The Best Base-building colony simulation Games for Mac OS

Update, : One Lonely Outpost added at rank #38.
1

RimWorld (2018)

View Similar Games
96
Review score
Logo of RimWorld Screenshot of RimWorld Screenshot of RimWorld Screenshot of RimWorld

PC Windows Xbox One Android Mac OS Linux

RimWorld is a life simulator and management game set in a remote planet in the distant future. It features a unique character generation system to create complex personalities with flaws, drives and needs, as well as a story generator that creates unexpected scenarios for players to face.


Pros:
  • Unique character generation system
  • Story generator creates unpredictable scenarios
  • Tons of mods for everything
  • Includes interaction bubbles to show interactions as they happen
Cons:
  • Unintuitive UI
  • Busy work tasks can be tedious

  • colony
  • simulation
  • base-building
  • management
  • survival
  • sandbox
  • farming
  • sci-fi
  • building
  • construction
  • ottawa
  • firefly
  • western
  • colony-building
  • moddable

2

Space Haven (2020)

View Similar Games
87
Review score
Logo of Space Haven Screenshot of Space Haven Screenshot of Space Haven Screenshot of Space Haven

PC Windows Mac OS Linux

Space Haven is an early access game where you can design your own ship and manage your crew as you embark on a journey to save humanity. Build your spaceship tile by tile, explore the vast universe, engage in tactical ship-to-ship combat and witness the drama and emotions of your crew. The game allows for complete freedom to customize and design your ship symmetrically or asymmetrically.


Pros:
  • Great sprites and sublime music
  • Game is approachable with a balanced feel
  • Unlimited freedom to build your own ship
  • Core game loop is engaging and not monotonous
  • Developers fully commited
Cons:
  • Lacks crew leveling up
  • Lacks variety in gameplay beyond building bigger ship and fending off pirates.

  • colony
  • simulation
  • base-building
  • space
  • management
  • tile
  • resource-management
  • sandbox
  • pirates
  • building
  • sci-fi
  • city-building
  • resource
  • survival-strategy

3

Paragon Pioneers (2022)

View Similar Games
90
Review score
Logo of Paragon Pioneers Screenshot of Paragon Pioneers Screenshot of Paragon Pioneers Screenshot of Paragon Pioneers

Linux Mac OS PC Windows Android IOS iPhone

Paragon Pioneers is a casual island management game where you build and manage a series of island nations. It offers over 100+ buildings to advance through and has an abstract look and mechanics that make it easy to manage on small screens. It's a stress-free game for casual players.

Buy

Pros:
  • Detailed explanations and tutorials
  • No ads or premium currencies
  • Easy to pick up and put down
  • Reminiscent of the Anno series with idle gameplay
  • No inherent time limit
  • Over 100+ buildings to advance through
Cons:
  • Long waiting times
  • Lack of a thrilling narrative
  • Game mechanics become increasingly complex
  • Colonization aspect may be troublesome for some players
  • Combat has a limited army size and isn't very interesting

  • idler
  • city-building
  • colony
  • tutorial
  • management
  • base-building
  • building
  • simulation
  • medieval
  • crafting
  • economy
  • top-down
  • relaxing
  • 2d
  • resource-management

4

Oxygen Not Included (2019)

View Similar Games
96
Review score
Logo of Oxygen Not Included Screenshot of Oxygen Not Included Screenshot of Oxygen Not Included Screenshot of Oxygen Not Included

PC Windows Mac OS Linux Android

Oxygen Not Included is an innovative and unique colony-building game in which you control a crew of duplicants who start beneath the surface of a procedurally generated asteroid with nothing more than a ration box and cloning device. With its childlike art style and humour, Oxygen Not Included looks like less of a space simulator and more like The Sims in space, but don't let that fool you - it's brimming with complexity and depth.

Buy

Pros:
  • Child-friendly art style
  • Complexity and depth
  • Humor
  • Procedurally generated asteroid
  • Experimenting with contraptions
  • Retconning decisions
Cons:
  • Frame rate drops at the start of each cycle
  • AI occasionally getting confused

  • survival
  • simulation
  • colony
  • resource-management
  • management
  • base-building
  • sandbox
  • building
  • space

5

Timberborn (2021)

View Similar Games
93
Review score
Logo of Timberborn Screenshot of Timberborn Screenshot of Timberborn Screenshot of Timberborn

Mac OS PC Windows

Timberborn is a unique city builder game where you manage a society of beavers in a post-apocalyptic world. With a focus on water and food resources, players must create dams and other structures to control rivers and survive droughts. The game offers a relaxed building experience with a novel water mechanic that refreshes the genre. It is a worthy purchase for fans of colony/survival simulators seeking a unique and refreshing challenge.


Pros:
  • Unique beaver cast of characters
  • High degree of control over society shape
  • Novel water mechanic
  • Verticality offers multi-layered societies
  • Challenging gameplay
Cons:
  • Perfomance issue on big town
  • Lack of late-game content
  • Early game only provides traditional needs
  • No storyline or scripted challenges

  • city-building
  • colony
  • survival
  • base-building
  • automation
  • post-apocalyptic
  • building
  • resource-management
  • simulation
  • management
  • agriculture
  • science
  • editor
  • level
  • voxel

6

Kingdom: New Lands (2016)

View Similar Games
83
Review score
Logo of Kingdom: New Lands Screenshot of Kingdom: New Lands Screenshot of Kingdom: New Lands Screenshot of Kingdom: New Lands

PC Windows Linux Xbox One Nintendo Switch IOS iPhone Playstation 4 Mac OS Android

Experience the mystery and challenge of managing a kingdom in Kingdom: New Lands. Explore new lands, build your kingdom, and defeat greedy creatures while discovering the secrets of this minimalist strategy game. With stunning visuals, simple controls, and a haunting soundtrack, Kingdom: New Lands will keep you hooked for hours as you learn and grow your empire.


Pros:
  • Innovative gameplay mechanics
  • Expanding game world
  • Addictive gameplay
  • Beautiful visual style
  • Rewarding learning curve
Cons:
  • Lack of control over characters
  • Limited diversification of gameplay loop
  • No clear instruction

  • pixel
  • tower-defense
  • colony
  • medieval
  • rogue-like
  • strategy
  • simulation
  • scroller
  • base-building
  • survival
  • building
  • 2d
  • resource-management
  • side-scrolling
  • defence

7

Stardeus (2022)

View Similar Games
89
Review score
Logo of Stardeus Screenshot of Stardeus Screenshot of Stardeus Screenshot of Stardeus

PC Windows Mac OS Linux

In Stardeus, you are the immortal AI controlling a broken starship manned by drones and hibernating human survivors. Your mission is to repair the ship, save or exploit the human crew, and travel the stars in a procedurally generated universe. Balance oxygen, heat, and power to ensure long-term survival, grow crops, and mine planets to expand your facilities. Discover new ways to survive while dealing with alien face huggers, traders, or pirates. Live through endless possibilities and prepare for the worst. Survive and thrive in this beautifully complex simulation game.


Pros:
  • Addictive gameplay
  • Moddable out of the box
  • Relaxing pace
  • Lots of customisation options
  • Regular updates
Cons:
  • Frustrating events (short circuits and arrival of people)
  • Intermittent AI issues: stupid colonists and animals
  • Slow research and progression

  • colony
  • simulation
  • space
  • base-building
  • god-game
  • moddable
  • management
  • automation
  • resource-management
  • science
  • procedural
  • survival
  • immersive
  • space-colony
  • time-management

8

Farlanders (2023)

View Similar Games
92
Review score
Logo of Farlanders Screenshot of Farlanders Screenshot of Farlanders Screenshot of Farlanders

PC Windows Mac OS Linux

Farlanders is a turn-based city builder set on Mars, with a puzzle game mentality and an engaging story that challenges you to think about the right you have to change the face of a planet. You play as Marco, an architect who discovers that all is not what it seems. Balance resources, build structures and manage colony happiness in this demanding but rewarding space colony simulator.


Pros:
  • Vibrant visuals
  • Realistic environments
  • Dynamic building system
  • Strategic choices
  • Challenging gameplay
  • Turn-based city builder
  • Procedurally generated maps
Cons:
  • Complexity can be overwhelming for some players
  • Steep learning curve
  • Requires careful resource management

  • city-building
  • turn-based
  • mars
  • colony
  • resource-management
  • base-building
  • simulation
  • building
  • strategy
  • space
  • procedural
  • pixel
  • management
  • survival

9

Songs of Syx (2020)

View Similar Games
93
Review score
Logo of Songs of Syx Screenshot of Songs of Syx Screenshot of Songs of Syx Screenshot of Songs of Syx

PC Windows Mac OS Linux

Songs of Syx is a retro-style city-building game that lets you manage a single city with multiple races and cultures while conquering neighboring territories. With real-time combat and a massive world of different gods, creatures, and races, each playthrough is unique. Although it still has some rough edges, the game is promising and worth trying.


Pros:
  • Unique city-building simulation with complex gameplay
  • Ability to control thousands of troops in real-time combat
  • Encourages players to improve the lives of their subjects for tribute
  • Randomized content each playthrough makes it unique
  • Frequent updates to improve the gameplay
Cons:
  • City-building aspect requires better balancing
  • Map is too small for the maximum number of citizens

  • city-building
  • colony
  • grand-strategy
  • simulation
  • base-building
  • moddable
  • building
  • empire
  • fantasy

10

Offworld Trading Company (2016)

View Similar Games
80
Review score
Logo of Offworld Trading Company Screenshot of Offworld Trading Company Screenshot of Offworld Trading Company Screenshot of Offworld Trading Company

Mac OS PC Windows

Mars has been colonized, and Earth's corporate titans fight to dominate this new market. Competition is fierce in this fast-paced economic RTS from Civilization IV Lead Designer, Soren Johnson.


  • real-time
  • strategy
  • economy
  • colony
  • resource-management
  • base-building
  • moddable
  • sci-fi
  • cooperative
  • simulation
  • city-building
  • building
  • space
  • futuristic
  • sandbox

Not seeing your game?