Niche - A Genetics Survival Game For Mac
There are a lot of educational games out there that might teach you a thing or two about biology, evolution, and how genetics work. But they can be easy to disregard due to the often boring and dull methods of delivering that information. Well, Team Niche—a small five-person independent studio located in Switzerland—thinks it has found a way to make learning about genetics and species evolution a little bit more engaging.
Niche is described as a “fresh blend of turn-based strategy and simulation combined with roguelike elements.” The game puts you in control of an animal species in a certain landscape, ranging from snowy mountains to heavily cultivated areas, with the goal of trying to “keep your tribe alive against dangers, such as hungry predators, climate change and spreading sickness.”
Niche Game Genetics List
We have been contacted by quite a few of you, asking us to sell bundles for Niche to use in the classroom. That is why we decided to make the game available to schools for free! So if you’re interested in getting our free educational version, reach out to. Niche is a digital board game about biology, evolution and survival, plus a bit of turn-based strategy added for taste. It’s a unique mix in certain regards, although one can obviously notice the similarities with Spore. Granted, it’s actually nothing like Spore in regards to gameplay, but some concepts.
As everything in Niche is based on real genetics—which is the educational bit—you’ll need to employ smart breeding choices to survive. And to make sure you’re actually taking in all the information when making these decisions, the worlds and all the animals are procedurally generated. You can’t just learn the tics of the game; you have to take into account proper genetics thinking.
To help you along with this, when accessing the game’s menu you will be able to see “all the genes and abilities of a selected animal.” You’ll be in pursuit of unlocking more genes, and this is done by completing challenges, such as spending a lot of time in the savanna or the desert to develop big ears for your animal to cool down their body temperature. Collecting food, fighting, scouting, and mating also unlock more genes.
As you progress through the game and unlock more genes, animals can evolve and perform different tasks—for example, “when they develop stronger paws, they earn the ability to dig holes in the ground, which helps with finding food,” according to the game’s creators. Selective breeding to acquire these kinds of traits is a big part of the game and keeping your tribe alive, however, the studio did have to consider the possibility that players would pursue incest. This was taken care of by implementing a system that sees the offspring of closely-related family members more prone to sickness and might die younger.
Other dangers you’ll have to face in Niche’s world are predator animals, who have their own behavior module and motivations to eat the members of your tribe. Beyond that, the game world is divided into unique biomes, and “each biome requests different sets of survival skills and adaptions,” according to the creators. Nature-related events, such as temperature and weather changes, will affect each environment and require you to overcome new challenges.
But the creators of Niche can’t say exactly what these challenges might be as all of the game’s systems are meant to “lead to a simulated world in which various situations can emerge.” In other words, it’s unpredictable, just as the real-life science that the game is based on. All that can be said for sure is that the game “features various forms of heredity and is based on the five pillars of population genetics (genetic drift, genetic flow, natural selection, sexual selection and mutation).” Learn those and your tribe might stand a fighting chance at survival.
Niche is planned for release on PC in early 2017, with the studio planning on expanding to mobile and handheld consoles too. You can find out more on its website.
Games Like Niche – A Genetics Survival Game
Niche is a turn-based strategy game that also incorporates features from simulation and roguelike games. The game is focused on genetics survival as the player must shape their own species of animal, surviving against threats such as predators, climate change, and disease. Games like Niche do not permit save scumming. The game’s one aim is to survive, once your species is extinct, you lose the game and you must start again from scratch.
The game is inspired by others like Spore, Don’t Starve, Warrior Cats, and The Creatures Series. It has an educational aspect to it as it introduces players to the scientific mechanics of genetics such as inheritance and dominant/recessive genes. It also includes a realistic system based on the five pillars of genetics (genetic drift, mutation, genetic flow, sexual and natural selection). This is incorporated throughout in the game.
As well as basing itself on real genetics, Niche features a procedural system to generate worlds and animals in four distinct biomes, each with their own unique prey, predators, and plants, to explore.
The game has colorful, cartoony graphics that still run easily on most machines. The tutorial is short, encouraging players to learn the game through playing and experimentation.
The wide selection of options let players customize their species of animals to fit both environmental factors as well as their own personal desires. Players can create a peaceful species of scavengers or have a roving pack that prey on anything that crosses their path. The game appears simple of the surface as your creatures hunt, mate, scavenge, and move, but many hidden factors are at play such as disease, genetic catastrophes, and more.
Niche is fun to play but takes time to master. The real-life genetic mechanics make the game a tricky one but offer excellent replay value.
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Niche Genetics Game
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Some Facts About Niche – A Genetics Survival Game
Niche is a genetic survival game. The game takes inspiration from real life science with issues such as inbreeding as well as dominant/recessive genes all included. Best of sean paul torrent download. The goal is simple, survive. Players control a species of animals that they must guide through life, evolving new traits and surviving deadly environments.
Niche A Genetic Survival Game
About the Game
- Released: 15 Sep, 2016
- Genre: Indie, Simulation, Strategy
- Platforms: PC, MacOS, Linux
- Developer: Stray Fawn Studio
- Publisher: Stray Fawn Studio
- Official Website:
System Requirements
- OS: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10
- Processor: 2.0 GHz Dual Core
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: nVidia 8800 GT / AMD® 4670 or faster
- Storage: 1 GB