Mechanistry

Mechanistry is an independent Polish game developer and self-publisher focused on city-building, strategy and simulation games for Windows and macOS. Its studio operations and full-time game production began in 2018, following the registration of its legal entity in 2016. The company develops and publishes its own work, combining game design and production with distribution, marketing and community management.

Its debut game, Timberborn, is a “lumberpunk” city-building simulation set on a post-apocalyptic Earth after humanity has disappeared. Players guide beaver societies as they build settlements and reshape their environment. The game’s two factions, the agricultural Folktails and industrial Iron Teeth, offer different approaches to rebuilding civilization.

Simulation and construction

Built in Unity, Timberborn combines dynamic 3D water physics with vertical architecture, modular construction and district automation. Water management forms a central part of play: dams, hydraulic infrastructure and drought mitigation connect settlement planning with environmental survival. Its systems also encompass ecological hazards, including badwater pollution, and increasingly automated production and transport networks.

Mechanistry’s development capabilities span gameplay programming, 2D and 3D art, audio direction, and level and map design. Community feedback, iterative development and modding support have accompanied the game’s evolution, with successive updates expanding both its simulation systems and the ways players can construct settlements.

Development milestones

Timberborn entered Early Access on September 15, 2021. It sold more than 130,000 copies during its launch week, reached 750,000 sales within its first year and surpassed one million copies by September 2023.

Across seven major Early Access content expansions, Mechanistry introduced features including robotic golems, automated transport, expanded water simulation and modding frameworks. The studio released version 1.0 on March 12, 2026, followed by Update 1.1 on September 3, 2026. The game is distributed through desktop storefronts including Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store, reflecting the studio’s focus on PC and Mac development.