Niche - a genetics survival game

[jztemple2]

I picked up Niche on a Steam 66% off sale this evening. The blurb:

Niche - a genetics survival game is a turn-based strategy game combined with simulation and roguelike elements. Shape your own species of animals based on real genetics. Keep your species alive against all odds, such as predators, climate change

I've played about an hour and a half and it is a fun, rather relaxing game. It's turn based so no big rushing around, and so far the genetics part has been pretty minor. I suspect it will be more important as I complete the tutorial mission and go into the Sandbox mode. It's been out for a couple of years, although I don't know how much of that was Early Access.

The gameplay is pretty easy to pick up and you don't have to get too serious over the genetics if you don't want to. Basically it's about growing your pack of animals/beings/whatever while focusing on gathering food and reproducing. The genetics part comes in when you want to focus the development of your beings on certain areas, like being able to swim, to dig, to crack open nuts, or to be able to hunt down predators.

The sale runs another 35 hours, so don't take too long to check it out if you are interested.

[LordMortis]

For six bucks, I'm interested. I just hope I remember I'm interested when I'm in a position to pick it up later.

[jztemple2]

For six bucks, I'm interested. I just hope I remember I'm interested when I'm in a position to pick it up later.

Just don't forget that the sale ends tomorrow

I think I might be turning into one of those folks who waits a couple of years to pick up a game. It's nice that there aren't a bunch of promised updates awaiting or problems that haven't been addressed yet.

[Paingod]

I think I might be turning into one of those folks who waits a couple of years to pick up a game.

Aside from the games I'm absolutely eager to play, the vast majority of what I buy now is something I wishlisted some time ago, and a sale provokes the purchase because it's cheap enough to grab and shelve without feeling like I'm being wasteful.

[jztemple2]

The game is still fun after five hours and I'm starting to come across the nuances of the game.

1) There are rouge males that will show up and impregnate your females. While this Warren Beatty-like behavior does expand the gene pool, the males can also be detrimental to your carefully laid out plans of genetic development, so you might have to chase them off or even kill them.

2) Your creatures are omnivores, so it's a balance between berry gathering and Elmer Fudd-ish rabbit hunting. There are also bear-like creatures who also might want to hunt you.

3) There is a set of genes, a gene pair, that each have a letter A-I. A mating pair pass down to their offspring one of their two genes. If the genes passes down are identical, like if an A+B male and an A+C female beget an A+A offspring, that offspring will be sickly and will die much sooner than normal. Also if it is adjacent to another animal at the end of a turn, that other animal might get sick, which shortens its life. Still, if that A+A offspring has some really desirable traits, you might want it to mate anyway. Such are the challenges of Niche.

4) A couple of hours ago my pack moved to a new, larger island and the flora and fauna type expanded quite a bit. I'm seeing fish, crabs, clams, healing plants, nasty plants, and what appear to be mutant turkeys. Sadly, no extra drumsticks besides the usual two.

[jztemple2]

The pack:

[LordMortis]

Gave it some time last night. Played a bit of Adam and Eve. False started twice to get a feel for the introduction and understanding nesting. Now I'm opening up a second (third?)island with a second generation, leaving Adam and Eve and the eldest of their offspring behind. Got lucky and two of the sibling are a good mating pair.

I think when it's all said and done I'm going to be left wanting more than the game has to give but I'll be really happy with what I'm going to get for my $6. Like this will have been a successful experiment for a game with more DNA and more species that could, in turn, compete with each other.

If I'm at home this weekend, I'm guessing this will take most of computer time.