This well-received colony sim from the creator of The Settlers just hit 1.0, with a deep discount and a new campaign

The weekend is good for many things. Mainly things you never actually get around to doing. But if you happen to have too much time on your hands, the easiest way to spend it is with the best city building games. These are the sort where the hours melt away as you create lush landscapes, plan idyllic towns, and aim to please tiny people who'll do any job you literally drop them on top of. And Pioneers of Pagonia, a new colony sim fresh out of Early Access, could be one of them. Despite adding a ton of extra content for the full release this weekend, it's still gutting 30% off its asking price as a warm welcome.

You only need to get literally one second into the main trailer to spot some reassuring words about Pioneers of Pagonia. "A new world from the creators of The Settlers."

Note that it doesn't use a catch-all term to include someone who might have been a little lower on the development cycle? That's because the accolade is, in this case, the very real deal. Envision Entertainment, the developer and publisher of Pioneers of Pagonia, includes Volker Wertich - the "father" of The Settlers. He's also one of the keen minds behind the SpellForce series of fantasy RTS and 4X titles. Oh, and we can't forget about Dirk Ringe, the lead programmer of The Settlers 3. He's fiddling with things behind the scenes, too.

Anyway, Pioneers of Pagonia has been growing like a great oak tree in Early Access for just over two years now. So what does it have to show for it? A whole campaign, for one. Your task? To "rebuild hope in a world that was lost in the fog." Pioneers of Pagonia's new story mode has you "unite scattered tribes, raise thriving communities, and discover the history of your people" as you search for the Tower of Visions and take on the Hollowed. And while not entirely new for the 1.0 launch, it's worth mentioning that Pioneers of Pagonia features co-op for up to four players as well as a map editor for those looking to go a little deeper than simply building a city.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that my mind wanders straight to the Black & White series when I see the 'colony sim' tag. But with no massive cow in sight for me to squash neighboring nations with, I know now that I need to lay off the hopium. It's not coming back. But even without the ability to conq-uhh… I mean, defend my people, Pioneers of Pagonia is still very much up my alley. It is, of course, a game in the same vein as The Settlers, but those with fewer fine lines and wrinkles on their face may think it has the air of a more joyful Rimworld. You know, without the guns. And they'd be right.

Personally, I only need to look at how Steam claims it's similar to Against the Storm and Northgard - two of my absolute favorite RTS city builders of recent years - to know that Pioneers of Pagonia is well worth paying attention to. And with a 'mostly positive' reception to boot, I'd say it's relatively safe to trust a spiritual successor of a classic colony sim pieced together by the guy responsible for its inspirations' very existence. I've made worse assumptions.

Grab Pioneers of Pagonia through Steam for $24.49 or £20.99 until December 18, at which point the price will shoot up to $34.99 or £29.99. Pick it up here. With a content roadmap for the year ahead dropping in January 2026, the 1.0 release is far from the end of this story.