Maia

Maia is a space colony simulation game set on a lush but hostile alien world. You establish humanity’s first foothold there, building a base and managing your colonists as they work to survive and thrive on a planet whose atmosphere is toxic to humans.

The planet Maia

Twelve light years from Earth, Maia orbits Tau Ceti. Solar flares, super storms and meteor blasts ravage its surface, while catastrophic earthquakes constantly shift its unstable crust. Though the planet is theoretically habitable, survival means exploring vast, procedurally generated and fully simulated mission areas, each several kilometres in size.

Build and maintain your base

You burrow into Maia’s mineral-rich crust to build a complex base that meets your colonists’ needs for shelter, work space, food, water and energy. The planet’s toxic atmosphere makes careful management essential: airlocks, atmosphere generators, heaters and air vents help keep the area around your base safe. Airflow and the conduction, convection and radiation of heat are simulated to model the dangers of surviving on an alien world.

Manage your colonists

You do not directly control the colonists. They act on their own initiative to meet their wants and needs, while you look after their physical and mental well-being. Their simulation includes mental states, metabolisms, diseases and even sweat evaporating from their skin. Colonists can learn skills, form bonds and relationships, suggest changes to the base, and write poetry and music.

Research and resources

Maia’s colonists arrive with some tools, but must fabricate others from materials they find. Once the base is running, they can study the native environment and research ways to use the planet’s flora and fauna. To provide food, you can build hydroponics, raise livestock, and eventually capture and domesticate alien fauna, much of which tastes terrible.

Robots and first-person control

Robotic helpers take on work that humans do not want to do. The I.M.P. robot digs through Maia’s crust and collects useful minerals, while the Utility Repair Robot handles routine maintenance. In first-person mode, you can assume direct control of robots, doors and cameras, explore the base and perform robotic tasks.

Game modes

Maia includes a narrative campaign, standalone missions and several custom sandbox modes, offering different ways to test your management skills and creativity.