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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.
RPGCity BuilderColony Sim
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$23.99 ~71.4 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 89.1% of 21k
The Squirrel's verdictGoing Medieval's 3D layered building and raid-defense colony sim replaces Valhalla Hills' island-hopping portal structure with a single persistent settlement that grows vertically as well as outward. Median playtime runs 71.4 hours. Reviews flag the absence of any family or lineage system, melee combat as unreliable, and pathfinding problems on multi-floor builds.
Not for you if you want family or lineage systems, solid melee combat, or reliable pathfinding across multiple building floors.
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City BuilderColony SimSurvival
$24.99 ~63.5 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 86.8% of 18k
The Squirrel's verdictDawn of Man shares the same core loop: manage a settlement's logistics, unlock buildings and technology, and grow population across ages instead of Valhalla Hills' island chain. Progression runs copper through early iron age rather than a career tree. Median playtime sits at 63.5 hours, no co-op, single-player only.
Not for you if you want individualized villagers with personalities or a difficulty curve that holds up once population passes 100.
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Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
Base-BuildingPvECity Builder
$34.99 ~27.1 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 81.5% of 5k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth are settlers-style builders: dwarves/villagers hauling resources through logistics chains, unlocking buildings as you progress. Pagonia adds co-op and physical goods that must be carried between buildings rather than abstracted, plus deeper career-style progression. Reviews note combat is limited to spawner waves rather than a real enemy AI, unlike Valhalla Hills' guardian encounters.
Not for you if you want contested enemy factions rather than periodic spawner attacks, or want manual crafting queues automated instead of clicked by hand.
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Evolution of Ages: Settlements
PC
RPGCraftingBase-Building
$8.99 ~75.8 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 86.3% of 292
The Squirrel's verdictIncremental resource layering and worker placement drive Settlements' depth — that's the mechanical core, buried under a UI reviewers describe as functional but dated, with graphics that predate modern expectations. Players who clear that bar report 75.8 median hours of 'just one more turn' engagement. A sequel is in development, per the developer's own pinned forum post.
Not for you if a readable modern interface or presentable visuals matter more to you than deep incremental resource systems.
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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 verdictReviewers compare Settlements Rising directly to Banished and Farthest Frontier — a straightforward town-builder with granular villager control and a clean UI, no portal structure or career unlock tree. It suits players who want the resource-routing management layer in a familiar, low-friction package. Median playtime is 14 hours; reviews describe it as casual and undemanding.
Not for you if you want a viking theme, portal-to-portal progression, meaningful challenge, or anything not already found in Banished or Farthest Frontier.
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Colony SimCity BuilderVikings
$25.99 ~16.6 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 73.8% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictLand of the Vikings runs progression across multiple in-game years rather than discrete level stages, with production chains that include forestry, tool-making, and supply routing to specialist buildings. Reviews flag a specific recurring bug where warehouse workers go permanently idle when storage fills, stalling production. No endgame goal exists once the settlement is established.
Not for you if you need a defined endgame condition, or can't tolerate reported bugs that halt production chains mid-run.
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Rogue-liteSurvivalPuzzle
$13.99 ~7.9 hr median no co-op complexity: light 75.3% of 473
The Squirrel's verdictLandnama shares Valhalla Hills' colony-logistics core: resource management, building unlocks, and tribe survival across runs, but trades open-ended base-building for a tighter, run-based structure with randomized seasonal events. Sessions are shorter (median 7.9 hours) and the path to victory is largely fixed rather than open, appealing to players who want a compact, repeatable resource puzzle rather than a sprawling settlement to grow.
Not for you if you want long-term base expansion and varied strategies rather than a short, linear run with repeated randomized challenges.
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EconomyResource ManagementPvP
$19.99 ~8.8 hr median co-op complexity: light 69.4% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth use Norse settlements with logistics and building unlocks, but Frozenheim shifts the focus toward combat: base-building exists mainly to feed unit production for battles against other factions, with naval and ground fighting layered in. Suits players who wanted Valhalla Hills' construction loop paired with military conflict rather than pure colony survival.
Not for you if you want deep city-building rather than base-building that mainly exists to fund combat units.