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Games like Substrate: Emergence

Games like Substrate: Emergence

Games like Substrate: Emergence

Looking for games like Substrate: Emergence? Here are top economy management recommendations with a economy focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with Gridworld, Jingjie: Signals or Creatura.

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  1. View Game
    84%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, gameplay
    84% User Score Based on 335 reviews

    Gridworld is an artificial life / evolution simulator in which abstract virtual creatures compete for food and struggle for survival. Conditions in this two-dimensional ecosystem are right for evolution to occur through natural selection. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Gridworld.

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  2. About This GameJingjie: Signals is a sandbox focused on emergence and artificial life. There are no scripted events and no predefined outcomes—everything you see arises naturally from rules, interactions, and probability. Developer Note: This game features no tutorials. The system is meant to be observed, not learned. (There is no randomness here. Every signal has a cause.) Living Particles… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Jingjie: Signals.

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  3. View Game
    70%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
    70% User Score Based on 250 reviews

    Seed, Breed, Create. From single cell organisms to complex ecosystems. Evolve every part of your own unique aquarium / terrarium by applying realistic principles of natural and artificial selection, in Creatura - ultimate Virtual Evolution Vivarium Simulator. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Creatura.

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  4. Evolution: Code of 6 Desires is a unique game that blends strategy, simulation, and a god's-eye perspective. You play as a transcendent deity, sowing the seeds of life in a meticulously designed hexagonal world. Witness humanity evolve from two initial individuals into vast tribes, and experience the harshness and beauty of natural selection. Core GameplayThe core gameplay lies in balancing &quot… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Evolution: Code of 6 Desires.

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  5. 50%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, music
    50% User Score Based on 164 reviews

    Intelligent Design: An Evolutionary Sandbox is an abstract god game with fully simulated genetics and evolution. In a universe driven by targets, create, design and try to control an evolving ecosystem for a faceless corporation. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Intelligent Design: An Evolutionary Sandbox.

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  6. 96%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, story
    96% User Score Based on 194 reviews

    Welcome everyone!  This is The Bibites   A simulation where you are able to watch evolution happen before your very eyes!  Each bibite (the small critters you see on the screen) starts off with an empty brain (they do nothing) and pretty basic genes (they all look alike).  Through random mutations, one can be spawned with a brain connection that will link two neurons and might trigger a behavior, … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Bibites.

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  7. Archipeo – Build. Expand. Dominate the Seas. Shape your own island empire in Archipeo, a retro-inspired city builder and real-time strategy game with MMO-style elements. Starting from a single island in a vast, procedurally generated ocean world, you’ll expand your influence, manage complex economies, and command fleets across a living archipelago. Inspired by classics like Anno and The Settlers… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Archipeo.

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  8. CellBorn is an AI-driven microbial RTS & simulation game, where you control a colony of evolving cells in a living, reactive ecosystem. Every organism — your own cells, predators, viruses, bacteria — has its own AI behaviors and priorities, constantly interacting in an emergent system. I chose neon colors purely for the sake of improving graphic readability. Current Alpha Features: Dynam… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to CellBorn.

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  9. 58%Game Brain Score
    58% User Score Based on 9 reviews

    NeuraQuarium simulates a basic aquatic environment populated by AI creatures. Watch them evolve and change through chance, or take a hand in their evolution by molding the environment, mixing in saved critters, or directly altering their neural net brains. Check out this showcase: Evolution in Action The first creatures that spawn will have randomized physiology and  neural nets. Those that succ… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to NeuraQuarium.

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  10. View Game
    78%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, stability
    78% User Score Based on 468 reviews

    Grow and modify an ecosystem, with simulated evolution by natural selection creating the lifeforms that inhabit it. All the creatures in the trailer evolved on their own in the game. None were hand-edited! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ecosystem.

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  11. Seize control over an entire species and shape its destiny!In Genetica: Extinction, you are a researcher conducting experiments inside a closed artificial ecosystem. Your task is to observe, manipulate, and guide a population of creatures as they struggle to survive in an ever-changing environment. Your goal is simple - prevent total extinction. The ecosystem reacts to every decision you make. Hu… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Genetica: Extinction.

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  12. The Neeblarium is a calm, living simulation about cultivating tiny digital creatures called Neeblies and deciding what’s worth preserving. You don’t control Neeblies directly. You shape conditions, observe what emerges, and intervene only when it matters. Over time, families form. Lineages diverge. Rare traits appear. Some discoveries are fleeting. Others are worth saving. Use your Lab to … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Neeblarium.

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  13. View Game
    45%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:humor
    Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding
    45% User Score Based on 74 reviews

    Evolution is a real time simulation of the evolutionary process. Creatures have DNA that defines their structure, traits, how they see the world around them, and how they react to it. Each creature is unique, most die quickly, some die a little slower, and others survive (some just like rocks, they usually die too). It is the survivors that reproduce and mutate, just a little, but enough to adapt … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Evolution.

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  14. 74%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:emotional
    Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics
    74% User Score Based on 66 reviews

    Vilmonic is an artificial life simulator and evolution sandbox game. Protect each species and selectively breed new ones, analyze DNA, craft tools and buildings, dig rivers and make new islands, find ancient tech, and fend off the haywire zombitons. Craft Farm Breed Evolve! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Vilmonic.

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  15. Ecliptica is a first-person science fiction sandbox set in an ancient, self-organizing world. You and your colony are alien organisms. After a long flight, the colonists have lost the memory of their origin, retaining only their intelligence and thirst for profit. Now you must take root on a planet that existed long before your arrival and is ready to protect its resources from uninvited guests. … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ecliptica.

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  16. A relaxing and short 3D incremental experimental game about evolving a simple lifeform. Harvest DNA from your specimen, use it to evolve through different stages of life, and automate the process as your experiment progresses from a simple form into something far more complex. Start by harvesting DNA from simple lifeforms in your little aquarium. Unlock mutations to accelerate your evolution… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mytosis.

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  17. Vizza is an interactive simulation playground built for curiosity, experimentation, and visual beauty. Explore a growing collection of GPU-accelerated systems that move, react, spread, collide, dissolve, and organize themselves in unexpected ways. Every mode gives you a hands-on way to play with motion, color, and emergent behavior, whether you are making flowing particle fields, organic reaction… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Vizza.

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  18. Mars is open for business. Every corporation begins on an equal footing in Harwell, a singleplayer and multiplayer economic strategy game set on the Red Planet. Build your company, control production, and trade in a dynamic, player-driven economy where shifting supply and demand can lead to vast riches – or drive you into bankruptcy. The goal is simple: Accumulate wealth, outmaneuver your rivals… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to HARWELL: Mars Industries.

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  19. Survive. Hunt. Evolve.Welcome to Primal Blue—a deeply immersive online ocean survival game where realism drives every encounter and the ocean never stops evolving. Step into the skin, scales, or tentacles of a living sea creature and navigate a vibrant, hostile ecosystem shaped entirely by nature—and the choices of other players. From the fragile beginnings of life in a reef to the chilling dep… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Primal Blue.

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  20. Wishlist now on Steam  Join our Discord server for the latest  information and to contact me! OR Follow me on X (Twitter). Welcome to MiniEco — a cozy, top-down nature sim that blends laid-back idle/clicker gameplay, hands-on ecosystem care, and just a sprinkle of god-like powers. (Click to enlarge) ▼ Current Status : Prototype Early Development : … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mini Eco.

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  21. Breathe Life Into a Dead WorldBiosphere Simulator is a planetary god game sandbox where you guide an entire world from barren volcanic rock to thriving spacefaring civilization. Shape the atmosphere. Carve oceans. Seed the first microbes. Then sit back and watch evolution unfold across billions of years as ecosystems grow, species adapt, and civilizations rise… or collapse into extinction. Every… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Biosphere Simulator.

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  22. 93%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, replayability
    Most mentioned negative aspects:atmosphere, graphics
    93% User Score Based on 477 reviews

    From an uninhabited planet in space to an ecosystem full of life. In Planetary Life you will be able to shape a planet in the purest Sandbox Simulation style, playing with its mountains, seas and even its climate, to create the perfect habitat to harbor life. PLANETS Control a planet with the multiple tools available. Let the tectonic plates shape the mountains and seas, modify the climate, the… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Planetary Life.

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  23. 62%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, music
    90% User Score Based on 20 reviews

    PHYSARUM is a sandbox simulation game. Simulate the real world slime mold Physarum polycephalum by generating millions of living particles. Create and mutate slime species in real time to discover countless mesmerizing and emergent patterns. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to PHYSARUM: Slime Mold Simulator.

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  24. Manage resources, create life and ensure the survival of a colony of thousands of synthetic cells in this fascinating incremental simulation game. Inspired by the 'Game Of Life' by the illustrious mathematician John Horton Conway, where cells live or die according to 4 basic rules. This Idle revolution challenges you as a player to achieve a stable and prosperous ecosystem to ensure the species … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to SynthetiCell BioClicker.

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  25. View Game
    85%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding
    85% User Score Based on 110 reviews

    Simultree is an incremental game about running a life simulation. Features: Run simulations to experiment with some entities that are trying to survive by eating fruits and reproducing.Unlock items and upgrade inside a tech tree.Compete in an online leaderboard. A game made in 3 days for Mini Jam #186 (Theme: Evolution, Limitation: Failure is progress). Everything has been made during the ja… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Simultree.

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  26. 75%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:optimization, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    75% User Score Based on 1,544 reviews

    Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolution is an evolution simulation with hands on interaction. It allows for direct changes to each creature as well as indirect and gradual environmental changes which affect the species and their evolution. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolution.

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  27. View Game
    66%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:optimization, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay
    86% User Score Based on 28 reviews

    Genesis At the start of the simulation cells with random DNA are spawned. 99% of DNA is not viable so most die pretty quickly. Purple gas bubbles, inspired by hydrothermal vents White dead cells, inspired by marine snow Colorful alive cells, inspired by the diversity of unicellular organisms Grey rocks, inspired by rocks, duh First viable cell After a while the first viable cells appear… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to EvoLife.

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  28. Cellula is a cell biology simulator disguised as a strategy game. Manage a colony of living cells. Build membranes from individual phospholipid bricks, place organelles, import nutrients, fight viruses, detect cancer, and divide your cells to grow. No tutorials. No lectures. Learn real biology by keeping your cells alive. WHAT YOU'LL DOStart with a single cell: a ring of phospholipid bricks tha… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Cellula.

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  29. In a constantly shifting starfield where borders are redrawn and alliances crumble overnight, you are neither a general nor a soldier — but a profit-driven Stellar Industrialist. The fiercer the battles, the faster your factories flourish; peace is nothing but shutdowns and losses. Venture to the frontlines, scour the battlefields for wreckage and salvage, then reinvest those spoils to expand your… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Stellar Industrialist.

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  30. 90%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    91% User Score Based on 7,062 reviews
    Critic Score 85%Based on 1 reviews

    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 and spreading sickness. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Niche: a genetics survival game.

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  31. View Game
    91%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, story
    91% User Score Based on 1,172 reviews

    Thrive is a free, open-source game about the evolution of life. From the lowly tidepools of your home planet, you will rise to cosmic dominance. At every step, powerful creation tools and deep simulation mechanics will aid your species' development. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Thrive.

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  32. Play as a Door-to-Door seller in this trade/management game. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Capital Island.

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  33. What am I looking at? This is a simulation of the creation of life. We’ve built an artificial chemistry simulation where you can watch single particles organize themselves into living organisms. It’s the sort of thing that might have happened in a drop of water several billion years ago when the earth was young. The difference here is that you can play with life and change it to see what happens.… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Primordial Soup.

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  34. 《Treasure of Y》是一款以探索与回合制战斗为核心的冒险 RPG,玩家将在未知的遗迹、岛屿与古文明废墟中寻找传说中的“Y 之秘宝”,并在不断深入的旅程中揭开世界背后的真相。游戏结合经典 RPG 探索体验与策略性十足的回合制战斗,玩家需要在队伍搭配、技能选择与行动顺序上做出精确判断,通过战斗、解谜与收集推动故事发展。随着冒险推进,玩家将解锁新的区域、隐藏剧情与独特装备,并通过收集遗物提升角色能力,构建专属的战斗策略。《Treasure of Y》以丰富的地图探索、紧凑的战斗节奏与逐步揭露的神秘剧情,为玩家带来一段充满发现与冒险感的旅程。 If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to treasure of Y.

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  35. 82%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, optimization
    Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, music
    82% User Score Based on 60 reviews

    ANLIFE is an evolution simulator featuring block creatures that shuffle around awkwardly under a physics engine. There’s no complex ecosystem like in typical life sims. Take the role of a god—lend a hand to these creatures or call down meteors—and calmly watch their evolution unfold, as if peering into a miniature sandbox. Block creatures powered by physics All they do is chase after food, yet th… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to ANLIFE: Motion-Learning Life Evolution.

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  36. From Page to Pixel: A Novel Adaptation Reaching New Heights"The Everest Encounter: A Journey Beyond Reality" isn't just breaking new ground in gaming—it's a faithful adaptation of Bo Chen's thought-provoking novel that takes the concept of 'peak experience' to unprecedented altitudes. As both the author of the book and the creator of this game, Bo Chen has crafted a narrative that scales… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Everest Encounter.

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  37. News Portal • Dev Log The Universe Short tagline – is “Sci-fi tactical RPG set on the Kombat with up to 25,000,000 Players.” Windows Beta Build MMOPRG Made with Unreal Engine Top Story: Launch Build Now Available Version 0.98.8221.1 of The Universe of Red Hope is now live. Step into a Fantasy… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Universe of Red Hope.

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  38. View Game
    71%Game Brain Score
    71% User Score Based on 34 reviews

    Welcome to the FREE prologue demo for Adapt. All feedback and bug-reports are greatly appreciated. There is no purchase requirement to play the prologue.    Wishlist on Steam Interested in Adapt's future? Come checkout the Adapt Roadmap! ABOUT THIS GAME Adapt is a survival evolution game designed to simulate the constantly changing environments life must navigate to thrive. To succ… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Adapt.

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  39. ✅ NGC-404 is for you if you: Enjoy space strategy games with economy, fleets, colonies, and faction conflict Like games where logistics, fuel and supplies matter Want real-time 2D space battles with ship fitting and weapon control Enjoy sandbox campaigns Like managing a small fleet instead of controlling hundreds of units directly Want to explore unknown systems, survey planets, and reco… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to NGC-404: Fractured Sector.

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  40. Our Kickstarter is LIVE — Back Us Now! CivEconomy is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter. Early backers get exclusive rewards, backer credits, and the chance to directly shape the game's development. Less pretty, more witty. The civilization economics simulator for players who think. CivEconomy: From Bronze to Iron Experience the Bronze Age like never before - where every family's story s… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to CivEconomy.

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  41. TILEZ is a 2D multiplayer sandbox where every tile is a tiny machine. Build video games, puzzles, robots, factories, board games, pixel art, and entire interactive worlds using simple visual logic — no coding required. Create alone or collaborate online on infinite grids. Create: • Factories and automation systems • Logic circuits and programmable computers • Board games with dice, cards, … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to TILEZ.

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  42. Build Complete Production ChainsControl the entire journey of a product—from raw material to store shelf. Establish farms, mines, logging camps, factories, warehouses, and shops. Supply each facility with the resources it needs, balance production capacity across multiple stages, and create efficient logistics networks capable of serving entire regions. Turn wheat into flour and bread, iron ore… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Industrial Mogul.

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  43. 94%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, optimization
    Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story
    94% User Score Based on 376 reviews

    Virtual Circuit Board is the minimalist drawing-based logic simulator where you will design, program, decorate, and simulate anything from simple monochrome circuits to complex and colorful computers. Explore your creativity in this sandbox experience. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Virtual Circuit Board.

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  44. 90%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
    96% User Score Based on 1,638 reviews
    Critic Score 79%Based on 5 reviews

    Shape humanity with the power of the gods in Reus 2. Choose your giants, combine natural elements, and manipulate fate to guide the path of civilization. The choices are yours, and so are the consequences. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Reus 2.

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  45. View Game
    94%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
    94% User Score Based on 4,618 reviews

    A spaceship building and universe-exploration game. Collect resources, expand and grow your fleet, and conquer your personal galaxy. Stellar ambience by Peaks. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Reassembly.

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  46. 53%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics
    67% User Score Based on 30 reviews

    Territory is an isometric 2D real-time single-player strategy about genes and animal species. Animals are behaving the way they would in nature, but you can indirectly control them and mutate them to achieve various goals.Game Highlights Evolve: update genes to change behavior of your species Eat: animals need to eat food to survive, define what food they can eat Reproduce: increase your popu… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Territory: Animals Genetic Strategy.

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  47. View Game
    90%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    90% User Score Based on 210 reviews

    A fictional universe sandbox/exploration game. Collect materials, terraform planets and discover new species to add to your encyclopedia. Make beautiful microcosms of ocean planets, grass plains and rain forests, or breed destruction with wildfires, volcanoes, and lightning storms. What kind of worlds will you make? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Heliopedia.

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  48. View Game
    89%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, story
    89% User Score Based on 276 reviews

    Care for a miniature ecosystem in a strange world, exert limited influence to encourage the growth of different fungi and bugs and try to maintain the balance of life. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Earthtongue.

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  49. View Game
    93%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    93% User Score Based on 2,395 reviews

    "Equilinox", the low-poly nature simulation game that I'm currently developing in Java using OpenGL. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Equilinox.

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  50. In 2089, humanity stopped waiting for an answer. The DRIFTER program launched 47 million autonomous probes across the observable universe. No crew. No return trajectory. No expected lifespan. Each probe carried a single directive: Find life. Witness it. Report back. Most drifted in silence. Some were destroyed. Some simply stopped responding. Yours is still active. The Unive… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Universe Won't Pause.

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