More or less an industrial Hammurabi set in space, Lost Colony is a resource management game which takes place on another planet, site of the first human settlement off Earth. As the economic administrator of the colony, your job is to keep the population happy and occupied, and to generally run things smoothly until the next supply ship arrives from Earth - in 15 years.

Each turn tasks you with allocating resources for the upcoming year, by dividing them among the five major industries (farming, mining, energy, manufacturing and transportation). These resources include human labor, robotic machinery and the planet's raw materials, production quotas can be diverted towards various goals, consumer goods handed out to keep the populace contented (and obedient), and new areas can be explored and settled.

Along the way, you'll have to deal with such misfortunes as labor strikes, famine, industrial accidents, plagues and natural disasters. Savvy governance will ensure that the struggling colony prospers, while continued mismanagement will have you booted out of office in disgrace.