Penguin Colony is a cosmic horror game that manages to be both weird and wonderful, offering a unique perspective on classic Lovecraftian themes despite some rough edges in its gameplay. Released on October 16, 2026, and developed by Origame Digital, the game puts players in the role of a penguin witnessing the events of H.P. Lovecraft's 'At the Mountains of Madness.' It's available on Steam for $15/£13 and is Steam Deck Verified.
Waddle On
The game's core mechanics revolve around a penguin's abilities: honking, sliding, swimming, and hopping. Players can possess various penguins, theoretically using different species' abilities to overcome movement challenges. The Rockhopper penguin, with its impressive jump, is highlighted as a particularly useful choice for traversal. The narration, provided by Lenval Brown, known for his work on Disco Elysium, lends a familiar and grounding emotional weight to the unfolding cosmic dread.
Movement in Penguin Colony can be uneven. While waddling and sliding might feel sluggish, this can also contribute to the game's suffocating atmosphere, especially in the deeper arctic ice caves and alien structures. This deliberate mechanical awkwardness can evoke a sense of frustration that mirrors the feeling of being a small, insignificant creature observing events beyond comprehension, aligning with the game's premise. A clipping glitch that affects a mantling feature is noted as a less intentional mechanical issue. The UI includes a large, neon-colored stamina meter that appears when draining, but its function and relation to player actions are often unclear.
Side Stories
Penguin Colony is not a direct retelling of Lovecraft's story. The narration is delivered by a new character, Howard Blakely, voiced by Lenval Brown. The passages he narrates are a pitch-perfect imitation of Lovecraft's prose, but they center on Blakely's perspective as an American working with a Nazi expedition seeking ancient artifacts. This contrasts with interludes where players control Māori warriors who are dedicated to containing the evil awakened in the south.
The game features cryptic hieroglyphs that can be deciphered using a replacement cipher, rewarding players who take notes and engage with the lore. The latter half of the game takes place in an alien city under the ice, evoking a sense of immense scale and ancient purpose, reminiscent of games like Scorn and Dark Souls' Ash Lake.
Case of the Vapours
Penguin Colony directly confronts Lovecraft's problematic racial views. The character of Howard Blakely, an "enlightened" man of modernity who is comfortable with his Nazi companions, serves as a contemptible stand-in for Lovecraft himself. The Māori warriors, in contrast, are portrayed as proactive protectors, driven by fellowship and a duty to protect others, standing in stark opposition to Blakely's self-indulgence and the Nazis' brutal nationalism.
The game frames its political commentary through these narrative contrasts, inviting players to draw their own conclusions. Explicit political statements appear at the beginning and end of the game, including a land acknowledgement, a content warning, and a critique of the industry's inaction regarding the genocide of Palestinians by Israel.
Despite its uneven mechanics, Penguin Colony is praised as a rich, multilayered piece of interactive storytelling that offers a unique exploration of cosmic horror. It serves as a rebellion against Lovecraft's racism, presenting a tale of indigenous revenge observed through the eyes of a penguin.