Banished

Unlike many other city-builders, there are no direct combat mechanics, armies, or enemies to fight in the base game. The primary antagonists are the harsh winter weather, starvation, and disease. You must focus entirely on resource management and keeping your isolated settlement alive rather than engaging in warfare.

Banished was developed entirely by Luke Hodorowicz under his indie studio name, Shining Rock Software. It took him several years of solo development to code the engine and release the game on Windows in 2014. The game was a massive commercial success for a solo project, reportedly selling over a million copies.

The developer released the official version 1.0.7 update in 2018, which added mod support and new elements like pastures and crops. However, Luke Hodorowicz ultimately decided not to make a sequel, moving on to other projects. The active community relies heavily on the Steam Workshop to keep the game fresh with new mods.

You cannot easily breed livestock from nothing; you must purchase them from visiting merchants who arrive at your trading post. You need to assign a trader, stock the post with valuable goods, and hope a seed or livestock merchant spawns. Once you have at least two animals of the same type, you can split the pasture to expand your herd.