Niche: a genetics survival game

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 7,064 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Niche: a genetics survival game Game Cover
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"Niche: A Genetics Survival Game" is a strategy simulation where players manage a tribe of animals, navigating through diverse islands with varying environments. Your goal is to adapt your species to survive, managing their genetics, behaviors, and traits. Overcome challenges such as harsh weather, predators, and limited resources to ensure your species' survival and evolution.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 7,064 reviews
gameplay236 positive mentions
grinding112 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique genetics system that allows for a variety of traits and combinations, making each playthrough different.
  • It's a relaxing and calming game, perfect for casual play, with cute graphics and charming creatures.
  • The game encourages creativity and storytelling, allowing players to create their own narratives around their creatures.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive and tedious, with limited actions per day and a focus on micromanagement.
  • The tutorial is insufficient, leaving new players confused about mechanics and strategies.
  • Creatures have short lifespans, making it difficult to build a stable population and leading to frequent restarts.
  • gameplay782 mentions

    The gameplay of "Niche" is characterized by its unique blend of genetics mechanics and survival sandbox elements, offering a mix of engaging and educational experiences. While many players appreciate the depth of genetic customization and the strategic decision-making involved, others find the gameplay repetitive and the mechanics poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, the game provides a charming aesthetic and a satisfying loop for those interested in genetics, but it may not appeal to everyone due to its tedious micromanagement and lack of depth in certain areas.

    • “It excels in teaching about genetics and its impacts on life and death, blending educational content with engaging gameplay.”
    • “Addicting gameplay, fully taking advantage of the 'genetics' part.”
    • “The genetics system is complex and compelling, and the biomes keep the gameplay varied and interesting.”
    • “The game mechanics are poorly explained and leave you little time to figure things out before your creatures are dead.”
    • “Overall gameplay is boring and repetitive, as mentioned before, loses its spark very quickly.”
    • “The gameplay loop becomes extremely boring/repetitive within a few hours.”
  • story648 mentions

    The game's story mode is often described as minimalistic and more of a tutorial than a traditional narrative, focusing on the journey of a character named Adam as he seeks to return to his home island. While some players appreciate the opportunity to create their own stories and challenges within the sandbox mode, others find the lack of clear objectives and depth in the story mode disappointing. Overall, the game encourages emergent storytelling, allowing players to craft personal narratives through gameplay rather than relying on a structured plot.

    • “This game has an amazing story, following Adam as he makes a journey back to his home island.”
    • “Legitimately one of my favorite games for emergent storytelling!!”
    • “The challenge of keeping your tribe alive... the challenge of breeding into the species that you envision... the challenge of creating your own storylines and seeing how they play out... this isn't a game for people looking for a clear 'do this to win' or are into real-time games, but if you are looking for a turn-based platform to try and wrap your mind around, this is definitely it!”
    • “Story mode has basically zero story other than for the opening intro.”
    • “Also going to mention how useless story mode is, it's only used as a tutorial; nothing special happens with it as far as I'm aware, due to the fact of not being able to keep my tribe alive past 50 days.”
    • “The story mode, which I was really excited about, is more like a basic-tutorial sandbox mode.”
  • graphics538 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the unique and immersive visuals, noting that they are both appealing and well-suited to the game's themes of genetics and evolution. However, some users have reported graphical errors and performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, suggesting that while the aesthetics are strong, technical optimization could be improved.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and the gameplay is challenging, but not too hard.”
    • “Absolutely gorgeous game, stunning graphics and love playing through my little families.”
    • “The graphics are cute, it's fun to explore new islands and figure out which strategies work best for the environment, and you have a wide selection of genes to discover and breed into your population.”
    • “There are also lots of graphical errors, and many of the supposed user-friendly features are tiny or flat out don't work.”
    • “One complaint that I do have is the graphics are pretty low for the environment such as the grass and weeds at times, and the animal parts can look pretty funky when they don't render in right.”
    • “This game seems like it might have potential, but the graphics are horrible, it has the same gameplay over and over, and it takes so long to actually know the mechanics of the game that when you have stopped dying every 20 seconds, you're bored of the game.”
  • music150 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and soothing qualities, enhancing the overall relaxing experience of gameplay. While many players appreciate the beautiful soundtrack and ambient sounds, some note that it can become repetitive over time and suggest a desire for more variety. Overall, the music complements the cute graphics and engaging mechanics, making it a significant aspect of the game's appeal.

    • “The music is calming and the graphics are pleasing to look at.”
    • “The soundtrack is beautiful and the game keeps you alert as you try and keep your species alive!”
    • “A superbly intricate strategy game that avoids being stressful by being really cute and having divine, soothing music.”
    • “My only real complaint is that the soundtrack isn't varied enough.”
    • “The music is also very repetitive the longer you spend on an island.”
    • “However, that description would be an illusion, as underneath the app-like graphics and simple soundtrack is a fiendishly difficult game of simulated evolution.”
  • grinding120 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious, repetitive, and lacking meaningful goals, often leading to a frustrating experience for players. Many reviews highlight the micromanagement required to gather resources and manage creatures as particularly burdensome, with some players feeling that the game becomes a monotonous "clickfest." While some find enjoyment in the mechanics after overcoming the initial grind, the overall sentiment leans towards the gameplay being overly tedious and lacking in engaging content.

    • “For one, there is no farming – your species has to survive on gathering and being lucky finding a mate, then breeding and surviving on gathering again.”
    • “Challenging but not tedious.”
    • “The gameplay is very tedious and grindy.”
    • “This game has some cool ideas but I can't recommend it simply because the actual act of playing it is so tedious.”
    • “It becomes tedious right out of the gate and doesn't seem to get better the next few islands at least, if at all.”
  • replayability70 mentions

    The game offers a high level of replayability, with countless combinations of genes and randomly generated islands ensuring that no two playthroughs are the same. While some players find the gameplay repetitive and desire more variety in environments and species, many appreciate the sandbox mode and community challenges that enhance replay value. Overall, the game's mechanics and potential for creativity contribute to its strong replayability, making it engaging for extended play.

    • “Niche, a genetics survival game, is one of the most replayable games with countless combinations of nichelings.”
    • “Niche has an amazing amount of replayability, with a story mode and a free play option where you can tailor your settings to your liking.”
    • “This game has great replay value, and the story mode can be fun and challenging as well.”
    • “It's rather frustrating and for a game based around replaying, it has very little replayability.”
    • “While there is more than one map, the variety isn't enough to offer any real replay value.”
    • “A fun game about breeding that follows generic genetic guidelines, the game has a decent amount of replay value; however, beware that to make a successful breeding farm takes about 5 hours in the current form, and after that, it's just the grind to either explore more of the map or make a new save file.”
  • stability56 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many users reporting various glitches and crashes, particularly after updates. While some players have experienced minimal issues and find the game enjoyable, others express frustration over frequent freezing and bugs. Overall, it appears that the game is still in development, and while it has potential, stability remains a concern for many players.

    • “It's challenging but not frustratingly so, adorable and gorgeous art style, not buggy, and it is really just so relaxing and pleasant to play!”
    • “It's not buggy, overall runs well, and is really addictive.”
    • “The graphics are adorable, and the game runs great on my (not usually good for games) Surface Pro 3.”
    • “But I'm a bit sad about it because every time I play, it always crashes and glitches, and it gets very annoying!”
    • “The new update is so buggy, as you said, but I could play it for a bit before it crashed, and I love all the things you added.”
    • “This game is too buggy and keeps being identified by my firewall as malware.”
  • humor44 mentions

    The game is widely praised for its humor, featuring quirky and goofy creatures that elicit laughter through their appearances and behaviors. Players enjoy the clever achievements and funny moments, particularly in the game's trailer and intro, which set a lighthearted tone. Overall, the blend of humor with challenging gameplay creates an engaging and entertaining experience.

    • “I find it funny that I dabbled in majoring in biology with a concentration in genetics and I'm still terrible at this game.”
    • “It's a fun and tricky game, laughing at some of the dumb things you can inherit and some of the hardships your little guys will go through are tough to get through, good for casual and hardcore strategy players.”
    • “I love this game; it is cute, funny, and quirky as the animals look slightly derpy at times!”
  • emotional32 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is deeply impactful, with players expressing strong attachments to the characters, often leading to heartbreak when they face loss. The beautifully animated scenes evoke tears, and the wholesome community enhances the overall experience, making the challenges feel both rewarding and emotionally taxing. Many players report feeling a profound connection to the virtual creatures, sometimes even more than to real-life relationships, highlighting the game's ability to elicit genuine emotional responses.

    • “Overall, too stressful and the opening nearly made me cry because it's beautifully animated to the point that the little cat-thing is heartbreaking.”
    • “I have more emotional attachment to a bunch of silly little virtual animals than I will ever have to another human being.”
    • “I really loved that each character had a name; it made me feel more connected and sorry when they did die.”
  • atmosphere16 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its calming and peaceful qualities, featuring cute graphics and soothing soundscapes that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the relaxing ambiance, which contributes to a unique and enjoyable gameplay environment, making it a delightful escape without stress. Overall, the atmosphere is described as lovely, melodic, and conducive to a creative survival experience.

    • “It's pretty and atmospheric; the soundscapes aren't anything to get amped about, but they're melodic and soothing and contribute the correct ambience.”
    • “You've made an excellent game that is unique and one-of-a-kind with replayable content, strong core mechanics, a wonderful breeding system, and amazing atmosphere.”
    • “Though stimulating and interesting, this game isn't stressful; the pretty atmosphere and calming background noises are quite relaxing.”
  • optimization12 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a work in progress, with users reporting minor issues such as frame rate drops when tabbing out and back in, which require a restart to resolve. However, many players appreciate the smooth performance and high-quality graphics, indicating a generally positive experience despite the optimization concerns.

    • “Have not encountered any bugs whatsoever so far, the game runs smoothly.”
    • “Runs smoothly and great graphics!”
    • “I love this game and I hope that it keeps improving; it has very good design and runs smoothly.”
    • “My only complaints are a few small optimization issues such as if you tab out of the game and tab back in, the game's frame rate takes a nosedive and won't come back to normal unless you restart the game.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Reviews highlight that character designs are exceptional, receiving a perfect score of 10/10, indicating a strong visual appeal that enhances the overall experience. However, there is no specific mention of character development in terms of narrative or growth, suggesting that while the designs are praised, the depth of character development may not be as prominent.

    • “The character designs are a perfect 10/10.”
    • “From the soundtrack to the character designs, every aspect contributes to an immersive experience.”
    • “The character designs are truly exceptional, showcasing creativity and attention to detail.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization strategy for the game appears to be minimal, as users report not encountering any advertisements prior to discovering it through word-of-mouth. The game's appeal seems to stem from its engaging trailer and charming promotional content rather than aggressive marketing tactics.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

83% average critic score

Buy Niche: a genetics survival game

Play time

24hMedian play time
139hAverage play time
10-284hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 48 analyzed playthroughs

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