Sci-fi colony management with a focus on expansion and exploration. Dig out the underground and explore the surface of an alien world as you rebuild your facility, grow your colony, manage colonists and robots and discover the mysteries of a new home light years from Earth.
The game casts players in control of a group of colonists who have been sent to an alien planet after their stasis capsules malfunction, causing them to oversleep. The goal is to rebuild the crumbling underground facility, grow the colony, and uncover the mysteries of this new world.
Players must deconstruct the ruins of the old facility and harvest resources to construct new rooms and expand their underground base. As they progress, they can unlock new technologies that enable deeper excavation and surface exploration. Sending colonists on expeditions to the planet surface allows players to uncover new resources, discoveries, and lore, adding an additional dimension to the gameplay.
Careful management of resources, such as power, water, food, and raw materials, is crucial to the colony's success. Players must construct appropriate facilities and assign colonists to ensure a steady supply of necessary resources. The research system allows players to unlock new buildings, recipes, and capabilities over time, which is key to gaining access to more advanced extraction and production methods.
While players do not directly control individual colonists, they must manage their needs and assign them to various jobs. Each colonist has unique quirks that affect their behavior and performance, and maintaining their happiness and productivity is essential. Robots can be constructed and assigned to assist the colonists, providing additional labor and specialized skills.
Each playthrough features a randomly generated map and layout, ensuring a unique experience every time. This, combined with the emergent gameplay resulting from the various systems, contributes to the game's replayability.