Embark
Early access since Apr 2019
Inspired by the deep simulation of Dwarf Fortress, the open world survival of Minecraft, and the social interactions of The Sims. Embark is a colony management game with a focus on complex simulation in a huge living 3D world.
60% positive · 389 reviews
Not yet
In early access, content planned but development status unclear
Low confidence
Content Planned
Development Uncertain
Not yet
In early access, content planned but development status unclear
Low confidence
Content Planned
Development Uncertain
Where to buy
Steam $24.99
Can't confirm — worth a look
We couldn't confirm these stores carry this game.
Green Man Gaming Steam key Search IndieGala Steam key Search Prices in USD, as listed by each store.
Buying through an affiliate store helps support the site
Evaluation
Embark is a colony management game that has been in Early Access since April 18, 2019. Over the years, the sole developer (Adam Teo) has shipped a series of substantial feature updates, including major overhauls of water systems, combat, the art direction, colonist task systems, and UI. The most recent significant update was version 0.930 on June 19, 2024.
On July 14, 2025, the developer posted a frank development status update stating that Embark development is going on hiatus for the remainder of 2025. The post acknowledged persistent fundamental flaws in the gameplay loop, difficulty making progress, and the developer's own admission that early design decisions have caused deep-rooted problems. Crucially, the developer also announced a new separate game project — a Factorio-like called "Ruin and Rebirth" — being built alongside a collaborator, and offered Embark owners free keys for that game as a goodwill gesture.
The developer expressed hope to return to Embark in 2026 with more resources and inspiration. However, as of June 26, 2026, there have been no further posts, patches, or announcements from the developer — meaning the game has been completely silent for nearly 12 months since that hiatus announcement. The promised return to development in 2026 has not materialized in any visible way.
The game remains in Early Access, is still purchasable, and the developer has not announced cancellation. However, the combination of an extended development hiatus, a competing new project consuming the developer's attention, unresolved core design issues, and 12 months of silence past the stated return window creates significant uncertainty about whether and when development will meaningfully resume.
Evidence
Developer Adam Teo announced Embark development is on hiatus, citing inability to fix fundamental gameplay loop issues. States hope to resume next year (2026). Also announced a new separate game project, Ruin and Rebirth, which is already in an early playable state.
Update 0.9 described as the biggest update yet, including a full rewrite of the colonist task system and a near-complete art overhaul, indicating substantial active development through early 2024.
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Overly Complicated Games
Achievements
22
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player
About this game
Embark is a colony management game with a focus on complex simulation in a huge living 3D world. It is a game targeted at enthusiasts of the genre who are looking for a deeper experience. While a lot of effort has been put into the interface, and there is a short tutorial, there is still a significant learning curve (especially while in Early Access).
EXPLORE
Explore a huge procedurally generated 3D world and meet its inhabitants. Embark simulates thousands of flora and fauna in detail. Time of day, seasons, temperature, and precipitation are modeled in detail. These conditions can have effects that help or hinder your colony. Crops can fail from lack of water or an early frost.
CRAFT
Gather a large variety of materials and craft items with a deep hierarchical crafting item system. With practice comes the ability to build better items, smith more effective weapons and armours, and smelt better ores. Each part of an item affects its effectiveness in different ways. A spear could be made with an iron head and wooden shaft, or it could have a steel head and bronze shaft.
BUILD
Rebuild civilization block by block. Embark’s fully destructible world allows you to build anything from small trading outposts to huge fortresses. Order your people to build complex structures and sit back and watch as they complete them. Your colony depends on you. Your management style may result in a cohesive well oiled military machine or a dysfunctional band on the brink of murdering each other. Reward a skilled craftsman with a larger room to make her more productive but be careful, as her friends may get jealous at the “unfair” treatment.
DEFEND
Defend yourself from multiple threats using a deep combat system which models individual body parts, weapon sizes, character skills, and more. Build the ultimate fort to keep intruders out, but beware! Some enemies can dig, climb, or fly to reach you.
- Order your colonists to build the ultimate base in multiple Z levels.
- Manage your colonists' needs.
- Watch your colonists live their own lives and have their own relationships.
- Build aqueducts and pumps to manage a detailed water simulation system.
- Farm food with a detailed plant simulation system.
- Tame and hunt animals.
- Craft dozens of different items to keep your colonists happy and defend yourself.
- Dig deep to find sources of metal ore with a prospecting system.
- Explore the massive game map.
- Defend your colony with a detailed combat system.
- Play a procedurally generated map with different biomes and places of interest each time.
- Each component of an item has a material and quality which affects the item differently.
- Impress or fight with other factions.
- Trade with other factions.
- Modding, with Steam workshop support.
EXPLORE
Explore a huge procedurally generated 3D world and meet its inhabitants. Embark simulates thousands of flora and fauna in detail. Time of day, seasons, temperature, and precipitation are modeled in detail. These conditions can have effects that help or hinder your colony. Crops can fail from lack of water or an early frost.
CRAFT
Gather a large variety of materials and craft items with a deep hierarchical crafting item system. With practice comes the ability to build better items, smith more effective weapons and armours, and smelt better ores. Each part of an item affects its effectiveness in different ways. A spear could be made with an iron head and wooden shaft, or it could have a steel head and bronze shaft.
BUILD
Rebuild civilization block by block. Embark’s fully destructible world allows you to build anything from small trading outposts to huge fortresses. Order your people to build complex structures and sit back and watch as they complete them. Your colony depends on you. Your management style may result in a cohesive well oiled military machine or a dysfunctional band on the brink of murdering each other. Reward a skilled craftsman with a larger room to make her more productive but be careful, as her friends may get jealous at the “unfair” treatment.
DEFEND
Defend yourself from multiple threats using a deep combat system which models individual body parts, weapon sizes, character skills, and more. Build the ultimate fort to keep intruders out, but beware! Some enemies can dig, climb, or fly to reach you.
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 26, 2026
Something about this evaluation looks wrong Report illegal or harmful content