[Illinois, USA] May 23, 2025 — Aurora Games Studio is proud to announce that The Colony: New Haven Chronicles, a pixel-art action-adventure inspired by classic NES-era titles, will officially launch on Steam on June 18, 2025. Developed entirely by a solo creator and published by indie.io, The Colony: New Haven Chronicles brings the magic of retro exploration-driven gameplay into a modern context, blending old-school challenge with thoughtful pacing, smart progression systems, and a singular creative vision.
Set in the ruins of a long-abandoned colony, The Colony: New Haven Chronicles invites players to explore a hostile world shaped by decay, danger, and discovery. Every piece of gear unlocks new paths, transforming earlier zones into fresh opportunities for exploration. What begins as a linear path soon opens into a sprawling, interconnected map, encouraging players to retrace their steps, uncover hidden passages, and approach challenges from new angles.
Beneath the surface, the adventure is rich with backstory and lore. The world tells its history not through cutscenes, but through its environments, allowing players to piece together the past as they venture deeper into New Haven’s secrets. From ruined research labs to derelict machinery and forgotten terminals, the narrative unfolds in fragments that reward curiosity and attention to detail. Answers are never handed over—they’re uncovered slowly, earned through exploration.
Set in the ruins of a long-abandoned colony, The Colony: New Haven Chronicles invites players to explore a hostile world shaped by decay, danger, and discovery. Every piece of gear unlocks new paths, transforming earlier zones into fresh opportunities for exploration. What begins as a linear path soon opens into a sprawling, interconnected map, encouraging players to retrace their steps, uncover hidden passages, and approach challenges from new angles.
Beneath the surface, the adventure is rich with backstory and lore. The world tells its history not through cutscenes, but through its environments, allowing players to piece together the past as they venture deeper into New Haven’s secrets. From ruined research labs to derelict machinery and forgotten terminals, the narrative unfolds in fragments that reward curiosity and attention to detail. Answers are never handed over—they’re uncovered slowly, earned through exploration.
Fans of classic action-adventure games will feel right at home with the game’s satisfying combat loop and exploration-driven structure. While rooted in classic action-adventure design, the game adds a fresh twist with stat-based progression. Players can develop their character by investing in Strength, Endurance, or Luck—unlocking new strategies and customizing their approach to combat and exploration.
Joining players throughout their journey is Iris, an integrated AI companion who offers more than tactical assistance. While she helps scan environments and locate lost equipment, her quiet presence becomes something more—a flicker of companionship in the silence. In a world emptied by collapse, Iris serves as both a guide and a reminder of what was lost, subtly deepening the atmosphere with every interaction. She’s not there to hold your hand—but she is there, and that means something.
This debut title from Aurora Games Studio is carefully constructed to honor the legacy of classic action-adventure games while offering a fresh, exploratory experience for modern players. The Colony: New Haven Chronicles launches June 18 on Steam. Players can wishlist the game now to follow updates and be among the first to explore New Haven at launch.
Assets
Streaming Trailer
Assets
Streaming Trailer
ABOUT AURORA GAMES STUDIOS
Aurora Games Studio is an independent one-person game development studio founded by a game developer with a degree in game design and a deep love for classic action-adventure titles. Focused on delivering handcrafted experiences inspired by the golden era of 2D games, the studio blends nostalgic aesthetics with modern gameplay systems and thoughtful worldbuilding. The Colony: New Haven Chronicles is Aurora’s debut release—a passion project that reflects years of study, experimentation, and dedication to the craft of game development.
Aurora Games Studio is an independent one-person game development studio founded by a game developer with a degree in game design and a deep love for classic action-adventure titles. Focused on delivering handcrafted experiences inspired by the golden era of 2D games, the studio blends nostalgic aesthetics with modern gameplay systems and thoughtful worldbuilding. The Colony: New Haven Chronicles is Aurora’s debut release—a passion project that reflects years of study, experimentation, and dedication to the craft of game development.
ABOUT INDIE.IO
indie.io is home to hundreds of the world’s most innovative independent video games and developers. Founded in 2020 by Donovan Duncan and Ben Robinson - industry veterans with a collective 40 years of experience across the video game landscape - our mission is to provide support to independent developers and set the standard for gaming creation, management, and promotion. Our tools and services include marketing, QA, playtesting, partnership deals, and distribution to all major platforms to maximize your visibility, revenue, and engagement to ensure long-term success – with no upfront costs. You may know us from Echoes of the Plum Grove, HumanitZ, the Dark Deity franchise, and Coromon!
We’re powered by a worldwide team of 35 remote employees; a mix of semi-professional esports players, developers, and gaming enthusiasts whose passion and technical know-how fuel the company’s mission. As industry experts, we dedicate ourselves to providing innovative marketing support services and integrations; as players, we want to discover and elevate the creators of exceptional, inspiring, and unexpected games of every genre. Join us on our quest to cultivate a vibrant global community of players and creators alike!