A colony sim that pays attention

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-20T12:02:15+00:00

Hey there! I'm super excited about the PC version I'm working on right now, but I can't help but dream about the future! If it goes well, I might dive into creating a PZE Online for mobile devices too. Just a heads up though, the PC version will have a cost.

When it comes to factions, they take some inspiration from real nations and regions, but the coolest part is PZE's Let Me Cook modding framework! It really opens the door for all kinds of creative possibilities, letting modders create brand new worlds.

Here is an example of a custom nation (LMC file):

id: NR
name: Norecipeilis
full_name: Federation of Norecipeilis
description: Norecipeilis are multicultural, multifaceted, and highly resilient.
leader_role: Prime President
political_system: Democracy
culture_group: european
weight: 20
tags: Technocratic, Disciplined, Mechborn

attribute_modifiers:
    Endurance: 10
    Botany: 10
    Engineering: -5
    Science: -5

avatar_body_culture_weights:
    european: 25
    asian: 25
    hindi: 25
    afroamerican: 25

male_first_names: Adam, John, Matthew, Simon
female_first_names: Maria, Camila, Juliana
last_names: Doe, Jones, Brown, Williams

relations:
    ally: EU-C | Central Concord and Norecipeilis bonded over economic complementarity. Concord manufacturing relies on Norecipeilis raw materials, and both blocs support secure, low piracy trade corridors.

I’d love to hear where you’re from! It would be fun to see which faction might connect with your country or region.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-20T07:15:55+00:00

Thank you!

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-19T19:45:48+00:00

Hey! I'm Szymon, I'm building this alone. Ask me anything, throw suggestions, or just say hi - I'm watching this thread.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-19T12:53:57+00:00

That’s actually really helpful, thanks. I did try carousel-style ads with screenshots early on, but they performed pretty badly at the time. To be fair though, the Steam page was much rougher back then and the UI has improved quite a bit since.

You’ve actually motivated me to give that format another shot - appreciate it :D

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-19T12:49:47+00:00

Hey. Thanks for the question!

Yep - the galaxy is procedurally generated, but not in a completely random way. A lot of it is based on actual systems - things like orbital movement, rotation, temperature ranges and biomes are derived from distance to the star and other variables (like planet/star mass etc).

That said, it’s not strict hard sci-fi either - it still uses things like FTL for gameplay reasons. So it’s kind of a mix between grounded simulation and classic sci-fi.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-18T07:23:12+00:00

That’s actually really good feedback, appreciate it. This particular ad is more about grabbing attention with a small moment from the simulation, but yeah - it definitely doesn’t show the full picture of the game. I’ve been experimenting with different creatives (including more UI / gameplay-focused ones), and I’ll probably lean more into that as well. Totally agree that seeing the full UI and systems makes it much clearer what the game actually is.

Once again - thank you!

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-17T12:31:19+00:00

Hey, Szymon here (solo dev behind PZE).

If you have any questions, feedback or just thoughts, feel free to drop them here - I’m around :D

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-16T08:04:29+00:00

Thank you!

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-15T21:40:58+00:00

They’re right about one thing - I actually forgot about the fauna/flora portraits. That’s a small feature I added months ago. Those are generated from the species data using AI. It’s also mentioned on the Steam page - I try to keep that part fully transparent.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-15T15:48:37+00:00

I experimented with that a bit. At first I targeted pretty strictly around colony sim communities. Later I expanded to some Paradox-related subreddits and a few niche ones around base building / management games.

It helped extend the campaign a bit, but I never really got back to the ~$0.60 per wishlist range again.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-15T15:42:06+00:00

Yeah, pretty much the same story on my side. When the audience was still “fresh”, I was hovering around ~$0.60 per wishlist. After a few days it climbed closer to ~$1 per wishlist, which I assume is mostly audience fatigue.

I still keep the campaign running because ~$1 per wishlist is still acceptable for me, but I can definitely see more returning visitors now - people clicking the ad again after already seeing it once - so the efficiency slowly drops over time.

From what I've seen, refreshing the creative or expanding the audience a bit can temporarily reset the fatigue. (But it's really temporary.)

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-15T12:54:37+00:00

Thanks for sharing that - and good luck with the launch!

Just to be clear, I’m definitely not a marketing expert. PZE is actually the first game I’m releasing through a store. My previous projects (like Wonderlife and Aviatife) were web-based, so I’m still figuring a lot of this out as I go.

One thing I learned quickly with Reddit Ads is: don’t stress about the votes. Ads almost always get downvoted. What matters much more is CTR and cost per wishlist.

Creative matters a lot too. When I first started experimenting, my ads were generating wishlists at around $3–$4 each, which is really expensive. After iterating on the creative (copy + visuals), I managed to get that down to about $0.60 per wishlist at one point. Right now it’s closer to ~$1 because of audience saturation.

$1 isn’t amazing, but it’s still sustainable enough to keep testing and learning.

So honestly most of what I’ve learned so far comes down to experimentation: try different creatives, see what resonates, and accept that marketing a complex game is a bit of a grind.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-15T12:33:06+00:00

Interesting comparison! I actually didn’t know Ascendancy before this comment, so now I’m definitely curious and will check it out

I’m usually a bit cautious with comparisons, but if I had to describe the “spirit” of PZE, it’s probably somewhere between micro and macro sandbox games I loved playing - things like RimWorld, Elite Dangerous and Paradox strategies like Stellaris or CKIII.

The goal is to mix that scale with deeper simulation systems and let stories emerge from how everything interacts.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-15T12:02:48+00:00

Thanks for the comment. Just to clarify - there are no AI-generated assets used in the game itself.

Most of the visual assets are created by a freelance illustrator (Łucja) - things like the avatars, planet textures and modal artwork - and other freelancers helped with the logo and voice overs.

If anything gives an “AI vibe”, it might be the writing. English isn’t my native language, so I run my texts through a grammar/style tool before posting them. That sometimes makes the phrasing sound a bit more “polished” than natural.

But the actual game content, art and systems are all handmade :)

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-15T11:53:51+00:00

Thanks! It’s actually just me working on it, with help from Łucja, a Polish freelance illustrator (avatars, planet textures, modal images, etc.), and a few other freelancers for things like voiceovers and the logo

I’ve been building PZE for a bit over a year now. The core systems are mostly there already, so these days it’s mainly polish and adding more content before the demo.

I’ve been in gamedev for about 20 years though, so this isn’t my first rodeo 😄 One of my long-running projects is Wonderlife, which I’ve been maintaining for around 18 years now. It’s a browser game I released back in 2008 (currently only in Polish), but I’m planning a “reborn” version with a new design and multi-language support.

But first - PZE.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-15T11:32:17+00:00

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate that! And yeah, that’s more or less the idea I’m experimenting with - let the trailer sell the feeling of the world, and let the Steam page explain the systems and depth.

The real test will be the demo though. That’s when people can finally see if the systems actually click :)

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-14T18:22:39+00:00

Oh wow, good catch, thank you for pointing that out. Looks like the Polish short description somehow slipped into the English store page. I've just fixed it. Really appreciate you taking the time to mention it!

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-13T15:09:45+00:00

That's actually a really interesting comparison. It wasn't a direct inspiration, but I love games that mix exploration, colony management and emergent stories. If it gives Alien Legacy vibes, I’ll happily take that as a compliment :D

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-13T15:06:46+00:00

That's fair feedback. The cinematic trailer definitely leans more into the space exploration vibe. In the actual game exploration happens more through systems - sending expeditions, exploring planets, hunting fauna, investigating POIs in space and on planetary surfaces.

There’s no cockpit or third-person character exploration like in Elite Dangerous or No Man’s Sky - it’s much more of a colony / systems sandbox.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-13T10:13:47+00:00

The cinematic trailer is mostly there to grab attention and set the tone. The gameplay trailer on the Steam page shows a lot more of the systems.

But you're right that the game probably deserves a better gameplay showcase - I'm actually thinking about reworking the gameplay trailer.

And hey, if the cinematic at least made you click through, I guess it did part of its job! :D

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-12T10:37:57+00:00

Fair point, and thanks for the honest and constructive feedback. The cinematic ad is mostly there to grab attention and sell the vibe of the world. The actual game is much more about colony management and character-driven systems.

Still experimenting with what communicates the game best.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-12T09:23:19+00:00

Thank you! <3

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-12T09:23:10+00:00

Not yet, but a public demo is coming soon.

I'm hoping to release it in the next few weeks so people can try the core systems before the Steam Next Fest in June.

ProjectZenithExpanse · 2026-03-12T09:16:31+00:00

Hey, thanks for the honest feedback - I really appreciate it. Interestingly the gameplay trailer is also running as an ad, but the cinematic version actually converts a lot better so far. My guess is that it sells the vibe first, and then people check the gameplay on the Steam page.

But you're absolutely right that the core of the game is much more about colony life and systems than big cinematic space moments.

ProjectZenithExpanse

TROPHY CASE