M.U.L.E. might be one of the most influential computer games of all time. The 1983 game’s combination of strategy elements and economic simulation with intuitive hot-seat multiplayer can be seen in everything from Civilization to Maxis’ simulation games. In fact, Will Wright actually dedicatedThe Sims to M.U.L.E. creator Dani Bunten, who passed away in 1998 while working on an updated, Internet-compatible version of the game.

That sadly aborted effort can now continue thanks to a new Kickstarter project that aims to capture the gameplay and feel of M.U.L.E. while updating the experience for a new generation that has probably never heard of the original game. Creative Director Christopher Williamson went so far as to contact Bunten’s daughter to get access to some “secret designs” the developer was working on before her death.

Just like the original game, Alpha Colony will be about mastering supply and demand as you race to colonize a planet using a robotic Multiple Use Labor Element. While the updated game will attempt to hew as close to possible as the source material, the team says it has been influenced by elements of modern games like Settlers of Catan and Words with Friends. And of course the presentation is being updated, with the blocky M.U.L.E. graphics of the early ’80s replaced by full 3D models, complete with facial expressions and personality traits.