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The Colonists

Build a new home for your team of robots as they begin a new life for themselves on a distant planet where they can fulfil their ultimate dream: to be human.

Steam Page
Developer
Codebyfire
Publisher
Mode 7
Release
October 24, 2018
7 years and 283 days ago
Steam Reviews
Very Positive1,233 reviews85.7%

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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan.Status
Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
Mode 7 meets the large-publisher game and partner thresholds.
Search Google: Is The Colonists self-published or published by Mode 7?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is The Colonists and Mode 7 funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for The Colonists and Codebyfire?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.
Mode 7 is listed as a separate publisher for this release.

Media

22 items

About the Game

The Colonists is a relaxing settlement building game inspired by classic titles like The Settlers and the Anno series.

Take on a series of individual campaign missions, play randomly generated maps, compete on player-designed creations or build your colony unfettered by any constraints in the sandbox mode.

You take control of a team of self-replicating robots built to simulate human civilisation. After escaping Earth, The Colonists are now free to roam the galaxy in search of a new home and construct their dream settlement.

You'll advance through three different Ages as you build infrastructure for your colony by constructing road, boat and train transport systems.

Harvest natural resources, set up farming and food production, create expeditions to discover new lands and research new technologies.

With two separate mission tracks, The Colonists lets either you create sprawling settlements in peace or race to compete against AI colonies in military winner-takes-all scenarios.

Explore, research, manage, tweak and refine to your heart's content.

An extensive map editor and Steam Workshop support is included, so you can create, share and play custom maps.

Features

  • Campaign: 14 missions split into separate peaceful and military tracks

  • Random Maps: Play on a near-infinite amount of procedurally generated maps

  • Sandbox Mode: Customize various game settings to play the game how you like

  • Multiplayer: Join forces with your friends to play the co-op campaign or battle against them in PvP mode

  • Map Editor: Create, play and share your own custom maps with your own victory conditions

  • Steam Workshop: Play hundreds of player-generated custom maps

  • Frontiers: Play and compete for the best time in a brand new map every month

  • Challenge Trophies: Special speed-run challenges which test the most expert colony builders

  • Mod Support: Play with new buildings, new resources, new research and more with Steam Workshop mod integration

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