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Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this. Budget Pick Budget PickThe best game here for the least money.
City BuilderFuturisticSci-fi
$17.99 ~51.1 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 87.3% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictTrading between separate cliff-cities sits at the center of Cliff Empire's design: each city runs its own budget, and resource transfers require actual market transactions rather than direct transfers. That friction gives standard food-water-power management more ways to spiral if trades are mismanaged. Players who liked Aven Colony's resource juggling but wanted economic interdependence between settlements are the target.
Not for you if you want resource categories to behave intuitively — the game classifies only grain as food, which catches reviewers off guard in goal-completion scenarios.
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Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
City BuilderSurvivalPost-apocalyptic
$24.99 ~21.8 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 76.8% of 10k
The Squirrel's verdictRadiation zones and soil contamination create failure states that standard colony builders rarely include. Reviewers describe a strong snowball effect in both directions: good runs accelerate into stability, troubled ones compound into collapse. Those dynamics make resource and build-order decisions carry weight from early in a session. Median playtime across sampled players is around 22 hours.
Not for you if setbacks compounding quickly frustrates you — reviewers describe higher difficulties as unforgiving without a solid build order established early.
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Hidden Gem Hidden GemLoved by the players who found it, but still under the radar.
City BuilderColony Sim
$4.99 ~86.6 hr median co-op 90.8% of 272
The Squirrel's verdictCo-op multiplayer cities and a harder, less hand-held friction curve are My Colony's main distinguishing features among colony builders sharing the power-food-housing-materials loop. Visuals are deliberately minimalist. Median playtime across sampled players is around 87 hours, which reviewers attribute to the depth that opens up once early systems are understood.
Not for you if you play colony builders for atmosphere and polished presentation rather than tighter resource management and stripped-down graphics.
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Colony SimCity BuilderSci-fi
$24.99 ~18.9 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 81.7% of 961
The Squirrel's verdictImagine Earth shares Aven Colony's core loop: balancing food, water, air, and power while expanding a colony. The difference is consequence—pollution from industry triggers disasters, and rival colonies compete for the same resources, forcing tradeoffs that Aven Colony's build-what-you're-told structure never requires. Built for players who wanted the resource juggling to carry actual risk.
Not for you if you want colony building without pollution-driven disasters, rival companies racing you for resources, or the climate-change framing some reviewers flagged as political.
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Sci-fiSurvivalColony Sim
$9.99 ~37.2 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 78.5% of 316
The Squirrel's verdictSurvivor recruitment, robot helpers, and underground base-building distinguish Mercury Fallen from Aven Colony's surface-colony structure. Power conduit management and food chains carry real failure risk in the early game, and reviews cite strong replayability for players who push through a slow opening. Released out of Early Access in August 2023 by a solo developer; last update was June 2024.
Not for you if you want ongoing patches or a balanced late game — the developer has moved to another project, and reviews report late-game progression locks.
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City BuilderPost-apocalypticSurvival
$29.99 ~36.4 hr median no co-op complexity: light 70.8% of 5k
The Squirrel's verdictSurviving the Aftermath adds expeditions, specialist survivors, and random events to the standard food-water-power-housing loop, giving more decision points than Aven Colony offers. Reviewers note the added complexity plateaus after a few hours and the resource grind settles in regardless. Worth considering for players who want post-apocalyptic framing and a broader toolset, even if the long-term arc stays shallow.
Not for you if you want complexity that keeps growing — reviewers describe challenge and variety dropping off after roughly three to five hours.
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City BuilderBase-BuildingSurvival
$14.99 ~16.8 hr median no co-op complexity: light 72.3% of 895
The Squirrel's verdictOxygen suits players who want a low-pressure, open-ended builder with no defined win condition. Resources become easy to maintain once the systems are understood, difficulty stays flat throughout, and the game continues indefinitely without a completion goal. Median playtime across sampled players is around 17 hours, and the price point is $14.99.
Not for you if you want escalating challenge or a clear endpoint — reviews describe resources as easily obtainable and no completion state exists.
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RomeCity BuilderHistorical
$24.99 ~17.5 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 70.1% of 643
The Squirrel's verdictPlayers who want denser industrial chains in a historical setting will find more to engage with in Pax Augusta than in Aven Colony's lighter structure. Production runs through interdependent buildings — lumberjack, wood processor, warehouse — with a Roman civic layer on top. Released in 2025 and built by a solo developer, with active updates in progress.
Not for you if you need a stable, polished release — reviews report save-corrupting city wipes, campaign progress resets, and systems with little to no in-game explanation.