement. Frequent updates have reportedly enhanced performance, making it accessible even on lower-end machines.
- “Optimization is flawless.”
- “Game runs smoothly in almost all scenarios - I've yet to experience any real lag that wasn't due to ping!”
- “It's so well optimized that it runs smoothly on low-end machines as well.”
- “So it's extremely poorly optimized.”
- “The game had bad gameplay and it's not well optimized for the number of NPCs that are in there.”
- “My main criticism would be that there are some major performance issues from lighting overlapping, or being too dense in an area, despite the game running superbly on high settings generally.”
replayability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
48%
15%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its potential for varied play styles and continuous updates that enhance long-term engagement, while others criticize its linearity and lack of diversity, leading to tedium over time. Many users find enjoyment in building and experimenting with different strategies, but some feel that the game can become repetitive after a certain point. Overall, the potential for replayability seems to hinge on future content updates and the player's creativity in gameplay.
- “The game truly caters to every play style and has a huge amount of replayability.”
- “The fact that the creators are continuously updating this game gives it a ton of replayability.”
- “Such a good game with loads of replayability and with goals you actually have to work for.”
- “It's just too tedious after a while, and little in the way of replayability.”
- “There is no strategy to combat, and almost no replay value.”
- “I want more variety in gameplay but how I see it right now this game has very low replayability.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The game's sound effects effectively enhance the atmosphere, contributing to a sense of realism during gameplay. However, many players express a strong desire for background music, noting that its absence makes the experience feel incomplete and repetitive. While some appreciate the current audio design, they hope future updates will incorporate a more robust musical element to enrich the overall experience.
- “The music and sound effects add to the game's atmosphere, with every sound of construction or enemy attack adding another layer of realism.”
- “This is always a fun game to create something from the ground up all while either listening to music or the official podcast.”
- “V0.7 is coming out soon which is supposed to be the biggest update since release, which is nice, but as long as the developers continue developing, then this will turn into a very nice little relax-put-on-music-and-chill game.”
- “As of right now, my only gripe with the game is the total lack of music.”
- “No reason to explore, no animations, no music, terrible UI and is just mundane.”
- “There is no background music, but there are sound effects for every action in the game so far.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a strong point, with players enjoying funny moments arising from gameplay mechanics, such as colonists making poor decisions and amusing zombie behavior. However, some users express frustration with the game's development and updates, contrasting the humor with dissatisfaction over the overall experience. Overall, while the game offers entertaining and humorous scenarios, it is marred by concerns about its unfinished state and lack of support from the developers.
- “It has just the right mix of activity, automation, expansion, and even humor, all wrapped into a game that isn't even finished yet.”
- “I've had colonists get lost in the woods only to be eaten by zombies, colonists deciding to take the path that is 5x longer than the one I made for them, and the zombies at night will pick a block and swarm it (pretty funny to watch though when there are 50+ of them swarming a tiny area).”
- “After 25 hours I'm still getting pulled into 'just 1 more day' loops polishing my hill fort turned quaint hamlet, and I could see endless hours of fun in multiplayer building masterpieces with friends while laughing about the accidental gaps we left in our defenses that caused dozens of our poor little townies to get eaten.”
monetization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
78%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players labeling it a "cash grab" that lacks passion and depth, while others appreciate the absence of microtransactions and the potential for future improvements. Despite concerns about pricing and the game's early access status, many users express hope for ongoing development and additional features that could enhance the overall experience.
- “The AI and interactivity could be better, but with the devs working on this consistently, and without any extra charge for DLC or microtransactions, this game is definitely worth looking into, especially now with the much more fleshed out co-op feature and mod support.”
- “No microtransactions.”
- “This game was a cash grab.”
- “Overall, I would describe the game as a well-hidden cash grab and not made with any kind of passion or love for the craft.”
- “Yes, it's a touch pricey for such early access fare, especially given the rash of cash grabs out there, but I'm satisfied with the gameplay, which seems all too often to be an afterthought.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by realistic sound effects and music that contribute to a vivid environment. Players appreciate the detailed graphics, including lifelike skies and ambient sounds, which collectively create a unique and engaging experience.
- “The sky is realistic looking with clouds and atmospheric scattering effects that make for realistic looking red sunrises.”
- “The atmosphere is immersing; the little chirps and buzzes around your settlement really add a character that not many other block-games provide.”
- “The atmosphere is immersive; the little chirps and buzzes around your settlement really add a character that not many other block games provide.”
- “The music and sound effects add to the game's atmosphere, with every sound of construction or enemy attack adding another layer of realism.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional experience of the game to be a mix of heartwarming and heartbreaking, as they feel a deep connection to their colonists and the challenges of maintaining a colony. While the gameplay can be relaxing and wholesome, the lack of a rich auditory backdrop detracts from the emotional immersion, leading to feelings of stress and frustration when facing setbacks. Overall, the emotional journey is impactful, with players eagerly anticipating future developments.
- “Losing my colony is truly heartbreaking.”
- “After you initially set up a self-sustaining colony, the game becomes extremely relaxing. Watching your colonists rise out of their beds in the morning to get out in the fields is truly heartwarming.”
- “All in all, the game is wholesome on its own, and I can't wait to see how the developers continue to develop and grow this game!”