ISLAND EVOLUTION is an experimental, three-dimensional sandbox simulation game that runs in the browser with WebGL. The game features low-poly graphics that convey concepts (such as items, characters, and the landscape) using basic geometry. Therefore, the design of the game is minimalistic, yet recognizable. The retro art style is not only visually appealing, but also ensures smooth gameplay on both desktop and mobile devices. This is especially important, since the landscape is dynamically generated as it is loaded. Two worlds are consequently never alike, adding an element variety and surprise to the gameplay.
Players can manipulate the world by shaping the environment of the “rock people” living on the island. The game uses a physics engine which allows you to interact with the vegetation and subsequently collect the provided resources. Trees can then be replanted and the gathered materials can be used for the construction of buildings or as fuel for campfires. Because it is a sandbox game, the gameplay is open-ended, guided solely by your imagination.
Launch DemoThe goal is to introduce game mechanics in which the inhabitants have tasks and navigate the world autonomously to solve their objectives. Both the randomly generated landscape and the interaction by the player then contribute to a new sequence of events that unfolds differently with each playthrough. This can be seen as a twist on classical cellular automations, in which a self-contained system develops unforeseen patterns, depending on the starting variables. Similarly, the characters in ISLAND EVOLUTION follow a fixed set of rules but have to adapt their behavior depending on the environment and the preceding events.
As the game’s title implies, the objective of the game is to evolve a self-sufficient ecosystem on the island that is capable to support its population with the resources it produces. The current preview version of the game features optimized controls for both touch-based gestures, as well as for a keyboard and mouse.
