Timberborn

Players control a colony of beavers in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where humans have died out. Players build cities, using dams and irrigation systems to manage water and make the land more habitable. Water wheels and other structures provide power for production chains.

Players must manage seasonal droughts (and later updates add toxic "badwater"), which reduce water supply and can damage crops. This makes resource storage and planning important for survival.

The developer, Mechanistry, is based in Poland. Timberborn entered alpha on November 18, 2019 and closed beta on June 18, 2020. The demo of Timberborn released on January 26, 2021. The initial build did not simulate water and featured green land with water levels that dropped during droughts. After researching physics-based simulations of water,

Mechanistry realized it could open up many more options. They changed the land to be more of a wasteland, implemented irrigation and dams, and gave beavers the ability to swim. Timberborn entered early access on September 15, 2021. As of May 2025, Timberborn has received seven major updates after its early-access release.

Timberborn received positive reception during its Early Access period, with critics praising its distinctive water-based city-building mechanics and the steady expansion of gameplay systems through major updates. Its combination of survival management and engineering-focused design was frequently highlighted as a standout feature within the genre.

Upon its full release in March 2026, the game continued to receive generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its expanded systems, improved faction differentiation, and the depth of its water simulation and infrastructure mechanics. Some reviewers noted that while the game offered substantial strategic depth, its onboarding and early progression could feel challenging for new players.