r/BaseBuildingGames

Working on a game where you build temporary bases on alien planets and extract before you're overwhelmed.

Working on a game where you build temporary bases on alien planets and extract before you're overwhelmed.

Hi everyone!

We’re a small indie team working on Galaxy Scavengers, a simulation-extraction game deeply focused on resource management and base building.

We just opened our Steam page a few days ago, and we're incredibly excited to share it with you.

The core concept is simple: You establish temporary bases on the surface of hostile alien planets, gather and process resources, and try to escape before the local threats reach a breaking point.

Our main inspirations are games like Rimworld, Factorio, Mindustry, and Against the Storm. We love the long-term planning and optimization of those games, but we wanted to add a tense "extraction" twist.

We’d love to hear your first impressions on the concept or any features you'd like to see in a game like this!

If you're interested in the concept, you can check it out here:

Galaxy Scavengers on Steam

u/teamasterisk — 15 hours ago

I was tired of survival games restricting creativity, so I spent the last month adding 3-axis rotation and seamless piece-overlapping to my 4-year solo-dev project

Hey everyone, I'm Thomas, the solo developer of Whisper of the Swallows.

I love base building, but getting restricted by strict grids and clipping errors always drove me crazy. For the latest update to my winter survival game, I decided to completely unlock the building engine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsYo7Gocc7I

You can now overlap logs seamlessly, use 3-axis rotation (pitch and roll) on any object, and use new equilateral triangle pieces to build complex roof geometries. You can literally rotate a sliding door 90 degrees to make a Star Trek door, or if you really wanted to…..bolt a bed to the ceiling.

The game is a brutal winter survival experience where the weather actively tries to kill you, meaning this new shelter building system isn’t really for cosmetics. You’re probably going to die anyway, but now fashionable chaos is easier to achieve than ever before and lets you build insanely complex fortresses.

If you are a hardcore builder who wants to test out the new 360-degree systems, the update just went live on Steam.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2496090/Whisper_of_the_Swallows/

Thomas

u/Thomas_Whisper — 17 hours ago

Factory game recommendation

Hello, I'm looking for a recommendation in the factory/automation subgenre. I loved Satisfactory, Factorio, and Foundry, but found that DSP and Techtonica didn't quite click for me. I'm not sure why to be honest. But I'm mostly curious if anyone has any underrated gems for me to try out! I'm always looking for more games in this genre

Edit: I'm also happy to try out base building games without a focus on automation, but I do want something with more clear goals. Timberborn felt too aimless to me unfortunately

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u/SnooHobbies5811 — 1 day ago

I got a computer.Also I need games

Now that I have a computer and steam, the only requirement is being free and honestly, not three d three d games usually have not the type of graphics I want

reddit.com
u/Dry_Idea_95 — 1 day ago

I just hit the scariest/best button on Steam. The demo for my cozy diorama town builder is officially in the review queue! 📦✨

Hey everyone!

I’m a solo developer, and I just submitted the official demo for my game, 5 Blocks of Happiness, to Valve for review! As soon as they give it the green light, the demo will be live for everyone to play.

The game is a relaxing, diorama style town builder inspired by my own journey of becoming a new dad. You join Julian and Clementine as they build a neighborhood from the ground up to support their growing family. What starts as a single small shop to provide for the community soon expands into a full neighborhood.

In the demo, you'll be able to:

  • Construct and upgrade commercial buildings.
  • Stock shelves and fulfill your neighbors' specific daily cravings.
  • Manage the town's overall "Cheer" to attract new residents and keep your current ones happy.

Here is the video trailer:
https://youtu.be/d4U7pRTPJvQ

While I wait for Steam to approve the build, wishlisting the game is the absolute best way to support the project and ensure you get notified the exact second the demo drops!

Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4399310/5_Blocks_of_Happiness/

I'd love to hear what you think of the diorama art style!

u/madmoredie — 1 day ago

Not exactly base-building, but an office & team-building game. The demo of my game "Project Manager SIM" launches tomorrow!

Hey r/BaseBuildingGames!

I’m a solo dev, and tomorrow (May 20) I’m releasing the first public demo for my game, Project Manager SIM.

I know this sub is mostly about surviving harsh alien planets or designing massive automated factories (i love that stuff), but I wanted to share my game here because surviving a chaotic corporate IT department requires very similar skills.

I recently ran a closed playtest and implemented a ton of fixes, but getting fresh eyes on the core loop from players who love management games is incredibly important to me. Instead of a traditional god-view, you control the manager directly with WASD, physically running around the office in top-down perspective to put out fires.

In the demo:

  • Plan projects, assign tasks, and manage unexpected client tickets.
  • Hire your dream team (developers, QA, designers), each with unique personality traits (don't seat toxic people next to each other!).
  • Upgrade your office space.
  • Try to balance team burnout against approaching deadlines.
  • Develop your relationships with clients and the Boss

I’m really looking for feedback on whether the WASD controls feel natural. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4454610/Project_manager_SIM/

u/Old-Butterscotch8711 — 2 days ago

Are there any good free ones

Are there any good free base building games? It can be on mobile or computer but it can't be on steam because I lost my account.And it won't give me my username

reddit.com
u/Dry_Idea_95 — 2 days ago
▲ 20 r/BaseBuildingGames+1 crossposts

I made a terraforming/incremental game where the Python code you write IS the gameplay

Hi all,

I'm a big fan of automation games like Factorio and Satisfactory, colony sims like Oxygen Not Included, and engineering sims like Stationeers. I have a Computer Science background and always wanted a game where every system was actually controlled by Python code instead of by clicking buttons in a UI. So I built one.

There is just something about terraforming sensors incrementally getting to a better and better phase, Planet Crafter has always been one of my top games and I have always enjoyed incremental games too, favorite one is probably Melvor Idle.

I created a terraforming game with a deep (and sinister) story behind it, where every device/vehicle/drone/machine has to be automated/scripted to work with the planet, allowing the player to do whatever they want with them.

You do not just click to mine and smelt iron ore. You need to get a vehicle(called Pioneer), install modules to it(programmatically possible to, dynamically load/unload), program the drill module to drill the ore, program the feeders to transfer items to inventory, storage bin, warehouse, wherever you want, and program the smelters/fabricators using the storages. Everything can be fully automated with code and your end goal is to awaken the planet.

Your solar generators don't just work, they have to be adjusted to track the sun's position, via code. Everything can be managed with code, even the actual shop where you buy things with credits earned from Earth contracts.

I have released a FREE demo on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/868160/Code_Terraform

Discord: https://discord.gg/hUrK2MRn8s (I'd love to help if you are stuck)

I'd love to hear your opinions about it, thanks!

u/RecursivelyYours — 3 days ago

I'm making a game where you build your base and fight alongside your army

I'm a solo developer working on a game called Iron Expedition.

Take direct control of the Commander - the most powerful unit on the battlefield.

Build your base, research new technologies, produce units, and capture resource nodes to strengthen your economy.

Prepare to defend your territory - enemy forces will constantly launch attacks against your bases.

Your units can rally around you and follow your lead as you fight alongside them on the front lines.

Upgrade your mech with different weapons and abilities, and adapt your build to match your playstyle as battles become more intense.

Here's the Steam link for anyone who wants to check it out - https://store.steampowered.com/app/4446330/Iron_Expedition/

u/Ok-Designer4697 — 3 days ago

Looking for a game: Colony Sim, with Goblins, Vampires, Dark Elves, Demons

I watched a stream a while back (1-2yr) where they played a Colony Sim game where you build a colony of monsters and defend from attacking humans. It had a map and vibe like Rimworld. The player started with Goblins only IIRC. I remember the player dug underground and found Vampires to recruit, but there were also Dwarves living there that he had to fight. And then he was attacked by Human knights from another map. There was some quest / expedition system to venture out an attack other areas (like Rimworld has with an overworld map). Finally, I remember that the monsters levelled up as they fought.

I have no idea what it was called and searching for these things has turned up nothing.

Any ideas?

Edit: It was KeeperRL and this was the stream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45oAOI5eoU4

u/MaximumHeresy — 4 days ago
▲ 9 r/BaseBuildingGames+1 crossposts

survival games with automation?

are there any survival games like icarus, conan exiles, or soulmask, that is a survival game with the ability to order and automate things like soulmask but intended for single player?

reddit.com
u/th3matad0r — 4 days ago

I’m working on a colony builder where you expand a floating base on the open sea

Hey, I’m a solo dev working on a small colony/base-building game called SeaColony.

The idea is simple: you start with a tiny floating platform in the middle of the ocean and slowly expand it into a colony. You manage survivors, resources, production chains, farming, and trade with passing ships.

I just put the Steam page up a few days ago, so I’m still improving the screenshots/trailer and trying to figure out what works best.

I’d be happy to hear what base-building players think about the idea.

Steam page: SeaColony on Steam

u/EminDev — 4 days ago
▲ 22 r/BaseBuildingGames+1 crossposts

My Solo-Developed Floating Island Game Just Got Its First Major Demo Update! 🌊🥳

Hi everyone, I’m the solo developer of The Borderless.

The demo was released on March 20, and today I just published the first major update based on the initial player feedback.

This process reminded me once again how valuable feedback really is. A lot of the changes in this update came directly from player comments and suggestions, and I’m genuinely very grateful for all the support, bug reports, ideas, and honest criticism so far.

If you’d like to try the demo, wishlist the game, or share your feedback, I’d truly appreciate it.

Thank you so much!

Steam Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3687370/The_Borderless/

u/burcin_93 — 4 days ago

My space colony/base-building demo is out - looking for feedback

Hey,

I'm the developer of Zenith Expanse, a space colony/base-building sim about trying to keep a fragile colony alive on the edge of known space.

The demo is now out on Steam, and it is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The main reason I'm posting here is feedback. Especially on the onboarding.

I've rebuilt the onboarding three times already after playtesters told me that the early game wasn't clear enough. The current demo is my latest attempt at making the first stretch easier to understand without turning it into a giant tutorial wall.

In the demo, you can:

  • start a new colony,
  • scan nearby stars,
  • land on alien planets,
  • gather resources,
  • build your first settlement,
  • manage colonists, supplies, and early survival problems,
  • make a few decisions that may or may not age well.

What I would love to know:

  1. Is the onboarding clear enough now?
  2. Do you understand what the game wants from you in the first 10-15 minutes?
  3. Does the base-building / colony loop feel interesting?
  4. More generally: does this seem like something you would want to keep playing?

The game is still in development, so I'm not pretending everything is final or perfectly polished. But the demo should give a real sense of what I'm trying to build: a space colony sim where planets, people, resources, and bad decisions all push against each other.

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4386170/Zenith_Expanse/

Happy to answer questions, and genuinely happy to hear criticism. Especially the useful kind that hurts a little.

u/ProjectZenithExpanse — 5 days ago

Any games that are similar to Tiny Glade but less whimsy?

Tried Tiny Glade as a mental health outlet and noticed that it makes a great tool to visualize DnD maps or locations.

Are there games with similar capabilities (raise terrain, build structures, set light) but less cartoonish in appearance and maybe more robust with features?

reddit.com
u/Horace_The_Mute — 5 days ago

Dark Spaceship Management Game

Okay so I'm trying to find a game and I can't seem to find it so just scrolling through steam right now. Figured I could maybe ask here? It's not so much base building but keeping what you had alive?

Like the stars were burning out or some huge universe end threat was happening and you had to keep your massive ship alive by sending out probs to find resources and threats, and make some hard choices. If you know the game Void Wars, it was in a simliar asethic of like dark future but it played more like a management/colonyish game.

Just can't remember the name of it. I like see flashes of screenshots but can't really find it.

reddit.com
u/JxAxS — 5 days ago

Developing a custom-engine colony sim / economy survival game solo for 2 years (Ecliptica). I’d love to hear your feedback and questions!

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for players who might be interested in my work. If the core concepts and ideas behind my game resonate with you, please let me know. Building a community and hearing from you would be a massive motivation boost to keep pushing forward.

For the past two years, I’ve been single-handedly developing a game that blends deep base building with a broader planetary life simulation. Sadly, I haven’t managed to build an active community around it yet, which means I rarely get any feedback, suggestions, or ideas. I would genuinely love to hear absolutely any opinions, questions, or wishes you might have.

As far as I understand, this community is always on the lookout for good, unique games — and I am looking for dedicated, reliable players.

What is Ecliptica?

In short, Ecliptica is a fairly large-scale project that includes:

  • City & Base Building: Managing and expanding your settlement.
  • Living Economy: A fully dynamic market with no hardcoded price ceilings, completely driven by supply and demand rules.
  • Harsh Survival: Enduring a hostile planetary environment.
  • Expeditions: Scouting and exploring uncharted territories.
  • Urban Survival: Mechanics that challenge you even inside the city if your character lacks wealth or political influence.
  • Procedural Generation & World Destructibility: Making the sandbox unpredictable and interactive.
  • Story & Procedural Quests: A mix of hand-crafted narrative and emergent objectives.
  • and a lot of other features planned for the future.

The Technical Side (No Asset Flips, No AI Slop)

Managing a project of this scale alone is incredibly tough. To make it even more challenging (and rewarding), the game is built entirely on a custom game engine.

  • No generic asset stores. Everything is built from scratch.
  • No low-quality AI-generated content (the only exception is a few temporary inventory icons, which I'm replacing very soon).

So your feedback

If the project sounds like something you'd enjoy, I’d love to make this subreddit a regular home for my development logs and updates. If not, I completely understand and won't spam the space.

I’m highly open to any questions about the mechanics, the custom engine, or the gameplay loop. I would appreciate any feedback or advice you can share!

Thank you all for your time!

reddit.com
u/LetterheadTall8085 — 6 days ago
▲ 20 r/BaseBuildingGames+5 crossposts

It's been a month and my falling sand factory game POUND SAND has come a long way in a short time. The biggest gain is performance - even huge worlds (larger than 4k by 4k) run at 60 fps most of the time, and there are still more gains possible. But I'm putting that on hold for now to focus on getting the demo ready - the amount of time it would take to mine and process an entire 4k world is many hours, and I think most players won't want to do that.

The demo should be available within the next two weeks, and the plan is to include the tutorial plus one fixed sandbox level (no level gen in the demo). Maybe disable the player upgrades but leave the pattern unlocks so the player can get the full production chain experience in the demo world if they want.

Would love feedback on the Steam page and on the game visuals, and wishlists are hugely appreciated!

Current feature list:

Huge worlds possible (4000 x 4000 and beyond), the falling sand engine is very performant and mostly optimized

Lighting engine

Lots of machines and a full production chain ending in METAL and SPICE, alternate recipes and paths

Blocks and machines you place can be deleted on a block by block basis to rearrange them however you can imagine

Tools - vacuum, mining laser, jetpack, and flashlight. And when you vacuum blocks, you can see the contents inside the player

Tech trees to unlock upgrades and new patterns

Random map generator with some interesting parameters available to adjust

UI is implemented for everything but its not pretty yet, but there is a 16 slot pattern bar with drag and drop you can use for building

Nice fluid movement system and block placement system

Sounds and music (placeholder at the moment)

Next to implement:

Tutorial (and demo)

Modifiers for maps to do things like add lakes to the surface, hit the planet with meteors to create craters before the game starts, things like that

Campaign and story

Bonus game modes such as "only uranium blocks", or "simple blocks don't yield materials so you need to hunt for more rare ones", etc

Autosave system

More optimization

Thanks for taking a look at my game!

u/bazola5 — 5 days ago
▲ 8 r/BaseBuildingGames+4 crossposts

STELLARFORGE - FIRST LOOK

>Been working on a hard sci-fi colony simulation game called StellarForge in Unreal Engine 5.

The goal isn’t just “space aesthetics” —

I wanted the infrastructure and logistics to feel believable.

I’m trying to make the universe feel like it keeps functioning even when the player isn’t looking at it.

Right now the simulation includes:

• Interplanetary shipping & launch windows

• Colony-wide power / oxygen / water simulation

• Resource density & industrial manufacturing

• Orbital infrastructure and transport chains

• Dynamic thermal and atmospheric systems

• Persistent colonies across multiple planets/moons

• Modular building placement & interior habitat construction

I’ve also started building optional in-universe engineering archives so players can learn things like:

- rocket propulsion

- orbital mechanics

- thermodynamics

- gas laws

- materials density

…without forcing tutorials on people who just want to build cool colonies.

Would genuinely love feedback from:

- colony sim players (fans of factorio, satisfactory, anno, farthest frontier etc)

- KSP people

- Factorio addicts

- hard sci-fi fans

- systems/logistics gremlins like me

Gameplay video below.

https://youtu.be/oSC5G1_hs64

https://discord.gg/tUFZ7Fw3s

>I'm also new to reddit 😄 so. hi 😄

>

u/Limp-Balance-9252 — 5 days ago