Cute colony management game Autonauts is launching in October

Autonauts, the colony management game with programmable robots, is all set to exploit new worlds next month. It's a crafting affair where even making a pie, judging by the release trailer above, takes a lot of steps, but that's why you've got robotic helpers.

Using a simple visual programming language, colony bosses can teach their robots to do everything, as long as the bot has enough memory to store the command. Despite the robots, you'll start off pretty low-tech, simply growing crops and chipping away at rocks, but eventually you'll be able to build and programme more elaborate production lines and create fully-automated industries.

If you want to skip the build-up and get straight to the more advanced projects, there are modes that unlock all the structures right away or give you unlimited resources to play around with. The campaign, meanwhile, will teach you how to play and get you set to tackle endgame objectives.

Autonauts is due out on October 17. If you're at TwitchCon this week, however, you'll be able to take it for a spin early.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.