Neat Natural Selection Simulator
Thu Dec 10 2020 /-\ppleUserThis is a simulator about natural selection where these little stick-creatures try to evolve and do different tasks by changing how their muscles move, but not their body shape. It’s cool how you can build your own creatures. TO THE DEVELOPER: I know how many people want the creatures’ bodies to evolve, which would be neat, but it would be hard to do. But, I do have an idea for a big update: to add to running, jumping, obstacle jump, and climbing, you should add Swimming. Here’s how it would work: The task is to swim the furthest, like running. There would be a surface where water physics aren’t a thing, and then maybe 25 meters deep would be the ground, because that would be weird not to have a ground. Whatever part of a creature is submerged, it has hydrodynamics applied to it. (Like aerodynamics.) Hope you add this feature and please respond with you thoughts.
Interesting start
Sat May 12 2018 cuzco1For a basic look at how evolutionary algorithms work, this is a fun start. I did however quickly bump up against some limitations which I think could make it better.
- Muscles should have maximum and minimum stretch. I tried to make a creature with bones only connected by muscles (no joints) and found that the muscles could stretch to absurd lengths. So much so that they would extend way beyond the edge of the screen
- There should be a zoom out/zoom in feature so you can see your entire creature if it extends beyond the edges of your device
- It would be interesting to allow exact attachment locations on a bone rather than just the middle
- Multiple muscles between bones would also make it more interesting
- For experimenting with boneless creatures, it would be cool to have direct muscle to node connections rather than restricting them to bone connections
- And finally, for longer simulations (10 seconds or more) the creatures often get trapped in a steady state where nothing happens. There should be some sort of progress detector to look for stationary states and force the creature to do something different.
For what it is, it’s fun and easy, but it was so successful that it quickly had me wishing it could do more complex things.
A mind-stimulating app
Sun Jun 05 2022 baz scoggsI haven’t seen any other game like this! It’s so cool to give your creature muscles and skeleton, then watch it learn to use its body with the A.I. based on each trial. The 2D platform works as a challenge and as an advantage to use your creativity! I made this weird bipedal thing with a spring appendage that sprints using somersaults. It balls up it’s front leg and twerks it’s hoof for balance.
The only thing I’d fix is to give the muscles a limit to how far they can stretch. Because there is one pretty easy hack that seems to defy physics. Otherwise it’s a pretty solid platform.
Can you add one more task type?
Thu Jan 02 2025 zippy 1954So the task type I think would be interesting is gliding basically it’s to get as far as you possibly can from a set hight and this would kind merge the running task and flying task also the jumping task needs to have the camera be able to go higher up or just focus on your creature you are observing and the camera follows it also idk if it’s a bug or what but sometimes your creature will find a way to slide on the ground and it literally just barely moves or is just not even moving any thing but just slides forward idk it’s weird.
Great game love it
Thu Jul 16 2020 WeiderkinThis game is magnificent and is probably one of my favorite games on my phone actually. It also doesn’t have ads or in app purchases so you don’t have to deal with those features that may turn you away from it. But that being said here’s like 2 things I think would make it even better:
1) A tutorial. It’s pretty simple so there’s not much that would need to be said, and I figured it out pretty quick, however there are some features that I didn’t figure out til later. Also I don’t know what the neural networks do.
2) a mirror ability so that you could mirror your creations on 1 or 2 axis so that the creature can be uniform. It makes me unhappy when 1 side is not quite the same as the other and I think it would make it better.
That being said this is easily one of the best phone games I’ve ever played so like even if neither of these suggestions are added it is definitely still worth your time.
Wonderful game, I have a suggestion.
Thu Oct 01 2020 xXSuperFireCaptainXxThis game is wonderful. You can make different creatures and watch them advance through the generations. There is a lot of customization too. If you can think it, you will most likely be able to make it (Bipedal creations are hard, you won’t really be able to make a humanoid and have it be able to walk). You can customize the neural network used by the creatures. You can have them compete in running, jumping, obstacle jumping, and climbing. But I have a suggestion, please add an ability to change the simulation speed during evolving.
Amazing
Thu Feb 13 2020 JustANormalDudeI love this game, I saw it while watching oompaville and was like, “Man imagine if this game was on IOS..” turns out, it is! This game is still in the early stages too, there’s so much possibilities! For example, trying to make swimming or flying creatures. Fighting creatures like battle bots? Lol. But anyways, I just have one problem. That brain neural stuff. I don’t know how it works, I’m only 12 and honestly confused. You guys don’t give us enough of a description to do anything with it, which is probably why I’m failing so bad at the climbing challenges. But, I did make the perfect creature for running. Top speeds (at gen 50) of 12 meters per second, and a total distance of 170 meters in 15 seconds. It’s literally just a stick in the shape of zig zags like this
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
With mussels attached everywhere 😂
So yea, great game, endless possibilities, keep up the great work 👌👍
Love it!
Thu Jun 13 2019 Anonymous derperThere are some dumb evolution games on the App Store that are just merging mythical creatures, but this is something to learn and design creatures! I have one problem though. When you build complicated creatures with large amounts of bones, muscles, and joints, they tend to glitch and flip all over the place uncontrollably. I know this game is probably made for less complicated creations, but please make an update to make it easier to play with bigger creatures. Otherwise, this game is awesome. Thanks!
Amazing!
Sat May 05 2018 tally.bookmanEvery few months I look for new apps that are good artificial life, neural net, and digital evolution and rarely find ones at all, mich less good ones. This one, however, is a wonderful exception. Very well-implemented, and hours of fun for both enthusiasts and those just looking for a stimulating, thinking-person’s app. Plus you can build your own creatures - so a good app for people who like to play God of their own digital universe :).
Highly, highly recommend!
Great game but some issues.
Fri Apr 24 2020 angry person who is also sadI got this on my computer but my computer broke. I saw this on the App Store and thought hey I’m gonna play this again. I tried it made some new creatures re-made some old ones and stuff. Then I tried out the roo. It just fell forward for some reason and I realized one of them wasn’t moving at all but going forward. I think this may be because of the muscles contracting, but I’m not sure. Great game besides this bug.
