Niche is a natural selection game about survival and genetics

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The dominant cuteness gene won't save you.

There's an interesting history of games about survival and genetics. Creatures, Spore, Sheltered, Galapagos: Mendel's Escape and Black and White have explored the idea of nurture as a game mechanic. 

Predators disrupt this, naturally. The rustling of a bush could be a potential mate, or a huge carnivore. If your animals are wiped out entirely the game ends, and you must start again.

Games have struggled to build interesting decisions around natural selection. Niche's slightly contrived solution lets you use magical genetics points to strengthen genes and bring out the traits you want—improved strength, for example. It's in a primitive state at the moment, but Niche could be an interesting new angle on the nurture genre. You can download a free demo from the official site. It has already passed its target on Kickstarter, and has been Greenlit for Steam.

Tom Senior
Tom Senior

Part of the UK team, Tom was with PC Gamer at the very beginning of the website's launch—first as a news writer, and then as online editor until his departure in 2020. His specialties are strategy games, action RPGs, hack ‘n slash games, digital card games… basically anything that he can fit on a hard drive. His final boss form is Deckard Cain.