WolfQuest is a 3D wildlife simulation video game originally developed by the Minnesota Zoo and game developer company Eduweb, and developed solely by Eduweb since 2013. The game's main purpose is to help players understand wolves and the roles they play in nature by living the life of a gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park.
In September 2006, the National Science Foundation awarded the Minnesota Zoo and Eduweb a US$508,253 informal education grant to develop WolfQuest.[1] The game was funded by numerous other foundations and donors (including Best Buy) and then distributed as a free download for Mac and Windows computers. In November 2015, Eduweb released WolfQuest 2.7, an improved and expanded version of the game for purchase. In 2018, Eduweb began development of a new version, WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition, a complete remake and expansion of the game.
History
The first playable demo of WolfQuest was released on October 31, 2007. The first episode of the game was released December 21, 2007, as a free, downloadable game for Macintosh and Windows computers. Amethyst Mountain Deluxe, an expansion of the original Amethyst Mountain map, was released April 23, 2008.[2] A second episode of the game, titled Slough Creek: Survival of the Pack, was further released on January 1, 2010.[3] The WolfQuest series has received many revamps, updates, and patches over the course of its development, one of the most notable being the 2.7.2 update on July 4, 2016, featuring graphical improvements to the 3D environment, and many new animals, such as cougars, foxes, and ravens.[2] On November 17, 2015, Wolfquest 2.7, a greatly improved and expanded version of the game, was released.[4][5] On September 2, 2016, Eduweb released the game for iOS devices, with releases for Android and Kindle devices coming later in the month. The most recent version of the game, WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition, was released for early access on PC/Mac on July 25, 2019. It is a complete remake of the original game, with improved graphics, more animals, and an expanded map. Since then, Eduweb has added the Lost River map from WolfQuest 2.7, multiplayer modes, the Slough Creek episode, a new, reimagined Lost River DLC map and the Hellroaring Mountain DLC map with the addition of wolverines.
Gameplay
The game has two modes: singleplayer, where the player must find an NPC mate, or multiplayer, where anyone can join (8 players per game) and raise pups together.
Singleplayer
WolfQuest was initially developed episodically, and the following episodes form the main single-player game arc:
Amethyst Mountain
In single player, the player must survive as a gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park which has departed from its birth pack (called a "dispersal wolf" in game). To do so, they must hunt elk, moose, and hares, or feed off already-dead elk carcasses. They must also avoid dangers such as grizzly bears, cougars, and non-dispersal wolves. However, it is possible to fight off the bears and cougars by chasing them, and fight off other wolves. The player has the option to find a mate, which will follow and aid the player throughout the rest of the game. In order to find a mate, the player must first earn 800 experience points, mainly by hunting elk, and then search for a mate, which can be found in all territories.
In-game screenshot of Amethyst Mountain
When creating their wolf character, players are free to choose the gender, fur coloration, stats, and name of their wolf. There are a variety of coats to choose from, with two sliders that let players change the tints of the guard hairs and undercoat of the wolf. WolfQuest 2.7 added many new customization features, including more coats as well as injuries and a radio collar accessory. Just like real wolves, males are larger in size than females.[6]
Slough Creek
Upon leaving Amethyst Mountain, players (together with their mate) enter the Slough Creek map and search for a den to raise pups. However, after finding a den site, the player must scent mark the area around the den to make it safe from predators and stranger wolves. After completion, the player will obtain pups. Predatory bears, coyotes, eagles, cougars, and wolves roam the map, posing a new threat and attempting to prey on the young pups. At the end, the player, their mate, and their surviving pups must make a journey to a summer den site in the Douglas fir forests. Along the way, they will run into grizzlies, coyotes, and eagles, and are forced to cross a river or drown. NPC wolves' territories will also expand as the chapter progresses, forcing the player to leave Slough Creek.
Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the objectives of the game are the same as the singleplayer mode with two exceptions. The player cooperates with a maximum of 8 wolves including themself, and can have no NPC mate. Public multiplayer games allow anyone to join. Private games require a game-name and password to join, and allow text and voice chat while in game.
Players in multiplayer can start rallies to hunt bull elk and moose cooperatively. Bull elk have more meat than cow elk and are many times harder to kill. Moose are far more difficult to hunt than any elk, but provide more meat. WolfQuest 2.7 added a multiplayer mode to the Slough Creek mission arc.
Lost River
A new map was included with WolfQuest 2.7. Called Lost River, it depicts a fictional valley outside the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park and features both wilderness and urban areas. Humans have abandoned the valley but left clues about some sort of catastrophe. Players are left to speculate what might have happened to them. This map is available for both singleplayer and multiplayer games.
In August 2010, WolfQuest held an "idea contest" via the WolfQuest Community Forum.[7] The winner for the "Big Idea" section of the contest was the idea "Time and Weather", which would alter hunting conditions based on weather and time of day. The winner for the "Game Enhancement" section was the idea "I need a rest!", where players can make their wolves sit or lie down to regain stamina faster than they would standing still.
Survival of the Pack: Deluxe was released on October 5, 2011, with several new features added to it, including time and weather effects and the ability to rest to regain stamina. It includes both the Amethyst Mountain and Slough Creek. Weather conditions include snow, rain, lightning and fire, and affect scents that can be detected by the player during hunting.
Shortly after the Survival of the Pack: Deluxe release, version 2.5.1 came out on October 11, 2011. It added weather effects, changing the time of day, a new phrase chat, improved lexicon chat safeguards, and other fixes to minor bugs.
Development hiatus
Between 2011 and January 2014, there were no plans for further development for several years. A third and fourth episode were originally planned for release, as stated on the official website's frequently asked questions page.[8] However, on November 28, 2011, the developers announced that while they were discussing options for future expansions, they were not working on any new game content at the time.[9]
WolfQuest episode 2.7 development
In spring 2014, Eduweb announced that a tablet version of the game was under development, to be released in the near future. Development took more time than anticipated, and platform support was expanded to include Mac and Windows computers. This new version, called WolfQuest 2.7, released in November 2015 for Mac and Windows and in September 2016 for phones and tablets. This version includes the entire game up to that point, plus many enhancements and new features.[10] Following Eduweb's plans to continue with the project's development, the community forums and website will remain online and freely accessible for the foreseeable future, rendering the 2012 announcement outdated as of 2014.[11] It has been stated that with strong sales of version 2.7, a third episode may be a possibility.[11] On December 31, 2016, Eduweb announced[12] that they were beginning work on another episode. There is currently no official release date (it was stated to be ''not anytime soon'').
WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition
Development
In August 2017, Eduweb announced that development of WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition was underway. This new version, a complete remake and expansion of the original game, will serve as the foundation for new chapters.
Eduweb released WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition in early access on July 25, 2019, for PC and MacOS on Steam and itch.io, with a full release following on July 22, 2025. While in early access, Eduweb updated the game frequently to add more features, multiplayer, and ultimately the Slough Creek episode, including pups, until the game released out of early access on July 22, 2025.[14]
A significant expansion of the game called WolfQuest Saga allows the life of the pack to continue beyond the length of one chapter. Pups can grow up, learn to hunt, help with the next year's litter of pups, and eventually disperse from their birth pack — and so on, year after year, until the player-wolf dies. It was released on December 4, 2019.[15]
Reception
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Reviewers have praised WolfQuest for being a fun and educational way to teach a younger audience about biology and ecology. Randy Salas from the Star Tribune wrote that "authenticity abounds in WolfQuest," and that "the game seems ideally suited for its target age range."[16] Following updates and new releases, reviewers agree that WolfQuest continues to offer new experiences that emulate encounters in the wild. Christy Matte from Common Sense Media says that "WolfQuest is a compelling simulation that's bound to draw kids into what it is like to be a wolf."[17]
Accolades
Year
Award
Category
Institution
Notes
2008
Special Recognition Award
Serious/Educational Game Development and Multiplayer Development
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