Crown and Colony is a turn-based colony strategy game in the spirit of Colonization, cut down to about half an hour per run. Found colonies, trade with Homeland, handle the Crown's taxes and demands, and win independence by buy-out or by war. It's a grey box prototype: hexes and text, no art or sound yet.

What I want to learn: is a run fun enough that you'd want to play again?

How to help: play in your browser for 15–20 minutes, longer only if you're enjoying it. Stopping early is useful feedback too. When you stop, press Feedback (next to End Turn), answer three quick questions and press Send. No email or account needed.

Page: https://implabs.itch.io/crown-and-colony (free; plays in the browser, or download for Windows and Linux)

Comments on the game page work too. Thanks for playing!

One hour for a beta test is so much to ask! And the fact that there is no web version makes me even more hesitant to help you test it!

Thanks, that’s fair! You don’t need an hour: 15–20 minutes is plenty, and if you stop early, that’s useful feedback too (I’d love to know why). I’ve just uploaded a new build and changed the page to say so. A browser version is in the works, since a download is a big ask. I’ll post here as soon as it’s up.

The browser version is up: https://implabs.itch.io/crown-and-colony. Click to launch, no download. 15–20 minutes is still plenty. When you stop, press Feedback (bottom right, next to End Turn): three quick questions and a Send button, no email needed. Windows and Linux downloads are still there if you prefer them. Thanks to everyone who asked for this!

New build (0.9.0-playtest14), still plays in the browser: https://implabs.itch.io/crown-and-colony

What changed since the first browser build, from early test runs:

• The Crown now shows up. Its first demand comes around turn 10–14, it notices your trade with the natives, and its pressure slows your liberty, so paying or refusing a demand actually matters.
• Fixed: one Enter press could end two turns, changing the trade route mid-voyage lost the cargo, and the mouse wheel zoomed the map instead of scrolling the side panel.

The one thing I'd love to know: was there a stretch where you were only pressing End Turn? If so, roughly which turns?

15–20 minutes is plenty. When you stop, press Feedback (next to End Turn) and Send. At the first start the game asks whether it may send short anonymous progress records; either answer is fine. Thanks!