Penguin Colony Developer Blocks Sales in Israel to Support BDS

Key points

• Origame Digital, the developer of Penguin Colony, has blocked the game’s sale in Israel.
• The publisher stated the ban is intended to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine and support the BDS movement.
• Penguin Colony was released on October 16, 2026, and reimagines H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness.
• The game uses penguins as protagonists to critique colonialism and racist ideologies in classic cosmic horror.
• The publisher confirmed the regional restriction in a Steam forum response to a user inquiry.

Background

Penguin Colony is a semi-open world platformer that reimagines H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness through the perspective of Antarctic penguins. The game was released on October 16, 2026, and uses the indifference of its avian protagonists to critique the racist and colonialist underpinnings of classic cosmic horror. Players swap between different penguin species to navigate a low-poly Antarctic landscape filled with Nazi explorers and eldritch horrors, collecting words rather than traditional items. The game blends Soulslike level design with a narrative that exposes the absurdity of human hubris, offering a critical deconstruction of Lovecraft’s legacy while maintaining a playful, often humorous tone.

Why it matters

This is the most direct statement on the topic within a game, as the developers have paired their words with action by making the game unavailable for purchase in Israel. The game also gives you one hell of a statement on the Palestinian genocide.

What to watch

The game is currently unavailable for purchase in Israel. The publisher has stated that they fully support the developer’s decision to block sales in the region.