This title, released in 2008 for PC (Microsoft Windows) and Mac platforms, offers a unique simulation experience that spans the entire arc of life, from microscopic beginnings to interstellar dominance. It blends elements of Real-Time Strategy, Role-Playing, and Simulation into a cohesive, evolving journey. The core concept allows players to guide a species through five distinct evolutionary stages, each presenting a fundamentally different style of gameplay and set of objectives.

The Five Stages of Evolution

The game’s structure is defined by its progression through five major phases, encouraging players to adapt their strategies as their creation develops:

Cell Stage: This initial phase is a microscopic adventure where players control a single-celled organism in a primordial soup. The focus here is on basic survival, eating, and evolving simple traits.

Creature Stage: Transitioning to land, the player designs and controls a multi-limbed creature. This stage introduces social interaction, hunting, and the beginning of tribal organization, blending RPG elements with creature customization.

Tribe Stage: As the species becomes more social, gameplay shifts toward managing a small community. Players must guide their tribe through gathering resources, establishing relationships with other tribes, and developing rudimentary technology.

Civilization Stage: This stage escalates the scope to managing a full-fledged society. It incorporates elements of traditional Real-Time Strategy, requiring players to manage territory, develop infrastructure, and engage in warfare or diplomacy with rival civilizations.

Space Stage: The final stage launches the player into the galaxy. Here, the focus becomes galactic exploration, resource management across star systems, and interacting with numerous alien species, offering a vast sandbox for strategic expansion.

What makes this game unique?

The defining feature of this game is its emphasis on player-driven evolution and creation across vastly different gameplay genres. Unlike many strategy or simulation titles that remain fixed in one scope, this game requires players to fundamentally change their approach—from direct control of a single organism to managing an entire interstellar empire. The ability to customize the appearance and abilities of the species at nearly every stage provides a deep level of personal investment in the resulting civilization.

Content Availability

The core experience, as released in 2008, is self-contained. There are no additional downloadable content packs (DLCs) available for the main game. However, one major expansion pack was released post-launch, adding further depth and mechanics primarily focused on the later stages of development.

Platforms and Accessibility

This title is available on PC (Microsoft Windows) and Mac, making it accessible to players on both major desktop operating systems.