Do you have any idea how stressful it is to manage a pack of wild animals" To see them starving, injured, or sick" To care for their well-being, their offspring, and, ultimately, their survival" Niche - A Genetics Survival Game pulls no punches and casually teaches you about evolutionary genetics along the way.

Starting out with a small pack of animals on an unexplored stretch of land, your task is to ensure their survival not only by finding nourishment and protecting them from predators, but also from expanding your pack by breeding and - lest there be incestuous complications further down the road - finding more potential mates out there.

This is where it gets interesting: not only do outsiders add to the gene pool and allow new mutations to proliferate, spontaneous mutations are also possible, if less likely than the former method. This allows you to develop and purposefully breed more defensive capabilities, such as horns to fend off attackers. On the other side of the spectrum we have the option to turn our species into peaceful gatherers, improving their food-collecting talents. With a lot of varied traits - most of which are not available due to Niche being an Early Access release - this allows for some interesting choices and adds replayability.
Well, I have to admit that all of this is merely theory right now, because the wildlife is not easy and I'm still struggling with the way it all works. There is no tutorial yet, so your first f...