A civilisation simulation, not a clicker.
Beyond The Cradle is a strategy game about growing a civilisation from one homeworld to a
network of worlds. The galaxy keeps going when you close the game: your colonies produce, your
research finishes, your fleets travel, and when you return you read a briefing of what happened
while you were away.
Every decision has distance.
Nothing is instant. Resources cross space by shipment, fleets take real time to arrive and run
on supply, and colonies far from home must stand on their own. Plan your logistics, because old
systems matter: they feed and support the frontier.
Technology opens capabilities, not just bigger numbers.
Research unlocks new buildings, ship classes, orbital infrastructure and the ability to leave
your home system. Queue research before you log off and come back to progress.
Automation scales with your empire.
Set colony rules (keep powered, keep fed, clear storage, export surplus), reserves and
priorities, and give fleets standing orders to return and resupply, hold a post, defend your
colonies and retreat when outmatched. Routine work runs itself so you can focus on strategy.
Meet other empires.
Offer peace, answer offers, agree trade routes and decide when to end a treaty. War needs
notice: nobody is attacked by surprise while they sleep. See more of the galaxy as you invest
in sensors and surveying.
Key features
- Persistent simulation that continues while you are offline
- Planets, systems and a galaxy: management scales from one colony to many
- Research tree with queueing, and objectives to guide the early game
- Colony automation, reserves and priorities
- Fleets with supply, ranges and standing orders
- Asynchronous diplomacy, peace treaties and trade routes
- Expedition ships for the first steps beyond the home system
- Return briefings that tell you what changed while you were away
