Niche (video game)

Last updated
Niche: A Genetics Survival Game
Niche cover.jpg
Developer(s) Stray Fawn Studio
Publisher(s) Stray Fawn Studio
Platform(s) Linux, macOS, Windows
Release21 September 2017
Genre(s) Simulation
Mode(s) Single-player

Niche: A Genetics Survival Game is a simulation video game developed and published by Stray Fawn Studio. It entered early access for Windows, OS X, and Linux-based systems in September 2016 after a successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign and was released in September 2017. Its main aim is to breed certain traits or genes into a group of canine or feline creatures to make the pack genetically perfect for its environment.

Contents

Gameplay

The game starts off with the player choosing story mode, a quick how-to tutorial or sandbox mode, where the player chooses their animals and terrain for their tribes and environment and a short cut-scene of a tribe of nichelings living on an island. A large bird takes a child niche and tries to fly off with him but he falls onto a random island. This starts off the game by playing as a nicheling named Adam and the tutorial level. Game play and turns are organized into "days" which gives each animal a few actions of play each day.

Niche's game mechanics were inspired by population genetics and effectively provide what is considered a fairly realistic genetic gaming experience. Animals can perish due to illness, injury, and even old age, so learning what will help them thrive with consideration to their living environment is key to not only building a solid tribe, but winning the game as well. Niche simulates over 100 genes, houses 4 different biomes with each having their very own predators, plants, and prey. Within the 100 available genes, there are characteristic options which a player can choose in order to realistically develop their own animal species, some of which detail physical characteristics, disease immunity, fertility, and overall dexterity. [1] There are additional genetic options available as the player unlocks and utilizes new environments and events in-game.

Development

Niche was crowdfunded on Kickstarter. It was inspired by Creatures, Spore , and Don't Starve . [2] It entered early access in 2016. [3] Stray Fawn did not advertise Niche during early access and charged a higher price than at release. Stray Fawn reasoned that this would build a dedicated and engaged community. [4] The world and all the animals are procedurally generated. [5] It was released on 21 September 2017. [6] In 2019, Niche was made free for educational use in schools. [3]

Reception

Zachary Miller, an associate editor at Nintendo World Report, states that the game seems geared more towards science and learning than about gaming. Miller likens this genetics driven game to North Star Games' Evolution tabletop game, and wonders where the creative charm is, and notes that the format is clearly developed for PC play and not handheld action because of the many "mouse over" prompts that are filtered into the menu. Miller found the game to be generic in totality and fairly uninteresting. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetics</span> Science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms

Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms. It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar working in the 19th century in Brno, was the first to study genetics scientifically. Mendel studied "trait inheritance", patterns in the way traits are handed down from parents to offspring over time. He observed that organisms inherit traits by way of discrete "units of inheritance". This term, still used today, is a somewhat ambiguous definition of what is referred to as a gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heredity</span> Passing of traits to offspring from the species parents or ancestor

Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic information of their parents. Through heredity, variations between individuals can accumulate and cause species to evolve by natural selection. The study of heredity in biology is genetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natural selection</span> Mechanism of evolution by differential survival and reproduction of individuals

Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits characteristic of a population over generations. Charles Darwin popularised the term "natural selection", contrasting it with artificial selection, which is intentional, whereas natural selection is not.

<i>Ex situ</i> conservation Preservation of plants or animals outside their natural habitats

Ex situ conservation is the process of protecting an endangered species, variety, or breed of plant or animal outside its natural habitat. For example, by removing part of the population from a threatened habitat and placing it in a new location, an artificial environment which is similar to the natural habitat of the respective animal and within the care of humans, such as a zoological park or wildlife sanctuary. The degree to which humans control or modify the natural dynamics of the managed population varies widely, and this may include alteration of living environments, reproductive patterns, access to resources, and protection from predation and mortality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetic diversity</span> Total number of genetic characteristics in a species

Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It ranges widely, from the number of species to differences within species, and can be correlated to the span of survival for a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polymorphism (biology)</span> Occurrence of two or more clearly different morphs or forms in the population of a species

In biology, polymorphism is the occurrence of two or more clearly different morphs or forms, also referred to as alternative phenotypes, in the population of a species. To be classified as such, morphs must occupy the same habitat at the same time and belong to a panmictic population.

<i>SimLife</i> 1992 video game

SimLife: The Genetic Playground is a video game produced by Maxis in 1992. The concept of the game is to simulate an ecosystem; players may modify the genetics of the plants and animals that inhabit the virtual world. The point of this game is to experiment and create a self-sustaining ecosystem. SimLife was re-released in 1993 as part of the SimClassics Volume 1 compilation, alongside SimCity Classic and SimAnt for PC, Mac and Amiga.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation genetics</span> Interdisciplinary study of extinction avoidance

Conservation genetics is an interdisciplinary subfield of population genetics that aims to understand the dynamics of genes in a population for the purpose of natural resource management, conservation of genetic diversity, and the prevention of species extinction. Scientists involved in conservation genetics come from a variety of fields including population genetics, research in natural resource management, molecular ecology, molecular biology, evolutionary biology, and systematics. The genetic diversity within species is one of the three fundamental components of biodiversity, so it is an important consideration in the wider field of conservation biology.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Introduction to evolution</span> Non-technical overview of the subject of biological evolution

In biology, evolution is the process of change in all forms of life over generations, and evolutionary biology is the study of how evolution occurs. Biological populations evolve through genetic changes that correspond to changes in the organisms' observable traits. Genetic changes include mutations, which are caused by damage or replication errors in organisms' DNA. As the genetic variation of a population drifts randomly over generations, natural selection gradually leads traits to become more or less common based on the relative reproductive success of organisms with those traits.

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References

  1. ↑ "Niche - a genetics survival game on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  2. ↑ Warr, Philippa (2016-05-24). "Niche: A Genetics Survival Game". Rock Paper Shotgun . Archived from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Fraser (2019-08-07). "Niche is a cute genetics survival game that's now free for schools". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  4. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (2017-10-12). "Biology game Niche thrives by going against the flow". Gamesindustry.biz . Archived from the original on 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  5. ↑ "Niche, a survival game based on the real science of genetics". 29 August 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  6. ↑ Warr, Philippa (21 September 2017). "Breeding ground: Niche offers turn-based genetic survival". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  7. ↑ "Niche Review - Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
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