Best Colony Sim Games on Steam
Steam currently has 1,249 Colony Sim games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. Colony Sim game rankings were last updated on 3/24/2026.
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1. RimWorld
A sci-fi colony sim driven by an intelligent AI storyteller. Generates stories by simulating psychology, ecology, gunplay, melee combat, climate, biomes, diplomacy, interpersonal relationships, art, medicine, trade, and more.
RimWorld holds the #1 spot for "best Colony Sim game on Steam" with a Player Score of 97. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 235,955 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 231,003 positive reviews and 4,952 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $27.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $27.99 |
| Release Date | 10/17/2018 |
| Developer | Ludeon Studios |
| Publisher | Ludeon Studios |
| Steam App Id | 294100 |
2. Oxygen Not Included
Oxygen Not Included is a space-colony simulation game. Deep inside an alien space rock your industrious crew will need to master science, overcome strange new lifeforms, and harness incredible space tech to survive, and possibly, thrive.
Oxygen Not Included has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Colony Sim games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 138,750 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 134,283 positive reviews and 4,467 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $24.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $24.99 |
| Release Date | 7/30/2019 |
| Franchise | Klei |
| Developer | Klei Entertainment |
| Publisher | Klei Entertainment |
| Steam App Id | 457140 |
3. Stronghold Crusader HD (2012)
The highly anticipated sequel to the best-selling Stronghold, Stronghold Crusader HD throws you into historic battles and castle sieges from the Crusades with fiendish AI opponents, new units, 4 historical campaigns and over 100 unique skirmish missions.
Stronghold Crusader HD (2012) has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Colony Sim games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 20,721 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 20,213 positive reviews and 508 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $2.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Stronghold Crusader HD (2012) on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $2.99 |
| Release Date | 10/21/2013 |
| Franchise | Firefly Studios |
| Developer | FireFly Studios |
| Publisher | FireFly Studios |
| Steam App Id | 40970 |
4. Cult of the Lamb
Start your own cult in a land of false prophets, venturing out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland Followers and spread your Word to become the one true cult.
Cult of the Lamb has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Colony Sim games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 121,093 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 116,040 positive reviews and 5,053 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $24.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $24.99 |
| Release Date | 8/11/2022 |
| Franchise | Devolver Digital |
| Developer | Massive Monster |
| Publisher | Devolver Digital |
| Steam App Id | 1313140 |
5. Timberborn
Humans are long gone. In a world struck by droughts and toxic waste, will your lumberpunk beavers do any better? A sandbox city-building game featuring ingenious animals, vertical architecture, water physics, and terraforming. Contains high amounts of wood.
Timberborn has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Colony Sim games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 37,651 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 36,126 positive reviews and 1,525 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $34.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Timberborn on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $34.99 |
| Release Date | 3/12/2026 |
| Developer | Mechanistry |
| Publisher | Mechanistry |
| Steam App Id | 1062090 |
6. WorldBox - God Simulator
WorldBox is the ULTIMATE god simulator and sandbox game. A petri dish for your fantasy civilizations. Create your own world or destroy it using many powers. Watch civilizations grow, form kingdoms, colonize new lands, sail to far continents, wars to ignite, empires to fall and towns to burn!
WorldBox - God Simulator has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Colony Sim games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 52,754 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 50,250 positive reviews and 2,504 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 12/2/2021 |
| Developer | Maxim Karpenko |
| Publisher | Maxim Karpenko |
| Steam App Id | 1206560 |
7. DFHack - Dwarf Fortress Modding Engine
Extensions for Dwarf Fortress, including bugfixes, interface improvements, automation agents, design blueprints, modding building blocks, and other tools.
DFHack - Dwarf Fortress Modding Engine has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Colony Sim games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,021 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,015 positive reviews and 6 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play DFHack - Dwarf Fortress Modding Engine on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 4/14/2023 |
| Developer | The DFHack Team |
| Publisher | The DFHack Team |
| Steam App Id | 2346660 |
8. Townscaper
Instant town building toy. Place housing blocks and watch them transform, piece by piece, into idyllic ocean-side towns, pastoral gardens, or sweeping cities on the sea.
Townscaper has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Colony Sim games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 21,437 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 20,443 positive reviews and 994 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $2.39 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $2.39 |
| Release Date | 8/26/2021 |
| Developer | Oskar Stålberg |
| Publisher | Raw Fury |
| Steam App Id | 1291340 |
9. Dwarf Fortress
Build a fortress and try to help your dwarves survive against a deeply generated world. Keep your dwarves happy, grow their community and beware of digging too deeply. The deepest, most intricate simulation of a world that's ever been created.
Dwarf Fortress has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Colony Sim games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 30,790 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 29,208 positive reviews and 1,582 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $29.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Dwarf Fortress on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $29.99 |
| Release Date | 12/6/2022 |
| Franchise | Kitfox Games |
| Developer | Bay 12 Games |
| Publisher | Kitfox Games |
| Steam App Id | 975370 |
10. Against the Storm
A dark fantasy city builder where you must rebuild civilization in the face of apocalyptic rains. As the Queen’s Viceroy, lead humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies to reclaim the wilderness and secure a future for civilization's last survivors.
Against the Storm has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Colony Sim games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 35,449 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 33,572 positive reviews and 1,877 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $29.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $29.99 |
| Release Date | 12/8/2023 |
| Franchise | Hooded Horse |
| Developer | Eremite Games |
| Publisher | Hooded Horse |
| Steam App Id | 1336490 |
More Colony Sim Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best Colony Sim games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20,272 | 10/17/2018 | 97 | $27.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 7,510 | 7/30/2019 | 95 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 300 | 10/21/2013 | 95 | $2.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 2,626 | 8/11/2022 | 94 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 6,035 | 3/12/2026 | 94 | $34.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1,232 | 12/2/2021 | 94 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 123 | 4/14/2023 | 93 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 25 | 8/26/2021 | 93 | $2.39 | Steam Charts | |
| 410 | 12/6/2022 | 93 | $29.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 0 | 12/8/2023 | 93 | $29.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 97 | 10/21/2013 | 93 | $1.79 | Steam Charts | |
 | 25 | 10/20/2023 | 93 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 0 | 9/21/2020 | 92 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 0 | 6/7/2024 | 92 | $29.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 31 | 4/4/2019 | 92 | $1.74 | Steam Charts | |
 | 250 | 10/11/2018 | 92 | $5.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 0 | 10/24/2022 | 92 | $13.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 92 | 3/19/2020 | 92 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 0 | 3/24/2021 | 92 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 8 | 12/1/2017 | 92 | $14.99 | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 24). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 24). RimWorld on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 27). Oxygen Not Included on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 21). Stronghold Crusader HD (2012) on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 18). Cult of the Lamb on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 26). Timberborn on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 1). WorldBox - God Simulator on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 13). DFHack - Dwarf Fortress Modding Engine on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 20). Townscaper on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 27). Dwarf Fortress on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 26). Against the Storm on Steam. Steam Store.