ISLAND EVOLUTION is a sandbox simulation game that runs in the browser with WebGL. The game features three-dimensional graphics that convey concepts (such as items, characters, and the landscape) using basic geometry. The low-poly art style is not only a creative choice, but ensures smooth gameplay on both desktop and mobile devices. This is especially important, since the landscape is procedurally generated as it is loaded. Two worlds are consequently never alike, introducing variety into 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 world and collect its 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 cellular automata, in which self-contained systems develop 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 title implies, the game’s objective is to evolve a self-sufficient ecosystem on the island that is capable of supporting its population with the resources it provides. The current preview version of the game features optimized controls for both touch-based gestures, as well as for a keyboard and mouse.
