Goods Genetics Are Key To Surviving Niche’s Harsh Worlds

Predators, harsh elements, and bad breeding will make quick work of careless players in Niche, a turn-based strategy game about helping animals survive in the wild.

In Niche, players will have to manage animals with a random set of genetic traits, playing to their strengths and dealing with their weaknesses as they try to survive in various environments. To do so, players will need to decide what actions to give each member of their pack on each turn, sending them out for food, digging shelters, having them mate and give birth to offspring, or attack predators.

Each turn counts as a day in the life of each animal, and after a set amount of time, each of these animals will quickly die. Death can be sped up significantly by hunger, sickness, and attacks, so players will have to deal with these issues quickly before they cut through their pack’s lifespan.

Players can boost their chances of survival through smart breeding. Each genetic trait can be passed on through the use of dominant-recessive genes, letting players put scientific knowledge to use, or learn more about the science of genetics through the game. In doing so, they can get rid of negative traits and boost positive ones using real science.

Niche is available now on Steam Early Access.