- April 30, 2015
- Firefly Studios
- 16h median play time
Space Colony
Space Colony HD: Steam Edition is a re-release of a re-release that’s added a few cute little features but kept every single flaw from the original intact. It was merely an okay game back in 2003 so it’s pretty mediocre now. The original does have its fans because there aren’t too many games like it, but at the same time Startopia Startopia good god Startopia. Managing the base is pretty fun and progression through the campaign is satisfying and well implemented, but the objectives can be dull, the colonists are all annoying brain-dead cretins, and the base defence side isn’t all that fun. Getting back to my original comment, it’s a re-release that adds new content and looks exactly as modern as it did in 2003 (i.e. not at all) but otherwise makes no tangible improvements and everyone will wonder why it took three years just to put the HD version on Steam. Space Colony is not without its charm or satisfaction, but you’ll want all the idiotic colonists to die long before you reach the credits.
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About
Space Colony is a single player strategy game with comedy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Firefly Studios and was released on April 30, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.
"Space Colony" is a real-time strategy simulation game where players build and manage a space colony, including constructing buildings, assigning tasks to colonists, and managing resources. The game offers a campaign mode with unique characters and challenges, as well as a sandbox mode for open-ended gameplay. The goal is to keep your colonists happy and productive, while defending against alien threats and expanding your colony.











- The game offers a nostalgic experience with charming characters and humor, making it enjoyable for both new and returning players.
- Gameplay combines elements of resource management, character interaction, and strategy, providing a unique blend that keeps players engaged.
- The remastered version features improved graphics and Steam Workshop support, allowing for user-generated content and custom scenarios.
- The game suffers from outdated mechanics, such as a lack of zoom and clunky controls, which can hinder the overall experience.
- Micromanagement can become overwhelming, as players must constantly tend to the needs of their colonists, leading to frustration.
- Technical issues, such as crashes when alt-tabbing and bugs affecting gameplay, detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- story98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
The game's story revolves around a diverse group of characters navigating missions for a greedy space corporation, blending humor with a realistic portrayal of capitalism in a sci-fi setting. While the missions are engaging and varied, some players find them forced or gimmicky, and the lack of a cohesive narrative can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the quirky characters and user-generated content add depth and replayability to the game's storyline.
“The story is great, a ragtag feisty (occasionally useless) band of people that you have to make work together and train them up on tasks in order to accomplish the mission.”
“It's not just nostalgia speaking, the characters are ridiculous, the story is very realistic (vicious capitalist space corporation) and the colony management aspect works well, especially considering it's one of the first of its kind.”
“The characters are just as fun and quirky as I remember, the missions and maps are complex and diverse.”
“Ultimately what kills the appeal is the failure to develop a cohesive storyline.”
“I played the first 'set' of the story campaign, and it ended briefly without any real conclusion - heck, the drive for the characters was about as vague as it gets.”
“There is no real backstory on the characters, but I kept hoping for something more.”
Space Colony: Steam Edition
Space Colony HD: Steam Edition is a re-release of a re-release that’s added a few cute little features but kept every single flaw from the original intact. It was merely an okay game back in 2003 so it’s pretty mediocre now. The original does have its fans because there aren’t too many games like it, but at the same time Startopia Startopia good god Startopia. Managing the base is pretty fun and progression through the campaign is satisfying and well implemented, but the objectives can be dull, the colonists are all annoying brain-dead cretins, and the base defence side isn’t all that fun. Getting back to my original comment, it’s a re-release that adds new content and looks exactly as modern as it did in 2003 (i.e. not at all) but otherwise makes no tangible improvements and everyone will wonder why it took three years just to put the HD version on Steam. Space Colony is not without its charm or satisfaction, but you’ll want all the idiotic colonists to die long before you reach the credits.
55%Score: 8/10
Space Colony: Steam Edition brings a classic game to the present with a great deal of polish applied. In a way it is surprising just how well the gameplay has held up after twelve years. Every character brings their own quirks and needs which have to be managed, though some characters are more prominent than others. The strangeness of seeing some things interact properly while others ignore it can take you out of the zone for a moment, but, as far as sim management games go, Space Colony is one that is worth checking out.
80%Space Colony: Steam Edition Review (PC)
Space Colony: Steam Edition is clearly reaching out from a time way back when video game design used to be more forgiving. It's got a lot of flaws, but it also has a ton of personality, and it offers a pretty solid space colony management experience, albeit one a little on the light side. There aren't that many choices to make while playing the game, and there are numerous clunky systems, including the general way the interface is designed, but the game does show a ton of creativity and feels quite distinct from other city building strategy games out there. The fact that it offers a fresh experience that blends proper city-building with managing the needs of your crew, in a manner similar to the one in Maxis' The Sims, as well as protecting your assets from alien intruders, offers Space Colony: Steam Edition a uniqueness that is its greatest asset. It's old and it creaks, there are many times when I felt that certain features were simply missing, such as the ability to queue orders, but in the end, there's a lot of action under Space Colony's hood, even if it does get old relatively fast. All-in-all, it's pretty challenging and still enjoyable, in spite of its shortcomings and lackluster visuals and interface, which is a veritable feat for a 12-year-old video game.
75%
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Frequently Asked Questions
Space Colony is a strategy game with comedy and science fiction themes.
Space Colony is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.
On average players spend around 12 hours playing Space Colony.
Space Colony was released on April 30, 2015.
Space Colony was developed by Firefly Studios.
Space Colony has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.
Space Colony is a single player game.
Similar games include Stronghold, Stronghold 2, The Stronghold Collection, Startopia, Tropico 6 and others.











