"Songs of Syx" is a strategy game under development by developer Jakob de Laval that promises to surpass the competition in the survival strategy/colony builder/base building genre. The game is a fantasy city-state simulator, starting with a small colony and building a thriving mega-city with a powerful army and detailed international relations. There are also large-scale battles and plans for cities with tens of thousands of inhabitants, and the real centerpiece of Songs of Syx is scale. Cities will have "five-digit populations," and battles will involve tens of thousands of warriors. It's pixelated Total War, but oversized:

Songs of Syx is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter; you can try out a proof-of-concept prototype for free on itch.io; there's also a Steam page.

Like genre staples RimWorld and Dwarf Fortress, Songs of Syx's progression focuses on building new industries and supply chains, keeping people fed, and extracting natural resources. But Songs of Syx will also include other domestic concerns, such as the need to appoint your own nobles and keep them from being usurped. I like the low-micromanagement architectural approach in this game, where instead of placing objects step-by-step, you make blueprints and then let your subjects figure out the supply lines.

I'm fascinated. I've played a few demos and my favorite part is that, as my mom always said, you can't use a bed unless someone makes it. Once again: a free demo of Songs of Syx can be found at itch.io. The Kickstarter campaign continues through March 4.