After finding success in the board game market, developer North Star Games is about to launch their first digital title. Based on their successful board game by the same name, Evolution the Video Game is all about strategy and adaptation. This is something North Star knows all about as they brought the best aspects of the tabletop version to new platforms and audiences.
North Star’s PAX South booth had both versions of the game on-hand so players could see how the new game stacks up to its namesake. This setup made for an interesting intersection of tabletop and digital players bonding over the game’s simple, yet engaging mechanics.
Support during the game’s 2017 Kickstarter campaign was overwhelming. Backers pledged over $118K to bring Evolution to PC and mobile devices.
The Top of the Food Chain
Evolution the Video Game doesn’t stray too far from it’s board game roots. The UI uses simple cards and tokens to convey gameplay elements. Players face off against an AI opponent (or several) to see who can best adapt their species to the changing ecosystem. The developers also plan to incorporate multiplayer and matchmaking functions prior to release.
Gameplay takes place around a digital watering hole. Here players can create their new species and assign traits to help them survive. Food is a finite resource. If a member of your species can’t find food they will die out. Players have to constantly adapt their critters to survive.
Mechanically, the game is easy to pick-up with a minimal learning curve. Players are given trait cards which they apply to grow their populations and give their species an edge against the competition. This includes things like being able to forage more food at one time or climbing trees to evade carnivores. Whoever collects the most food by the end of the game wins.
Some trait cards directly interfere with your opponents ability to find food. This gives the game additional complexity as you try to stay one step ahead of your opponent.
North Star plans to release Evolution the Video Game during Spring 2018 for Steam, iOS, and Android.
