Niche: a genetics survival game
- September 20, 2017
- Stray Fawn Studio
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"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
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Unique genetics system that allows for diverse creature customization.
- Challenging gameplay that requires strategic planning to survive.
- Cute graphics and engaging sound design that enhance the overall experience.
- Repetitive gameplay loop that can become tedious over time.
- Limited actions per day for each creature, making progress slow.
- Lack of clear objectives or story progression can lead to aimlessness.
- gameplay514 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Niche has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its innovative genetics mechanics and engaging breeding system, while others criticize it for being overly complicated, repetitive, and lacking depth. Many users noted a steep learning curve and a frustrating difficulty spike, particularly for beginners, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite its charming visuals and potential for strategic gameplay, the game often feels tedious and slow-paced, leading to a disconnect between its interesting concepts and actual gameplay experience.
“It excels in teaching about genetics and its impacts on life and death, blending educational content with engaging gameplay.”
“With its addictive gameplay loop, satisfying breeding mechanics, and achievement system, the game offers an enjoyable and engaging experience.”
“The genetics system is complex and compelling, and the biomes keep the gameplay varied and interesting.”
“The gameplay feels boring.”
“I wanted to like this game, and the creatures are super cute, but the gameplay is somehow both boring and frustrating at the same time, and the massive difficulty spike after the tutorial, with no way to turn it back down, just compounds the issue.”
“The gameplay loop becomes extremely boring/repetitive within a few hours.”
- story394 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story mode, while initially engaging with a charming introduction featuring Adam and Eve, is often criticized for lacking depth and clear objectives, functioning more as a tutorial than a traditional narrative. Players appreciate the freedom to create their own stories through gameplay, especially in sandbox mode, but many feel that the minimalistic plot does not provide enough structure or motivation. Overall, the experience is enriched by personal storytelling and emergent gameplay, making it enjoyable for those who embrace creativity over a defined storyline.
“The animation, story, and NPCs are unique and captivating.”
“This game has an amazing story, following Adam as he makes a journey back to his home island.”
“The story mode is compelling too and the genetics principles that Niche uses are complex and scientifically accurate.”
“Story mode has basically zero story other than for the opening intro.”
“The story mode should be by steps; each time you change islands, you should get another story part, giving you hints about where your family is.”
“Even in story mode, there seem to be no goals other than to survive, which is done by collecting food faster than you eat it and breeding faster than you die.”
- graphics340 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute and charming art style, which complements the gameplay and enhances the overall experience. While some users note that the visuals are simple and occasionally suffer from technical issues, many appreciate the unique aesthetic and the delightful designs of the creatures. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point of the game, contributing to its appeal and immersive quality.
“The hand-drawn art style complements the game's natural environments and adorable creature designs.”
“The graphics are beautiful, and the designs of the creatures look amazing.”
“Niche is visually appealing, with nice graphics to go along with the great gameplay.”
“There are also lots of graphical errors, and many of the supposed user-friendly features are tiny or flat out don't work.”
“The graphics are subpar and animations are basically nonexistent.”
“My biggest problems with the game are the simplistic graphics, the lack of animations, and the clunky user interface.”
- music92 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative 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 tranquil soundtrack and its ability to create an immersive atmosphere, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the combination of pleasant music and charming visuals contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a great choice for those seeking a laid-back gaming experience.
“The serene and immersive soundtrack further enhances the experience, providing a tranquil atmosphere as you shape the destiny of your tribe.”
“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!”
“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.”
“I cannot say that there is anything special about the music either; but if you think about it, you do not really need any distracting sounds in a game like this.”
- grinding75 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players finding the micromanagement of resources and creatures to be a chore rather than an engaging experience. While some players appreciate the game's concepts and art, the lack of automation and poor user interface contribute to a frustrating gameplay loop that can feel aimless and monotonous. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant drawback, making it difficult for players to stay engaged over time.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“Challenging but not tedious.”
“If you want to get all the achievements, it does get grindy.”
“The gameplay is very tedious and grindy.”
“The turns are pretty tedious, the food gathering lackluster, the combat boring.”
- replayability44 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game exhibits a wide range of replayability, with many players praising its infinite combinations of creatures, diverse environments, and sandbox modes that encourage exploration and experimentation. While some users note a potential for repetitiveness, the random world generation and the depth of genetic mechanics keep the gameplay fresh and engaging. Overall, many reviewers highlight the game's strong replay value, suggesting that it can provide countless hours of unique experiences.
“They encourage exploration and experimentation, enhancing the replayability and ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and rewarding.”
“Niche has an amazing amount of replayability, with a story mode and a free play where you can tailor your settings to your liking.”
“There's a lot of replayability in this game and I'm still learning and mastering the genetic elements to create diverse and unique species.”
“However, I’m afraid there isn’t much in the way of replayability.”
“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.”
- stability35 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting significant bugs and crashes, particularly related to achievements and loading screens. However, others have noted that while there are minor glitches, the game generally runs well and is enjoyable, especially considering its early access status. Overall, players appreciate the game's potential despite its current stability issues.
“The graphics are adorable, and the game runs great on my (not usually good for games) Surface Pro 3.”
“It's challenging but not frustratingly so, with an adorable and gorgeous art style. It's not buggy, and it is really just so relaxing and pleasant to play!”
“It's not buggy, overall runs well, and is really addictive.”
“Super buggy.”
“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 sooo buggy as you said but I could play it for a bit before it crashed and I love all the things you added.”
- humor27 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding the quirky and goofy designs of the animals, as well as their funny noises, to be a major highlight. Many reviews mention the clever and amusing achievements, along with the entertaining moments that arise from the game's mechanics, making it enjoyable for both casual and hardcore players. Overall, the game is described as cute, funny, and filled with charming moments that resonate well with animal enthusiasts.
“I find it funny that I dabbled in majoring in biology with a concentration in genetics and I'm still terrible at this game.”
“Overall this game is funny, challenging, unique, and serious all at the same time.”
“I love this game; it is cute, funny, and quirky as the animals look slightly derpy at times!”
- emotional18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is deeply impactful, with players expressing a strong attachment to the characters, often leading to heartbreak when they face loss. The beautifully animated scenes evoke tears, while the wholesome community and engaging gameplay create a mix of joy and sorrow, making each character's demise feel personal and poignant. Overall, the game successfully balances cute and fun elements with moments of genuine emotional weight, leaving players feeling connected and invested in their virtual companions.
“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.”
“The story is adorably heartbreaking; it acts more as a guideline than a main focal point, which I find to be refreshing.”
- optimization11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players reporting smooth performance and impressive graphics across various systems. However, some users have noted minor issues, such as frame rate drops when tabbing out of the game, indicating that further optimization may still be needed. Despite these concerns, the game's design and performance improvements have been positively acknowledged.
“Have not encountered any bugs whatsoever so far, the game runs smoothly.”
“Luckily they’ve optimized it much more, and it runs smoother.”
“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.”
“The performance of the game is smooth; I used to play this game on a Mac, so I'm sure just about any other system would be able to handle this.”
“☐ medium [game optimization is in process]”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its serene and immersive qualities, enhanced by a soothing soundtrack and charming visuals. Players appreciate the tranquil environment that fosters a relaxing experience, making it enjoyable to engage with the game's mechanics and explore its unique features. Overall, the game creates a peaceful ambiance that contributes significantly to its appeal.
“The serene and immersive soundtrack further enhances the experience, providing a tranquil atmosphere as you shape the destiny of your tribe.”
“It's pretty and atmospheric; the soundscapes aren't anything to get amped about, but they're melodic and soothing and contribute to the correct ambience.”
“Though stimulating and interesting, this game isn't stressful; the pretty atmosphere and calming background noises are quite relaxing.”
- monetization5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is highlighted by its appealing advertisements and trailers, which successfully capture players' interest. However, some users express frustration with excessive advertising that detracts from the overall experience, likening it to a lengthy, monotonous commercial.
“You ever go to see an exciting movie, and there's two hours of monotone spoken advertisement?”
“Great concept, amazing art for the ads and videos, but I sadly never got that far.”
“Interested in the funny trailer and charming advertisement of the game, I decided to take it for a spin.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development, highlighting exceptional character designs that receive a perfect score of 10/10, alongside a strong soundtrack and engaging challenges that enhance the overall experience.
“The character designs are a perfect 10/10.”
“From the soundtrack to the character designs, every aspect contributes to an immersive experience.”
