Entertainment · Gaming · 2 hrs ago
Penguin Colony uses Antarctic horror to confront colonialism and fascism
Penguin Colony is a lo-fi horror game from New Zealand studio Origanme Digital, which also made Umurangi Generation.
Players guide a penguin through a shadowy Antarctic wilderness, following a mysterious light.
The game reimagines H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness from the perspective of Antarctica’s Indigenous inhabitants.
Its world mixes penguins and cosmic horrors with Nazis and an indictment of colonialism.
Māori developer Tali Faulkner says real-world atrocities inspired its monsters, and describes the game as a way to confront political issues directly.
He argues that games can make players stay with disturbing scenes because interaction is part of the experience.
The game aims to challenge the video game industry’s response to current violence, including events in Palestine, while also delivering strong gameplay.
The account does not say what happens next for the game.
Penguin Colony is a lo-fi horror game that reimagines H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness through the perspective of Antarctica’s Indigenous inhabitants.
The game combines penguins, Nazis and cosmic horror with an indictment of colonialism and fascism.
Tali Faulkner, a Māori developer from New Zealand, said real-world atrocities inspired the game’s horror.
The game was made by Origanme Digital, the studio behind Umurangi Generation.
Faulkner said the game’s interactive form helps ensure its political themes are not easy to ignore.
- Who
- Origanme Digital made the game. Tali Faulkner, a Māori developer from New Zealand, discussed its vision.
- What
- Penguin Colony is a lo-fi horror game that confronts colonialism and fascism.
- When
- Polygon published its article on November 1, 2026, at 8:00 PM EST.
- Where
- The game is set in Antarctica.
- Why
- Faulkner said the game was shaped by real-world atrocities and a desire to address political issues through an interactive medium.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Developer
- Tali Faulkner
- Studio
- Origanme Digital
- Setting
- Antarctica
- Source inspiration
- H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness
- Publication date
- November 1, 2026
What people are saying
Games are the only art form where interaction is compulsory.
wanting to really talk about this stuff with Penguin Colony — you've probably heard the characters talk or you found photographs and stuff like that — ensuring that stuff was not talked around and, like, nuance-ified where someone could say, “I don't really have to worry about this. I can just sort of just ignore it.” — that was really important.