Summary
Games involving evolution are few and far between. Games that do the concept well are even rarer. It is an exciting topic, as it is how all life began and was able to survive for such a long time, but it is tricky to strike the balance between tedium and enjoyment when it comes to evolution: after all, it spans millions of years and is often seen as incredibly complex.
For players looking for games with evolution, and specifically games that take that concept and put it in anopen world, there are still some brilliant options available to play.
Updated January 27th, 2024 by Sam Carrick:Evolutionary simulations are still thin on the ground in terms of gaming, but the games that do it well are ones that players come back to again and again to try different things and maybe create different evolutions. The idea of something growing from humble, potentially even single-celled beginnings to a living and functioning thing is exciting even to gamers who usually stick to one genre that doesn’t tend to cover this aspect of life. The games that offer these evolutionary simulations offer more to players than just that, but here are the best ones that include evolution as part of the game.
Slime Rancherputs players in charge of Beatrix LeBeau, a young slime rancher with big dreams. The goal is to make it big in the slime ranching business and make a living from the farm. The evolution here is pretty basic: slimes can be bred to create hybrid slimes, taking aspects of both parent slimes to become something new, or if two of the same parent slimes are bred, then the offspring will also be the same. This is the most simplistic look at evolution, but it is still a good simulation of it at the base level.
Evolution is explored in its most basic form inSlime Rancher, focusing on the idea that offspring can have new characteristics to improve survival. Still, it’s a good option for a beginner look and is amore relaxing optionthan some others.
Dawn of Manis a survival/city-builder game focusing more on the evolution of human technologies instead of the most traditional idea of evolution. Players are put in charge of a group of Stone Age settlers and must carry them all the way through to the Iron Age while developing new technologies to help ensure survival. It is a brutal and extremely difficult experience, especially when winter comes. The growth of the community can destroy it, so fast progression is not the goal, much like the real-life progression of evolution.
Dawn of Manis a narrow look at how humans evolved to new environments and survived against all odds, including a look at all of the evolution necessary to get humanity into the future.
This game gives players as much or as little control as they want. Taking a look at natural selection, players can either guide their creatures through by selecting the mutations they want, or they can sit back and watch evolution happen, whether that means theircreatures survive or not.There is even the option of creating a global catastrophe, affecting all the species in the world through an ice age or a flood.
Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolutionis an evolution simulator in the truest sense of the word. It relies on science above all else to create an authentic open-world evolution experience.
Sporeis a classic of this genre. One of the biggest of its kind, it offers players the freedom to create their own species and watch as they either survive or fail to do so. There are other ‘tribes’ of species in the world for the player to interact with, developing social and hopefully intelligent creatures. The goal is for players to take their creations through all the distinct stages ofSpore’s evolution. As players will discover, this is not as simple a goal as it seems to be on the surface. Other tribes can be dangerous to the player species, and not all evolutions are helpful. As in real life, creations can go extinct with just a few generations of bad evolution, meaning players have to consider what direction they want their species to go in early.
Sporeis a defining game of the genre and is still worth playing despite it showing its age at times. The evolution simulation is one of the best parts of the game, as it can be tricky to succeed in every stage.
Maneateris a more comedic look at evolution. Players control a female bull shark trying to hunt down the fishermen who killed her family. To do this, players must explore the availableunderwater open worldand kill all the named human characters while trying to avoid predators. Evolutions are available to help in the quest: these can be unlocked by defeating apex predators and completing story events. These evolutions range from armored skin to abilities that will help the player kill humans quicker and more efficiently.Maneateris an action-packed look at evolution, which focuses entirely on how predators can evolve to become more efficient killing machines and jump to the top of the food chain.
Maneateris a sillier look at the topic of evolution, but it still begins to explore the idea of food chains and mutations. The evolution is essential to being able to complete the mission, and there are many options for players to unlock.
The Isleis a dark look at the realities of evolution. In an online experience, players can select a dinosaur to control and must adapt quickly to survive while all the other dinosaurs are evolving alongside. Surviving even until adulthood is a real challenge and surviving past that depends entirely on the characteristics of the player-controlled dinosaurs on the island. Players begin as small and weak dinosaurs and must earn points to progress into stronger animals. Getting these points can be challenging as players will need to be able to survive long enough to get enough for the next stage.The Isleis brutal, which makes for a realistic evolution simulation due to the brutal nature of outlasting weaker species.
The Isleis an interesting take on the concept of evolution in gaming and another take on thedinosaur genre. Players must be the best to survive.
The Saplingputs players entirely in control of their ownecosystem. There is the option to meticulously create plants and animals to put in a world together and observe. Alternatively, players can turn on random mutations and see what happens. In the first instance, players are given specific requirements to ensure species are suited to the planet they will be on. Both modes are excellent for thinking about how evolution works and how the species interact together. Players can explore how specializations impact the chances of survival for their own custom species.
The Saplingis a quirky simulation game with an open world spanning a planet. Players can take this game at their own pace and decide how best to let their species experience the world, whether that means they survive for generations or die off quickly.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odysseyis an incredibly faithful game about the concept of evolution. Players begin their journey controlling an ape in a jungle in Prehistoric Africa. This jungle is filled with threats to the character’s life, and players must survive these threats while also managing their needs. As the player progresses, more areas become open to exploration, which is critical, as this is where the characters learn new skills and develop mutations. These mutations are vital for the clan to survive for longer, which is a realistic representation of how mutations work in real life.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odysseyis a brilliant option for players looking for games with evolution simulation. It relies on pushing forward and exploring the open world.
Ecois a fantasticgovernmental simulatorwith an open world that the players can adapt as much as they see fit. There is an online multiplayer option for players or a local single-player option. Still, in either, players must consider every choice they make to balance their needs with the need to protect the surrounding ecosystem. Player decisions can harm species of plants and animals but can also save them. The evolution of the environment can be either positive or negative depending on the player actions, as overfishing will ruin the delicate ecosystem just as much as unsustainable fuels will.
Every choice players make inEcoaffects the world around them. Evolution is not as evident here, but it does look at how human interference can affect the evolution of species.
Pokémon: Scarlet And Violetis the best example of evolution in an open world in recent history, and it is also the best option for players to explore.Pokémon has had evolutionever since its first iteration. This, however, is the first fully open-world installment in the franchise’s history. As always, players collect their Pokémon on their journeys, and evolution involves new mutations that make the cute creatures better in battle situations.
Pokémonis the godfather of games with evolutionary aspects involved. The open world introduced inScarlet & Violetadds a lot of depth to the concept and allows players to spend hours traveling the world to find the best Pokémon possible and make them even better through the evolution system.
