Colony '76 is a high-fidelity, single-file civilization simulator. Designed with a "Permacomputing" philosophy, the entire game—logic, rendering, and sound—lives within a single HTML file. No build tools, no npm install, and no external dependencies. Just raw, hackable JavaScript.
This edition introduces the Civilization Ladder. You no longer begin with industrial power; you must guide your colony through 7 distinct eras of human history.
- Stone Age (Start): Survival basics. No tax revenue. Focus on Corn and Yurts.
- Copper Age (50 Pop): The Wheel. Roads provide a +5% tax bonus to adjacent dwellings.
- Iron Age (200 Pop): Smelting. Unlocks Wheat, Heavy Machinery, and the Quarry.
- Age of Sail (500 Pop): Navigation. Trade via Docks and Boats. Rice cultivation begins.
- Mechanical Age (1,200 Pop): Efficiency. Windmills boost nearby crop yields.
- Industrial Age (3,000 Pop): Steam Power. Factories, Railroads, and Apartments.
- Age of Flight (5,500 Pop): Aeronautics. Build Skyscrapers and Radar Stations to reach the pinnacle of progress.
Population isn't just a score; it's a mouth to feed.
-
Consumption:
$\text{Food} -= \lfloor \text{Pop} \times 0.05 \rfloor$ every tick. - Starvation: If food drops below zero, Starvation Imminent is triggered. Tax revenue is slashed by 80% as your citizens lose the will to contribute.
- Winter Hardship: During Winter months, crops stop growing and Industrial maintenance costs double.
- Market Adjacency: Strategic placement is key. Markets gain a +25% tax bonus for every adjacent Road, Railroad, or Dock tile.
- Industrial Maintenance: Factories and Airfields have high upkeep. Balance your expansion or face bankruptcy.
Colony '76 is built to be edited. Because it is a single file, you can modify the game instantly:
- Easy Expansion: Add new buildings or eras by simply editing the
typesarray in the script tag. - Native Audio: Uses the ZZFX/ZZFXM engine—sounds are generated via code, meaning no broken audio links, ever.
- Open Logic: The AI and economic logic are exposed and commented for anyone to learn or improve upon.
- Open the
.htmlfile in any modern web browser. - Manage Food: Build enough crops to sustain your growing population.
- Scale the Ladder: Watch your Rank and Era update as your population hits milestones.
- Pause and Plan: Use the Pause button to stop the simulation and strategize your layout without losing resources.
MIT License. Colony '76 is free to play, free to fork, and free to evolve—forever.