Colonies and how they work
A colony is a shared mothership that a group of players runs together. It opens at level 8, so you can join one in your first session or two.
Members donate, the donations push a shared reactor forward, and everything the reactor opens belongs to the whole colony.
Why join one
- A shared reactor that fills phase by phase on the materials members donate, so the ore and essence piling up in your hold has somewhere to go.
- A fuel depot and a visitor dock. The colony sets its own pump price and earns from pilots who stop to refuel.
- A chat channel only your members can read.
- Colony duels, a scheduled match against another colony.
- A place on the weekly colony board. Finish in the top three and a gem pool opens for the members who contributed.
- A rank next to your name that a Paradox reset does not take away.
How donating works
- You donate gems or materials. Both count, and the reactor shows which materials it wants right now.
- The reactor fills its current phase and moves on to the next one.
- The shared benefits improve for every member, including the ones who donated nothing that week.
- Your donations are also your score on the weekly board, which decides your share of any gem pool the colony wins.
The daily donation cap
Donations are capped at 30,000 gem-equivalent per member per day, counting materials at their gem value. One account cannot carry a whole colony on its own.
No colony action moves currency between players. A donation goes into the colony's own reserves and never into another member's wallet. Player to player trading, gifting and the marketplace are closed.
Getting in
Every colony picks its own door policy, and there are three settings. An open colony takes you straight away if you meet its requirements. An application colony lets you ask, and a leader accepts or rejects. A closed colony is not taking anyone.
You can hold up to five applications at once, and one nobody answers expires on its own.
Getting rejected locks you out of that colony for 72 hours. Getting kicked locks you out for seven days. The apply button stays visible with the countdown running on it, and a leader can waive the wait by accepting you directly.
A full colony still takes applications. The queue turns into a waiting list, and the accept button is the part that goes quiet.
Pressing Paradox never costs you a pending application, even though it clears the level and the net worth the colony asked for.
The four ranks
Authority in a colony is a ladder of four rungs, and the game shows the rank next to your name in colony chat.
| Rank | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Leader | The vault, the ships, the reactor and rank assignment. The only rank that can disband the colony |
| Manager | The vault, the ships and the reactor. Can kick, mute and ban members |
| Moderator | Order in chat. Can kick and mute, but cannot ban and cannot touch the vault |
| Citizen | Donates, contributes and grows the colony |
When do colonies unlock in Time Heroes?
Colonies open at player level 8, early enough that most players join one during their first session or two.
How much can I donate to my colony each day?
Up to 30,000 gem-equivalent per member per day, counting donated materials at their gem value. The cap keeps one account from carrying a whole colony.
Can I trade or gift items to other players in Time Heroes?
No. Player to player trading, the marketplace and gifting are all closed. A colony donation goes to the colony's own reserves, never to another player.