If you’re looking for a city-building sim with a medieval-fantasy twist, then look no further than Pioneers of Pagonia. While it’s been out on Early Access since late 2023, Envision Entertainment is working non-stop to continue grow this living, breathing world filled with things to do for years to come. At PAX West, I was able to sit down with a member of the dev team and receive a private demo.
For those that are unfamiliar, Pioneers of Pagonia offers a simulation of a world filled with islands and villages. You set off to meet and forge alliances with other inhabitants. Of course, you will need to gain each faction’s trust by helping them with missions or other asks; all the while, you are exploring untouched lands and discovering secrets around every corner.
Credit: Envision Entertainment
One of the amazing things about Pioneers of Pagonia that I witnessed is that you are able to view all your inhabitants (could be thousands) as they bustle about their lives. They are all actively doing something. The woodcutter is actually cutting wood…until he is out of space, and you need to create storage. The AI of these NPCs were impressive–I didn’t just see things “happen” in a flash of a screen, but rather, each individual person is actually doing what their job title states!
Pioneers of Pagonia offers over 70 goods to manage, over 40 buildings to create with, and creating roads to connect your little world are a breeze. Speaking of breeze, I was impressed with the UI layout. It consisted of a neat and tidy top bar, and I learned you are able to customize what you see on the screen because if everything was laid out at once…it would get a little too crowded.
You can choose to play the game at a relaxed pace with minimal to no combat, or you can take on hostile animals, thieves, and even mythical creatures. Yes, there is a slight fantasy element to give Pioneers of Pagonia a little extra pizzaz.
Remember when I said earlier that Envision Entertainment was busy keeping content fresh? Well, a new update is around the corner! The Magic Update is their fourth content update will debut the arrival of the “Cursed”, a group of enemies that suck the life out of nature for their own purposes. You will need to build your own team of magic users to defend Pagonia against them. There will also be a new explorer unit, adding new buildings such as the gem mine and the innovative treasure hunter. Lastly, this update will also include a quality-of-life improvement for onboarding new players.
The Magic Update will enter open beta on Steam at the end of October:
Feel free to also check out the in-game trailer!
On one final note, I wanted to share that the development of Pioneers of Pagonia was financially supported by the German games fund grant by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection. It is nice to see support not only the arts but also our own beloved planet.
Have you played Pioneers of Pagonia on Early Access yet? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord
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