Stardock and indie developer Badhenke Studios announced Colonus, a cozy city builder set to launch in early 2027.
As a cozier entry in the genre, Colonus puts the primary emphasis on exploration, resources, and the needs of individual villagers.
When a small group of villagers become stranded on an unknown island, they must work to make the island their new home. Direct villagers to explore the land, gather resources, grow farms, construct buildings, and establish critical supply chains.
Once the village grows large enough, players can even send out ships and find new islands, and found new colonies. Multiple colonies are more easily managed through policies and long-term decisions.
Wait a minute, is this game going to teach us the importance of responsible governance?
Judging from the description and trailer, it doesn’t look like there’s much conflict or enemies to worry about, which would set it apart from other games in the genre. However, players must still manage the happiness and quality of life of their villagers.
Colonus (which I presume is pronounced like ‘colony,’ and not ‘colonoscopy’) is developed by two-person Swedish indie studio Badhenke Studios as their debut release. It’s published by veteran strategy game developer, Stardock, who are primarily known for sci-fi games.
“With Colonus, we want to create a city builder that feels relaxing without becoming passive. Players will explore an inviting world, establish colonies across its islands, and build settlements around the needs and happiness of the villagers who call them home,” said Henrik Eriksson, founder of Badhenke Studios. “Stardock has a deep understanding of strategy games, both as a developer and a publisher, which made them a natural fit for Colonus. From our earliest conversations, they understood the kind of experience we want to create and shared our excitement for the game. Their experience and support will help us reach the full potential of Colonus.”
Colonus has a release window of early 2027.
