Summary
Developer EmpireCraft Studios and publisher Toplitz Productions have announced a new management sim calledWild West Pioneers. ThePC-exclusive game promises to combineSimCity’s gameplay loop withRed Dead Redemption’s setting.
Based out of Warsaw, Poland, EmpireCraft Studios is a new indie developer established in 2024. Several of its staffers have previously worked onAztecs: The Last Sun, an upcomingcity builder and management gamethat tasks players with running the city-state of Tenochtitlan.
The Polish studio’s debut title has now been unveiled in the form ofWild West Pioneers. As the name spells out, this is aWild West game, but one that’s as peaceful as this setting allows. Instead of cowboy showdowns and bank robberies,WWPrevolves around town management and trade logistics. Players are tasked with building and managing a Wild West settlement, complete with setting up its production chains, scouting for outposts, and establishing trade routes.
Every Settler in Wild West Pioneers Has a Role to Play
The many projects that players will be able to pursue over the course of the game will largely be carried out by settlers.Wild West Pioneersmakes every character an important cog in its machine, giving them their own wants and needs, influenced by things like health standards and job availability. Once the population’s happiness is high enough, players will be able to attract new settlers to continue growing their humble frontier town. In terms of establishments,Wild West Pioneerswill allow for the construction of both residential and commercial buildings, as is to be expected from amodern city builder.
Every settlement in the game will have a player-appointed mayor and sheriff. Choosing which characters to appoint to public service will significantly impact gameplay, as settlers' perks will influence the growth of a city once they’re sworn into office. Eventually, one’s town will grow large and efficient enough to keep prospering with little input. But that’s just the beginning of the game, asWild West Pioneerswill then task players with continuing their expansion by establishing even more settlements.
Wild West Pioneerscan currently bewishlisted on Steam, where it’s labeled as being slated for a 2025 release. The game is initially planned to launch as part of the Steam Early Access program, with EmpireCraft Studios estimating it will take around one more year to reach the version 1.0 release. Pricing details for the upcoming title are yet to be announced.
