Now that all our end of year and decade reflections are going up, I've realised I forgot about one recent trend: the survival city builder. Since Banished, we've seen a few of them pop up, perhaps most notably Surviving Mars, which has since been followed up by a post-apocalyptic spin-off. Now it's got a bit of competition in the form of Endzone: A World Apart, which you can watch in action above.
The post-apocalypse seems like one of the most natural fits for a survival city building romp, so I'm surprised there aren't more of them, but what's more striking are the similarities between Endzone and Paradox's Surviving the Aftermath.
Like the Epic Games Store early access game, Endzone gives you a group of survivors to nurture on a random map where radiation and extreme weather makes life difficult. You start with a vehicle and some supplies, and from there build a ramshackle settlement, assign settlers jobs and then send them off to explore the ruins of the old world.
Both the broad strokes and the little details are things I'd probably think of if I was making a post-apocalyptic sim, too, so it's unfortunate timing for Gentlymad Studios. The aesthetic isn't quite as cartoony as Surviving the Aftermath though, and given the setting that might be a plus; and if you're a Steam die-hard you'll be happy to know this one isn't an Epic exclusive. It's due out on Steam Early Access in spring 2020.