Galactic Colonies

Category

Description of App

Download the game for free and start exploring the galaxy!
Galactic Colonies is a game about exploring space and building colonies. Explore a procedurally generated universe with thousands of planets.

Every colony starts small. Start by providing housing and food for your colonists before you exploit a planet’s natural resources. Set up factories and create advanced high-tech products to make your colony grow even bigger.

Discover tropical, desert and ice planets and help your colonists survive on harsh, alien worlds.

FEATURES:

- Explore a procedurally generated universe
- Find and colonize alien planets
- Research new powerful technologies
- Set up complex production pipelines
- Beautiful 3D graphics
- Upgrade and improve your colony ship
- Endless hours of fun. How far can you explore?

Version

1.27

Free or Paid

Free With In-App Purchase

Apple Watch Support

No

Device(s) App Was Tested On

iPhone

iOS Version

13.4.1

Accessibility Comments

the game is accessible, the developer is the same developer who created crafting kingdom. However there are some major accessibility issues in this release. this is the first release that introduces accessibility, and they do state its a beta. some issues that I have identified include focus being incredibly unreliable when navigating settings, the game map, and the research screens it moves to the wrong object frequently when flicking. this happens with both VoiceOver and the built in accessibility mode. With VoiceOver important information is often interrupted. if you want to watch adverts to get rewards such as energy sells, this isn't accessible, its impossible to close out of the adverts after watching. other screens with issues include the warehouse, if you go in there accidentally and don't want to or can't connect to a building you can't get out of the connection screen. this feels very rough accessibility, and really I think needed more private testing by beta testers before release.

VoiceOver Performance

VoiceOver reads all page elements.

Button Labeling

All buttons are clearly labeled.

Usability

The app is fully accessible with VoiceOver and is easy to navigate and use.

Other Comments

I also encountered another bug where I got my reward for completing the first sector, but then I tried to use it and VoiceOver stopped reading stuff in the game when I tried to use it, so I had to quit and restart it, and at that point I lost my reward. A final major problem is that timers seem to stop running if you lock your phone or leave the app, which means its just not practical to do longer research tasks of 3 or 4 hours, how this bug hasn't been noticed before now i'm not sure. even though the game obviously has major issues at the moment in terms of accessibility, if you like resource management games this is going to give you hours and hours of fun. the developer was really good about crafting kingdom accessibility, so I think we really should engage constructively with them, I have already sent some initial positive feedback.

Developer's Twitter Username

@MetalPopGames

Recommendations

10 people have recommended this app

Most recently recommended by Casey 3 years 3 months ago

Options

Comments

By daz on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

so is this a bit like warring factions then? is it an online game against other players or is this stand alone? if this is the same developer as crafting kingdom then i guess we can look forward to future accessibility and very soon.

By alex wallis on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

its a stand alone game, but you do get to see how your performing against other players when you finish a sector as there is a leader board. the game does include xp and levels, and you do have to achieve levels to unlock various elements of game play. I don't know warring factions.

By daz on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

so as it stands at the moment, how much of the game can you play? can you play all aspects of the game even though it can be fiddley or are there aspects that we can't yet access?

By alex wallis on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

well we can't seem to earn rewards through watching adverts, but we can pay real money for energy sells if we want, but that's something I refuse to do. I believe we can play all aspects of the game, but navigating the colonies is particularly fiddly given we have to explore all regions and there is really no sure way to ensure we are positioning buildings properly where we want them given how the focus jumps around the place when we flick. to be honest people are better off trying the game themselves and seeing how they find the issues, I have been playing but really it takes a lot of patients as it currently stands, and the accessibility really wasn't ready for release to the public in my view. i'm enjoying playing the game, and the bugs are annoying, but I can live with them. But they are so serious I think they could put off potential players and mean they would give up and not come back to the game.

By mority on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Hi.

Oh dear, what happened to testing a game out before writing an accessibility rating that is simply not true.

Firstly, the adds, yes, you can close the adds and earn your rewards. What you need to do is the 2 finger scrub gesture to go back, this will close the add and you will receive your rewards.
Regarding information just beeing cut off, also a simple fix. Just wait till VO has spoken a word or sentence and it is in a pause, then quickly swipe down to hear the info again. If made right, it will read out everything. You can also let it read the first time till everything is finished and then swipe down, this also works.

So please, before bashing certain points, please try and see if you are really right the next time.

Greetings Moritz.

By alex wallis on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Hi mority, thanks for your reply. I didn't intend to post misleading information which your above comment makes it sound like I did.
Now as to your comments, I didn't know about the scrub gesture working with the adverts, the fact is that the close button doesn't work with VoiceOver and its not obvious about the scrub gesture which I don't often use.Secondly I would like to say regarding adverts that although the scrub gesture worked for me, the game said I got my reward, but then I never actually got the energy sells which I should have got, so clearly the game is also buggy in this respect.
now as to information being interrupted your quite right that swiping down with two fingers does work, but you shouldn't have to do this almost after every swipe you make in the game.

I will certainly update my rating once they have fixed the issues, and I will also update my comments to mention that the scrub gesture will close adverts but that the reward system is unreliable. I'm sure the developers will fix the issues in time, but please don't be so accusatory. You could have simply told me I was mistaken and explained why, I wasn't deliberately bashing and I tested the game to the best of my ability.

By daz on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

ok i'm on the mission where i have to have 2 crystal extractors. trouble is no matter what i try and do put a crystal extractor on a region with crystals on it, it won't let me do it. it keeps saying that i need crystals before i can do the crystal extractors. can anybody please help?

By alex wallis on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I think I had that issue, i'm not sure how I solved it, it might be that your focus has jumped you to the wrong area. I would suggest contacting developers politely and point out this issue to them, maybe refer to them to this applevis entry as well, michelle was quite active on applevis, i'm not sure if she is still part of the development team. clearly this game has a lot of issues as it currently stands, but its still fun.

By MusicLover99 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I got this game today and love it so far. However, I've connected the factory to the ore warehouse and the new one like it said. I've tried multiple different ways of connecting them. But I can't get it to make construction materials so I can complete the mission. Does anyone have ideas as to what I may be missing? Thanks in advance for the response!

By MusicLover99 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

In reply to by daz

Though I solved the problem I was having earlier I'm having this same one too. I will let you know if I figure anything out, but so far I can't built crystal extractors, even on regions with crystals As well. Hope this is fixed soon. Update: When I got the right amount of money, I went to the crystals region and had to try multiple times. Eventually it stopped saying there weren't crystals and let me build the extractors, so it seems that repetition works to get around this bug.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Hi!
Is there a way that I could earn money faster in the game?, And could someone help me figure out how do I complete the mission for the second planet?

By Sabrina on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I like it but have questions.
First, is there a way to see your past planets?
Second, I saw something about characters and skills. Were do I see that again?
Also stuck on mission two. May have to abandon that planet.

By Queenofeagles07 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Thanks sooo much for the Turkish language support!
I'm also stuck on the second mission

By Brad on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

In reply to by Sabrina

You need to go back to the planets and flick right through all that and you'll see level, (number) skills and research, you can double tap on skills to look at them and research too.

I'm stuck on the mission with the computer parts. From what I understand it's a bug; if you leave the planet and go back crystal regions are meant to show up but they don't.

There's a topic on audiogames.net on the general game discussion forum if you want to look at that.

By Sabrina on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Is that the abandon planeet? I don't find anything else.

By Brad on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

In reply to by Sabrina

That's the one.

By daz on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

ok so i put 2 fingers on the screen to pan but i can't seem to make it work and i am finding it difficult to build as i go further on. any ideas as to what i can do? i've looked at the planet jestures thing but it only tells me to put 2 fingers on the screen. doesn't tell me where when or how.

By daz on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

how can i make use of them? i can't see how you do it. i have enough energy cells but when i go to the field there is no mine button or anything like that.

By IceQueen1 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

i’m having trouble making construction materials. I’ve done the factory and connected The warehouse. what else should I be doing? Any help will be appreciated.

I had a similar problem before. What I did was make more living quarters and a farm so there are more colonists, and connect a food warehouse with the farm and living quarters. After more colonists move in they should start doing the task. I guess you need to have a certain amount of colonists in order for some tasks to complete such as this one.

By Earle on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Has anyone been able to sign in so that you can view leaderboards? I've tried double-tapping on LogIn, as well as double-tapping on accounts, and no luck either way.

By Sabrina on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Managed mission two by making more living quarters, food farms and warehouses'

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Where do I find the upgrade kit?

By Queenofeagles07 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

In reply to by Unregistered User (not verified)

for first level you already have it, then from the store

By Firefly on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I downloaded the game myself a few days ago, and I am really liking it. Would anyone like me to give a walk-through of the game in the next episode of my podcast? If so please let me know. I can’t promise that I can answer everyone’s questions with the walk-through, but I will do my best. The name of my podcast is Audio games buffet

By MusicLover99 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I asked someone to help me with it earlier who was not using Voiceover to see if they could figure it out and they had no problem with it. It seems that this part of the game is not accessible as of yet, but hopefully they change this in the future.

By Laura on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I am having trouble getting a spot with crystals on this planet. Does anyone know how to increase the chance that a space with crystals will come up?

By Sabrina on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

If you have no unemployed people you will not have people enough to do things when they are at zero' You could build another living quarter or upgrade the one.

By Sabrina on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

How do I get energy cellsIs that when completing a mission??????

By X2 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Hi all, hope everyone is doing well. So I had a question. Does anyone know how to make computer parts? I'm on level 3, mission 2. Where the requirements are, have 150 colonists and sell 25 computer parts. i've tried everything. Connecting the factory to my crystal warehouse, connecting it to my ore warehouse, I even made a ware house for computer parts, but nothing. Any help would be appreciated.

By Laura on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I am struggling on the same level. How did you manage to find a spot with crystals, did you build a warehouse for computer Parts as well?

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

In reply to by Laura

I am also struggling on the second level of the game, but I'm also having fun playing it. I feel like I'm not getting enough crystals, and I have about 16 of them now, and watching the advertisements are not accessible, so I never actually get any of the rewards. If the accessibility of the game can be re-created to a similar layout a Crafting Kingdom, this game would be so much better

By Laura on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Where can we watch the ads to get something other than money?

By Firefly on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

In reply to by Unregistered User (not verified)

The ads are manageable. Here’s what you do, when you click on an ad to get double the reward, when the ad is finished playing, if you are using an iOS device, do a two finger scrub to close the ad basically what you do is scrub two fingers back-and-forth to close the ad and then you’ll get your reward.

By alex wallis on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I can close the advert and I do wait for a long time after it finishes, but I never get the reward.

By Sabrina on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I think I am getting the hang of this. The game rocks and the focus moving on the maps don't matter because I prefer touch explore instead.

By Gracie on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

In reply to by X2

You have to connect to your computer parts factory to an or warehouse in a crystal warehouse. The reason it doesn’t make them is because it’s missing an ingredient. Then, you make a warehouse for your computer parts and connect your factory to that.

By Sabrina on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I have four warehouses. The first one of course is the food. I have connected that properly in two farms. Then I have an ore warehouse that is attached to my ore extractor. Then Ö have the third one that is either the crystal or computer parts because I tried to switch because one of them will not be found in the factory oeither crystals.

By X2 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Really? Thanks so much. I've been trying so hard to figure out how to make computer parts. I also kept wondering what the missing ingredient was. I'm going to try that.

By X2 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I don't know. I didn't have a crystal area until I left to go and check on my research. And when i came back it was there. At the very end but there. Also, the map isn't in a square shape. Rather, it's in a hexagon shape. Just thought I point that out. As for your question about the ads, i don't know. I only know how to watch the ads that give you money.

By Laura on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

Thank you for helping me get past that part! Do you think the crystal parts show up at random, or do we need to have something to earn those spots?

By X2 on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

In reply to by Laura

I think they pop up at random. Especially if the crystals and other material are rare to that planet. If they’re common, they’re easier to find. Also, if you’re trying to connect a warehouse to another building or vice versa, But they’re not popping up on the connection list, it’s because they’re too far apart. I was reading somewhere that if the buildings are too far apart, they won’t be able to connect, hence why they sometimes don’t appear. Another thing I was reading was that, since the map is in a hexagon shape, there’s 2500 spaces to build on one planet. But the developer had to find a way so that we wouldn’t be swiping through all those spaces. That may be another reason why it’s harder to find crystals and materials.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:16

I have realized that when you're playing this game, the section where you watch advertisements in order to receive Energy cells is not accessible. Also, I found a rare artifact, but activating it wasn't accessible either, and whenever you try to mine the astroid fields, that section doesn't work with voiceover either.