Foundation
Setting to redefine the city-building genre, Foundation puts the emphasis on the organic aspects of urbanism in the cities of old, powered by Polymorph Games’ proprietary game engine, Hurricane, which allows for full mod support and is optimized for the thousands of moving parts that come with building humongous cities. The game features in-depth resource management akin to the Anno (Dawn of Discovery) series, expertly mixed with classic city-building elements from Settlers, SimCity, and Pharaoh all topped with narrative encounters inspired by Crusader Kings II to create the ultimate medieval ant-farm simulation. Grow your untapped land into a great sprawling kingdom as you appease different factions of your area, all while listening to a beautiful original soundtrack by the veteran composers who’ve created music for Paradox Interactive titles such as Crusader Kings II and Europa Universalis IV.
What it feels like
Described as 'laidback' with emphasis on organic, leisurely city-building and atmospheric gameplay rather than high-stakes pressure or time urgency. The ant-farm simulation invites players to observe and reflect on the systems they've built and how citizens interact within their created world.
What it's about
The game is explicitly set in a grounded medieval world of kingdoms, nobles, and agrarian settlement — the historical backdrop frames all systems. Though not tied to a specific real historical period, the game is grounded in medieval historical texture and real-world urbanism principles.
How it plays
City planning and growth is absolutely central — the entire game revolves around building and expanding a medieval kingdom with urban development as the primary interaction. Deep resource management anchors the experience, requiring players to budget, gather, and spend resources under pressure to sustain their growing city. The game features densely interacting systems of thousands of moving parts that produce emergent urban behavior and unscripted economic interactions.
How it looks and sounds
The 'grid-less' design and organic focus suggest a cleaner, less cluttered visual presentation compared to traditional grid-heavy city-builders. The original soundtrack by veteran Paradox composers known for orchestral scores suggests a sweeping, orchestral musical accompaniment to the experience.
How it's structured
The game emphasizes player-driven city development with few imposed objectives, letting players set their own urban planning goals within the resource management framework. The game is designed as a single-player experience with no multiplayer component, focusing on solo city-building and management. Every structure and urban space is deliberately authored by the player's hand rather than procedurally generated, core to the 'organic development' and 'grid-less' design philosophy.
Kindred games
Shares City Building, Resource Management, Sandbox, Handcrafted World.
Both lean into City Building, Single-Player, Resource Management, Sandbox.
Shares City Building, Resource Management, Sandbox, Handcrafted World.
Both lean into City Building, Resource Management, Sandbox, Handcrafted World.
Shares City Building, Resource Management, Sandbox, Handcrafted World.
Both lean into City Building, Resource Management, Sandbox, Single-Player.
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