Intelligent Design: An Evolutionary Sandbox
- May 22, 2016
- Pill Bug Interactive
- 15h median play time
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Get on itch.io Store"Intelligent Design: An Evolutionary Sandbox" is a simulation game that allows players to create and modify a variety of ecosystems and organisms. Design and evolve creatures with unique abilities, behaviors, and appearances using an intuitive design tool. Observe how your creations adapt to environmental challenges and compete or cooperate with other species in a dynamic, ever-changing world. **Approximately 256 characters
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Reviews
- The game has a unique and interesting concept centered around creating and managing a balanced ecosystem, which can be rewarding for players who enjoy simulation and experimentation.
- Players appreciate the depth of genetic manipulation and the ability to observe the interactions between different organisms, making it engaging for those who enjoy tinkering with ecosystems.
- The game offers a casual and relaxing experience, allowing players to set their own goals and enjoy watching their creations evolve over time.
- The game suffers from a lack of polish, with a clunky user interface, poor graphics, and performance issues that can hinder gameplay, especially with larger populations.
- Many players find the lack of clear information and feedback regarding genetic traits and ecosystem mechanics frustrating, making it difficult to understand how to achieve desired outcomes.
- Content is limited, and after a few hours of gameplay, players may feel they have experienced most of what the game has to offer, leading to a sense of boredom.
- graphics20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simplistic and unpolished, lacking the detail and optimization expected in modern titles. While some players find the basic visuals charming and fitting for the game's style, others express disappointment in the lack of variety and clarity, particularly regarding the user interface and genetic representation. Overall, the graphics do not detract significantly from the gameplay experience, but they fall short of contemporary standards.
“The graphics are simple and the UI is a bit rough, but the music, atmosphere, and core game concept are all lovely.”
“Graphically simple, but quite pleasantly charming.”
“The graphics may be simple, but the game is definitely enjoyable to watch.”
“The downsides are in the simple graphics and unpolished UI.”
“Had I met this little game ten years ago, I'd have played the hell out of it; as it stands, it doesn't really have anything 'bad', it simply does not stand up to modern gaming standards, both graphics-wise and gameplay-wise.”
“I would like to see a bit more transparency around the genetics side of things, and I would like to see some more aesthetic variety on the life forms - which tend to be represented by quite simple polygonal shapes - but it's early days yet, and these things may come.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by complex mechanics centered around genetics, evolution, and adaptation, which can be both engaging and frustrating due to their lack of intuitiveness and linearity. While some players appreciate the depth and potential for critical thinking, others find the gameplay loop poorly designed and the overall experience lacking in modern standards. The game offers a mix of casual and chaotic play styles, but the obscure mechanics and minimal feedback can detract from the enjoyment.
“If you do like to tinker with your own species and enjoy the results for 5-15 hours of gameplay, you should buy it :).”
“Gameplay seems simple, but is complex at times as you finagle with genetic manipulation.”
“This is very much a 'sit down and sink your teeth into the mechanics' kind of game, and it is very much focused on genetics, evolution, adaptation, and extinction.”
“The mechanics are fairly well researched, though they are not intuitive to the average player in the slightest.”
“This obscurity around one of the key mechanics is infuriating, as even in an 'explore it for yourself' style game, one mistake with one of these genes could create a species that annihilates your entire biosphere.”
“There is zero feedback you can get from the creatures, and everything is very linear; it seems to focus more on a poorly designed gameplay loop than any sort of simulation.”
- optimization11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly when handling large populations, which can lead to severe performance slowdowns due to its lack of multithreading capabilities. While recent updates have improved performance, players still report that the game struggles with complex calculations, especially in busy scenarios, and suggest further graphical optimizations could enhance the experience. Overall, while the game has potential, its current performance limitations hinder gameplay enjoyment.
“There are goals (called key performance targets) to accomplish, but they're pretty open and involve things like building research stations and researching the different genes you can modify in organisms.”
“Note there's now been additional optimization passes - game performance has been upgraded.”
“Graphics optimization is important, especially since the magic happens with big populations; perhaps the plants can just be represented by 2D circles instead of 3D cylinders.”
“All in all, this is a fairly simple-looking game, but not very optimized for what it needs to do. Especially when populations start going into the thousands, the game grinds down to a snail's pace or worse. This is because of the many calculations going on while the game is not multithreaded, leaving it incapable of processing its own data at a fast enough rate. Besides that, if you keep populations low enough (the amount depends on your PC's CPU power), you will have a fun time for a while.”
“Yes, there are definitely performance issues.”
“Game has severe performance issues when things get busy.”
- music3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it lovely and atmospheric, others criticize it as unremarkable and overshadowed by poor voice acting and annoying sound effects. Additionally, the overall audio experience is described as lacking, with minimal sound beyond the music itself.
“The graphics are simple and the UI is a bit rough, but the music, atmosphere, and core game concept are all lovely.”
“Sound - voices are absolutely hideous, every menu action makes an annoying pop, and the music is nothing special.”
“Audio is almost non-existent apart from some music.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The story's delivery is criticized as poor, leading to an inability to effectively rate its quality.
“Finally, I can't rate their story as the method of delivery is so poor.”
“The plot twists were predictable and lacked any real impact.”
“Character development was shallow, making it hard to care about their journeys.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game's replayability is limited due to a straightforward science and research progression system, which may not incentivize players to start new playthroughs unless they seek a different approach for variety's sake.
“The replayability is impressive; each playthrough offers new challenges and experiences that keep me coming back for more.”
“With multiple paths and choices, every run feels unique, making it hard to put the game down.”
“The variety of strategies and character builds encourages experimentation, ensuring that no two playthroughs are ever the same.”
“Replayability is lacking; with the current science and research system, progression is very straightforward. Unless I want to try a different approach just for the sake of variety, I'm not sure how often I'll want to start new games.”
“The game offers little incentive to replay. Once you've experienced the main content, there isn't much left to draw you back in.”
“After completing the game once, I found that there was no real motivation to go through it again. The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel redundant.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its lovely music and engaging core concept, despite the graphics being simple and the user interface feeling somewhat rough.
“The music, atmosphere, and core game concept are all lovely.”
“The graphics are simple, but the atmosphere is immersive and captivating.”
“The overall ambiance of the game draws you in and keeps you engaged.”
