Colonial Conquest
Argonauts Interactive · 2015 · Strategy, Wargame, Historical, Turn-Based, Indie
PC
Mixed62% · 215
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About Colonial Conquest
Colonial Conquest is a conquest simulation set in the Victorian age of warfare and expansion of the late 1800's and early 1900's. The object of the game is to become the dominant major power throughout the world. Players can be one among six of the great powers of the time: Great Britain, Germany, France, USA, Japan or Russia.
You win by either scoring the most Victory Points (VPs) or being the first to reach a certain preset VP threshold, depending on scenario and custom choices in the main menu. To do so, you must capture regions over the world, and defeat your enemies in battle.
The world has about 130 regions open to conquest. The regions have variable income and VP values (set randomly in the Standard scenario) and unknown until conquered or spied upon. Each region not owned by a Major Power usually has an independent Minor country owning and defending it.
Each Major country is controlled by a human player or the computer, or is designated neutral and then acts as a Minor country.
Hotseat play is possible, with an option to limit to 4.00 minutes the playing time per player.
Each game turn represents roughly one season.
Game lasts till victory conditions are achieved.
Scenarios: game offers 3 scenarios: one starting in the year 1880 with an historical setting, one in 1914 with historical positions, and an open ca-1870 standard where nation only own their starting home territories (free-for-all non-historical)
The game has 3 main phases, each player entering them in sequence, i.e. Build Phase (Spring only, with: Army & Navy Construction, Fortification, Economic Aid, Espionage, Subversion), Movement Phase (Army & Navy), and Combat Phase.
Gameplay of each phase is rather simple and straightforward, as follows:
Features
- Return to the era of Golden Warfare and rule one of handful of powers which had been shaping the face of our present world.
- Sail, ride and march across the globe as your nation flexes its military and economic muscles.
- Supplement brawn with subterfuge and use cloak and dagger tactics such as subversion and espionage.
- Compete with the European hegemons in their final golden days before they engulfed the world in the flames of the first global war.
- Play as one of the then two raising behemoths: the United States of America or Imperial Japan; or as one of the main European power to roll them back within their boundaries.
- Play against the AI or other human claimants to the mastery of our planet.
More about the game
You win by either scoring the most Victory Points (VPs) or being the first to reach a certain preset VP threshold, depending on scenario and custom choices in the main menu. To do so, you must capture regions over the world, and defeat your enemies in battle.
The world has about 130 regions open to conquest. The regions have variable income and VP values (set randomly in the Standard scenario) and unknown until conquered or spied upon. Each region not owned by a Major Power usually has an independent Minor country owning and defending it.
Each Major country is controlled by a human player or the computer, or is designated neutral and then acts as a Minor country.
Hotseat play is possible, with an option to limit to 4.00 minutes the playing time per player.
Each game turn represents roughly one season.
Game lasts till victory conditions are achieved.
Scenarios: game offers 3 scenarios: one starting in the year 1880 with an historical setting, one in 1914 with historical positions, and an open ca-1870 standard where nation only own their starting home territories (free-for-all non-historical)
The game has 3 main phases, each player entering them in sequence, i.e. Build Phase (Spring only, with: Army & Navy Construction, Fortification, Economic Aid, Espionage, Subversion), Movement Phase (Army & Navy), and Combat Phase.
Gameplay of each phase is rather simple and straightforward, as follows:
- Army and Navy Build Phase (Spring): Create new armies and fleets in your Supply Centers
- Fortification Phase (Spring): Fortify army units (except in Supply Centers which are already fortified).
- Economic Aid Phase (Spring): Lend money to other Major countries; which is added to their Treasury. Or Lend money to neutral Minor countries; which they use immediately to build armies.
- Espionage Phase (Spring): Learn the approximate (not always accurate) army strength and the income of a Minor country or of an region controlled by a Major country. And the region’s VP value
- Subversion Phase (Spring): Spend money to bribe a Minor country's army, weakening the country's defense or causing a coup (giving you control of the said country in return).
- Movement Phase (All turns): Move armies to adjacent regions only. Move navies alone or with armies from one port to another (or carry regiments to amphibious landings on enemy holdings).
- Combat Phase (All turns): up to twenty rounds of battle; each consists of naval (if ships are present) then land battles
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
✦ AI summary
Players appreciate the game's historical setting and budget-friendly price, but criticize its oversimplified mechanics and lack of strategic depth. The game becomes too easy once players gain an initial advantage, with inactive AI opponents failing to provide meaningful challenge or resistance. Most agree the concept has potential but requires substantial improvements in balance, geography simulation, and overall design to be truly recommendable.
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Yes, jolly good.1 found this helpful
The game has extremely little challenge with a very basic gameplay loop where you rapidly start to steamroll everyone else. If you're looking for a strategic game about the time period around Scramble for Africa and such the game series Victoria by Paradox is a better one, even with 3 being controversial.1 found this helpful
no, risk might be better
Colonial Conquest, developed by Argonauts Interactive and Collectif Nemoïd and published by Plug In Digital, is a turn-based strategy game that revisits the classic 1985 title with modern touches. Set during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the game immerses players in the age of imperialism, challenging them to expand their nation’s influence across the globe. Players can choose from six major powers—Great Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Japan, or Russia—each with unique strengths and starting positions, tasking them with managing diplomacy, military operations, and strategic planning to achieve global dominance. The historical setting adds a layer of context, making strategic decisions feel grounded in the era of colonial expansion. Gameplay in Colonial Conquest centers around controlling territories, managing resources, and deploying military units to expand influence and defend holdings. The world map is divided into regions and sea zones, each with strategic value, and players must weigh the cost of expansion against potential risks. Beyond straightforward military action, the game introduces mechanics like espionage, sabotage, and bribery, allowing player…
I wish I could recommend Colonial Conquest even for its budget price, but I truly cannot. This strategy game has many flaws that cannot be glanced over, both technical as well as design issues. The game oversimplifies history and geography to an extreme; all regions that have access to the sea can be reached in one turn no matter where the player’s fleet is. The AI is very inactive, meaning it is far too easy to invade the world undisturbed by the other great powers. There are some good ideas and it is playable, but the title needs many improvements.
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