Colony Prospector

Colony Prospector is a space-colonisation game in which you travel from planet to planet, scan worlds for habitability and resources, and establish colonies. Earth pays you for successful colonisations and unlocks new types of colony pods. Colonies also help Earth grow and can affect the balance of power among three unfriendly races competing to colonise the galaxy.

Scan and colonise

Planets vary in their conditions and inhabitants. You may find toxic air, no water or resources, crushing gravity, giant sand-worms, peaceful native apes, or a god-like being unwilling to share. Some worlds offer fresh water, food and enough resources to support a colony through to space-age technology; others may be unsuitable or already colonised by the A.I. You assess each planet’s prospects, including its chance of colonisation, before deciding whether to send down a pod.

Colonisation can fail, with consequences that may unfold over years. One account describes a colony’s collapse after a serial killer’s murders lead to copycat killings, cults, mass suicides and widespread violence, before a suicide bomber destroys the colony hub’s remaining infrastructure and winter kills the survivors. In another, native apes learn from colonists, attack the settlement and kill or enslave its people.

Pods and encounters

You return to Earth to restock colony pods and surface probes, choosing among the pod types available to you. These include standard, physics, prison, military, bio research and tourism pods. Earth only permits tourism colonies after you discover a Gaia World. Specialist pods can also be crafted from materials salvaged from wrecks.

Space travel brings random encounters. A Groshvwi Colony Ship may block your jump-path, for example; you can attack it with lasers strengthened by a military colony. You may also encounter an A.I. colony: a failed attempt to hack it can leave your ship under fire and its engines damaged.

Earth and the galaxy

Three races are trying to colonise the galaxy, and none are on friendly terms. Earth starts far behind, but establishing colonies accelerates its growth. Military and other specialist colonies can slow the enemy, and it is possible, though extremely difficult, to catch up and begin eliminating them.

There is no cap on what you can establish. For example, each military colony boosts your lasers, potentially letting you take on A.I. Battleships, though you may die or get bored first. Optional missions include finding 20 statues dedicated to the mysterious First Empire.

Features

• Scan and explore infinite planets.
• Ironman mode.
• 40 thousand words of descriptive text.
• 20 colony types to unlock and establish, each with different bonuses.
• Crafting system.
• Gas-giant mining.
• Random encounters.
• Space music.