Colonist is a digital board game company building what it describes as the biggest digital board game platform on the internet. Its flagship product is a free online alternative to Settlers of Catan, which forms part of a broader platform of polished, social and competitive online board games. The company reports millions of users and over 60m games played in the past year alone. It was founded by two brothers who wanted to connect with family through online board games.
The engineering work spans web-based game development, multiplayer online gaming and digital board game design, with an emphasis on building polished, high-quality player experiences. The technical team works in an asynchronous, distributed fashion across multiple continents, so proficiency in remote, self-directed collaboration is central to how the software is built.
Colonist operates as a fully remote team and describes itself as a modern-day gaming guild. Employees choose their own schedules and work from anywhere in the world, with the company valuing outcomes over hours worked and aiming to avoid unnecessary meetings. Radical transparency is a stated principle: every member has access to metrics, the roadmap and internal discussions, and everyone owns a piece of the company through stock options. The company looks for self-motivated, adaptable people who thrive in asynchronous environments.
