Soulslikes usually put you in the boots of a wounded warrior, fighting gods and twisted monsters in crumbling ruins. Penguin Colony flips that script completely. You play as a penguin wandering Antarctica, watching human colonial expeditions unravel into madness. Beneath its quirky surface lies a tough, atmospheric soulslike loop and a razor-sharp parody of Lovecraft’s imperial cosmic horror. In this full review, we’ll break down its strange premise, punishing combat, brilliant narrative subversion, and the rough edges you need to know.
The premise: Cosmic horror, but you’re just a penguin
Set in 1939 Antarctica, Penguin Colony draws heavy inspiration from Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness. Two rival human factions arrive in the frozen wasteland. One Nazi-led expedition chases ancient relics to prop up their racial myths; the Kaitiaki come as protectors guarding the secrets buried under the iceFellow Tra….
The twist: you are not a human explorer. You are a local penguin, a quiet witness to human obsession and self-destruction. Humans march into the ice thinking they can conquer ancient, incomprehensible powers, only to unravel psychologically. The game turns classic Lovecraft tropes on their head. Lovecraft’s original stories often frame non-human civilizations as alien threats; Penguin Colony instead treats human colonial arrogance as the real horror. It’s less “penguins are monsters” and more “humans destroy themselves chasing cosmic secrets they were never meant to control.”
The Soulslike gameplay: waddle, die, learn
At first glance, you might mistake it for a slow walking simulator. But make no mistake — this is a soulslike. You waddle, slide, and swim across vast, frozen interconnected zones. Enemies hit hard, resources are scarce, and death has real consequences.
When you fall, you lose your gathered insight and must trek back to recover it, classic soulslike style. Combat is clumsy by design. As a penguin, you don’t swing giant swords. You use small, opportunistic attacks, dodging and sliding around far larger foes. Timing is everything. One misstep on slippery ice and you get crushed.
The world is interconnected. Shortcuts unlock as you progress. Bonfire-like resting spots let you save, restore your insight, and reset enemy spawns. The exploration loop feels rewarding: every frozen outpost, crashed camp, and ice cave holds journal entries, audio logs, and environmental storytelling about the doomed expeditions.
This is not a fast action soulslike. The pacing is deliberate, cold, and isolating. The harsh Antarctic environment itself acts as an enemy. Endless white snow, biting wind, and hidden crevices keep you constantly on edge.
The clever parody of Lovecraftian empire myth
This is where Penguin Colony truly shines. Classic Lovecraftian writing is tangled up with colonial anxiety: outsiders discovering ancient, forgotten civilizations and reacting with fear and supremacist fantasy. Penguin Colony mocks that idea directly.
The human explorers arrive convinced they are special, chosen to uncover primordial truths. Their journals reveal arrogance, greed, and racial delusion. They treat Antarctica and its ancient ruins as treasure to be claimed. Slowly, the cosmic presence beneath the ice breaks their minds.
As the penguin observer, you see the absurdity. The ancient beings do not care about human hierarchies or racial fantasies. Humans bring their own imperial baggage into the ice, and that hubris destroys them. It’s a sharp, thoughtful parody rather than simple mockery. The game does not discard cosmic horror; it reworks it to critique the imperial ideology baked into Lovecraft’s original fiction.
Lenval Brown, famous for his narration in Disco Elysium, delivers the voice work, adding weight and melancholy to the scattered human logs.
What works beautifully
- Unique perspective: Playing as a penguin turns cosmic horror into something fresh and unexpected.
- Strong soulslike structure: interconnected map, shortcut unlocks, risk-reward death mechanics, and tough, fair encounters.
- Smart narrative subversion: It pokes holes in Lovecraft’s imperial worldview without sacrificing eerie atmosphere.
- Immersive sound and environment: wind, ice cracks, distant human shouts, and low, rumbling cosmic audio build tension.
- Environmental storytelling: abandoned camps, frozen corpses, scribbled notes tell the tragedy of both expeditions.
The rough edges
This game is weird and experimental, and it shows:
- Clunky movement: Penguin waddling and sliding can feel awkward, especially in tight combat.
- Limited combat variety: Your moveset stays simple throughout; don’t expect the weapon depth of Elden Ring.
- Slow start: The opening hours are quiet and exploratory, which may bore players craving fast action.
- Ambiguity by design: Some story threads remain open-ended, which may frustrate players wanting a neat, wrapped-up ending.
Who should play Penguin Colony
Play this if you love soulslikes for atmosphere and world-building more than flashy combat, and if you enjoy cosmic horror that questions its own roots. It is perfect for players who liked the mood of At the Mountains of Madness but dislike Lovecraft’s bigoted undertones.
If you only want fast, fluid boss fights and deep loot systems, this may not be for you. Its strength is atmosphere, observation, and thematic punch.
Final verdict
Penguin Colony is one of the most surprising soulslikes I’ve played this year. The premise — a penguin navigating frozen Antarctica while watching colonial explorers descend into cosmic madness — sounds ridiculous on paper, but it lands brilliantly.
It takes the core soulslike formula of exploration, death, and discovery and wraps it inside a clever parody of Lovecraftian imperial myths. It’s not the most polished soulslike, and its combat stays simple, but its atmosphere and sharp storytelling make it unforgettable. If you want something weird, thoughtful, and unlike any soulslike you’ve tried, give it a shot.
