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Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this. Classic ClassicOlder, proven, and still worth your time.
City BuilderColony SimSurvival
$19.99 ~64.7 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 90.4% of 43k
The Squirrel's verdictSame settlement-survival core: forced worker roles, harsh winters, one bad harvest away from collapse. Banished strips out Farthest Frontier's disease/water simulation depth and combat, running a leaner, older engine instead. No expansions arrived after launch. Median playtime near 65 hours suggests the shorter systems still hold attention for those wanting the core loop without added complexity.
Not for you if you came to Farthest Frontier for combat, raids, or deep disease and water systems, since Banished has none of that.
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City BuilderMedievalResource Management
$34.99 ~58.2 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 86.5% of 24k
The Squirrel's verdictPlayers who enjoy tiered population management and modular medieval construction will find Foundation familiar: production chains, gradual town growth, and long-term consequences from early decisions all carry over from Farthest Frontier. The free-form building system and medieval aesthetic differ from frontier survival. Median playtime runs 58.2 hours. Reviewers flag game-breaking bugs at launch, logistics that fail over long distances, and simulation errors at speeds above 1x.
Not for you if you want combat, bandit threats, or reliable simulation that scales to a large, sprawling settlement.
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City BuilderBase-BuildingColony Sim
$19.99 ~62.7 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 90.5% of 10k
The Squirrel's verdictCo-op is Kingdoms Reborn's clearest differentiator: two players can build and trade together, with multiple factions and an economy where luxury imports can substitute for gathering most resources yourself. Median playtime is 62.7 hours at $19.99, rated Very Positive. Reviewers note that the trade-dominant economy can make production chains feel optional, and that difficulty settings and late-game variety feel repetitive across playthroughs.
Not for you if you want deep interlocking production logistics rather than a trade economy that lets imports bypass most resource gathering.
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Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
City BuilderColony SimSurvival
$19.99 ~41 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 85.4% of 8k
The Squirrel's verdictSettlement Survival shares Farthest Frontier's core loop: manage resource chains, feed and house a growing population, and balance production against survival needs. It trades Farthest Frontier's individual settlers and combat for larger-scale, colony-count logistics closer to Rimworld's supply chains. Priced at $19.99, rated Very Positive, median playtime 41 hours, suited to players who want scale over character-level detail.
Not for you if you want individual settler stories, combat, or the narrative carryover that defines Farthest Frontier, not just resource logistics at scale.
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City BuilderColony Sim
$15.99 ~19.2 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 82.6% of 413
The Squirrel's verdictBoth build settlements where survival depends on managing supply chains and worker logistics rather than combat. Hearthlands trades Farthest Frontier's dense simulation and visual polish for four playable cultures, a structured campaign, and Sierra-style city building closer to Caesar or Pharaoh. Median playtime runs about 19 hours, shorter than a Farthest Frontier campaign.
Not for you if you came for Farthest Frontier's depth of simulation and visual detail, since reviewers describe Hearthlands' systems as shallow by comparison.
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City BuilderColony SimResource Management
$18.99 ~14 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 80.7% of 429
The Squirrel's verdictSettlements Rising suits players new to this genre or returning for a low-pressure run: it is simpler and easier than most genre entries, with an intuitive UI and visible villager routines. At $18.99 and a median playtime of 14 hours, the commitment is modest. Reviewers who know Farthest Frontier will recognize building names and mechanics almost immediately, and note the game adds little that is original.
Not for you if you want originality, meaningful challenge, or systems that go beyond what Farthest Frontier already offers across a longer campaign.
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City BuilderColony SimSurvival
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$19.99 ~11.4 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 72.2% of 3k
The Squirrel's verdictPlayers who want settlement survival in a shorter, cheaper package will find Patron covers the basics: worker logistics, goods carried between buildings, and gradual expansion from bare survival toward a stable town. At $19.99 with a median playtime of 11.4 hours, the scope is deliberately smaller. Reviewers flag carrier-pathing inefficiencies and a problematic tutorial that does not reflect current balance.
Not for you if you want deeper simulation layers, longer campaign length, or reliable worker-assignment tools, which reviewers say Patron handles poorly.
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City BuilderColony SimEconomy
$1.99 ~14.5 hr median no co-op complexity: light 60.8% of 1k
The Squirrel's verdictDepraved shares the frontier-settlement loop: random map generation, resource micro-management, bandit and native encounters, multiple settlements per map. It swaps Farthest Frontier's deep logistics simulation for a shallower, faster city-builder where buildings unlock by population thresholds. Suited to players who want the frontier-survival fantasy without the 40-hour logistics grind, at a fraction of the cost.
Not for you if you want Farthest Frontier's depth of interlocking systems rather than a game reviewers say shows everything within an hour.