Games Like Niche - a genetics survival game

Play with evolution! Species: ALRE is a scientifically-grounded, emergent simulation of natural selection. Creatures evolve and speciate in response to in-game mutation and selection forces, allowing you to experience and tinker with evolution in real-time.

Why similar: Sandbox 46.2%, Simulation 21%, Education 15%, Relaxing 9%, Strategy 5%

Why You'll Like It: This simulation offers a deep dive into natural selection and evolutionary mechanics, mirroring the core scientific focus of Niche.

An evolution simulation game. Take control of your species in the environment and edit your species as a whole. Compete with other evolving species for resources on an alien planet.

Why similar: Education 25.9%, Nature 19.7%, Sandbox 19.2%, Procedural Generation 13.4%, Simulation 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: This open-source project focuses on the evolution of life from a single cell to complex organisms, directly paralleling the progression in Niche.

The Sapling is a short simulation game where you design your own plants and animals, and put them in a world together. Or you turn on random mutations, and see what evolution does to your ecosystem!

Why similar: Nature 23.6%, Sandbox 21.7%, Education 20.5%, Procedural Generation 13.8%, Relaxing 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: It allows you to design your own flora and fauna and watch them evolve within a self-sustaining ecosystem.

A 3D pet simulation where you raise your own personal hive of mutating dogs, physically simulated all the way down to their guts! Wobbledogs is a casual and chill sandbox for players of all ages who want to care for their very own virtual pets in a surprising, unique, and stress-free environment.

Why similar: Sandbox 36%, Family Friendly 18.1%, Funny 15.9%, Procedural Generation 13%, Simulation 12.3%

Why You'll Like It: This game features a complex genetics system where you breed and mutate dogs to see how their physical traits change over generations.

Predators lurk, food is scarce, you must adapt - or go extinct. Evolve your species to survive and dominate as you explore the campaign or go head-to-head with the skill-based matchmaker.

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 32.5%, Board Game 25.4%, Education 21.3%, Survival 9.4%, Strategy 6%

Why You'll Like It: This digital adaptation of the tabletop game perfectly captures the strategic need to adapt traits to survive in a changing environment.

Equilinox is a relaxing nature simulation game in which you can create and nurture your own ecosystems. Shape the world to your liking, cultivate and raise hundreds of different species, and evolve your wildlife to unlock more exotic plants and animals.

Why similar: Sandbox 31.9%, Nature 24.6%, Relaxing 17.2%, Simulation 16.7%, Singleplayer 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: A relaxing simulation game where you manage an ecosystem and guide the evolution of plants and animals to maintain balance.

Seed, Breed, Create. From single cell organisms to complex ecosystems. Evolve every part of your own unique aquarium / terrarium by applying scientifically accurate principles of natural and artificial selection, in Creatura - ultimate Virtual Evolution Vivarium Simulator.

Why similar: Nature 22.1%, Sandbox 21.6%, Education 21%, Procedural Generation 13.6%, Simulation 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: It is a highly detailed evolutionary sandbox that lets you simulate the life cycles and genetic development of various species.

Build the ultimate cat army through tactical breeding and send them into deep, challenging turn-based adventures. Draft abilities, collect items, and manipulate genetics across generations in this roguelike tactics game from the creators of The Binding of Isaac and The End is Nigh.

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 70.1%, RPG 15.6%, Funny 14.4%

Why You'll Like It: This turn-based strategy game features a deep genetics system where breeding cats determines their stats and abilities in combat.

Survive your evolution in Neogene Africa starting 10 million years ago. Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a third-person open world survival game where you Explore, Expand, and Evolve to advance your clan to the next generation in the exciting new adventure from Panache Digital Games.

Why similar: Nature 26.3%, Survival 24.9%, Exploration 13.1%, Adventure 11%, RPG 10%

Why You'll Like It: This survival game focuses on the evolution of early hominids, requiring you to pass on skills and traits to future generations.

Plague Inc: Evolved is a unique mix of high strategy and terrifyingly realistic simulation. Your pathogen has just infected 'Patient Zero' - now you must bring about the end of human history by evolving a deadly, global Plague whilst adapting against everything humanity can do to defend itself.

Why similar: Strategy 41.6%, Simulation 32.2%, Sandbox 11.2%, Singleplayer 8%, Survival 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: While you are the pathogen rather than the species, the focus on biological adaptation and environmental resistance is very similar.

Create virtual lifeforms whose development is shaped by a deep simulation of evolution. Guide them as they fight, mate, and adapt to the environment you have built. All the creatures in the trailer evolved on their own in the game!

Why similar: Nature 22.9%, Sandbox 19.8%, Resource Management 17.9%, Procedural Generation 13.7%, Relaxing 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: This life simulation focuses on the development of aquatic creatures that evolve based on their physical traits and survival success.

Preserve is a relaxing puzzle nature-building game in which you flourish a vibrant ecosystem by cleverly placing plants and animals to create a perfect symbiosis to your liking.

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 23.1%, Board Game 15.4%, Nature 14.5%, Sandbox 11.6%, Puzzle 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: A nature-themed puzzle game that focuses on building and maintaining balanced ecosystems through strategic placement.

A toy ecosystem with fully simulated genetics and evolution. Will you tinker with DNA or sit back, relax, and see if life finds a way?

Why similar: Education 27%, Nature 20.6%, Sandbox 17.9%, Resource Management 8.8%, Relaxing 7%

Why You'll Like It: You act as a god-like observer managing the evolution of creatures by manipulating environmental factors and selective pressures.

DEAD IN VINLAND is a survival/management game, mixed with RPG and adventure elements, about a Viking family trying their best to survive on a mysterious island.

Why similar: Turn-Based 29.3%, Survival 17.7%, RPG 12.6%, Resource Management 12.3%, Adventure 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a challenging survival management experience where you must balance the needs and traits of your group to survive.

Terra Nil is an intricate environmental strategy game about transforming a barren wasteland into a thriving, balanced ecosystem. Bring life back to a lifeless world by purifying soil, cleaning oceans, planting trees, and reintroducing wildlife, then leave without a trace.

Why similar: Nature 23.3%, Turn-Based Strategy 21.6%, Puzzle 12.5%, Procedural Generation 10.7%, Relaxing 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: This environmental strategy game focuses on restoring ecosystems, which complements the nature-focused themes of Niche.

As a powerful Lynx, you will make your way through vast open landscapes. In the harsh tundra, you will raise and strengthen your cubs by mastering your skills for hunting prey. Do everything you can to prepare your little ones for the vicious entities dwelling in the wilderness.

Why similar: Nature 35.3%, Survival 23.8%, Adventure 12.9%, Exploration 11.8%, Simulation 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: This game captures the raw, emotional struggle of nature and survival as you guide a mother lynx and her cubs through the wilderness.

You are a nomadic slugcat, both predator and prey in a broken ecosystem. Grab your spear and brave the industrial wastes, hunting enough food to survive, but be wary— other, bigger creatures have the same plan... and slugcats look delicious.

Why similar: Survival 45.7%, Exploration 22.6%, Adventure 15.5%, Simulation 10.5%, Singleplayer 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: It features a complex, simulated ecosystem where you must learn to survive as a creature within a harsh, interconnected food chain.

Growth is a cozy, hexagonal-grid based soft-strategy game. Explore and populate a procedurally generated world by utilizing unique abilities of animals. Growth blends the beauty of cozy exploration with challenging navigation around obstacles.

Why similar: Puzzle 24%, Nature 13.9%, Strategy 13.2%, Relaxing 12.9%, Simulation 12%

Why You'll Like It: A turn-based strategy game about expanding your territory and managing natural growth in a relaxing, nature-focused setting.

Multicellular will take you back in time, to the dawn of life. Build your multicellular organism and combat hunger, the environment, darkness and other organisms. Everything in this new world can kill you, will you be able to survive?

Why similar: Nature 19.1%, Sandbox 14.8%, Survival 13.6%, Resource Management 10.8%, Relaxing 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the early stages of evolution, requiring you to manage your creature's development to survive in a hostile environment.

It's time to Build a Zoo! Construct and decorate enclosures, buy and breed animals, hire zookeepers and vets... then try your hand at DNA splicing, and stitch together over 300,000 different types of animal. This can only go smoothly...

Why similar: Sandbox 35.4%, Resource Management 20.7%, Simulation 18.6%, Strategy 13.4%, Relaxing 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: The game includes a deep DNA splicing system that allows you to create thousands of unique animal hybrids.

Terraform Mars in this turn-based colony builder and resource management game with roguelike elements. Explore the planet, develop spectacular cities, spread life and turn the Red Planet into a green one!

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 19.7%, Turn-Based 18.8%, Board Game 14.1%, Resource Management 9.9%, Procedural Generation 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: It combines colony management with survival and exploration, requiring you to adapt to the changing conditions of a new planet.

Build a mobile village and travel with your tribe toward the center of the world, called The Eye. This roguelike turn-based resource-management game is made of procedural situations, natural events, skill-trees and hard choices. Ready to move?

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 28.7%, Sandbox 14.2%, Resource Management 12%, Board Game 11.2%, Survival 10.9%

Why You'll Like It: This turn-based strategy game focuses on guiding a tribe through a world that is constantly changing, requiring careful resource and population management.

Slime Rancher is the tale of Beatrix LeBeau, a plucky, young rancher who sets out for a life a thousand light years away from Earth on the ‘Far, Far Range’ where she tries her hand at making a living wrangling slimes.

Why similar: Sandbox 22.8%, Exploration 19.4%, Adventure 17.6%, Funny 12.2%, Family Friendly 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: The breeding and cross-breeding mechanics involve managing specific genetic traits to create new, more valuable slime variants.

Monster taming meets metroidvania. Collect, train and battle monsters in a lovely side-scroller pixel world.

Why similar: Turn-Based 41.6%, RPG 14.1%, Exploration 13.8%, Adventure 13%, Strategy 10.9%

Why You'll Like It: It combines monster-taming with turn-based strategy, where breeding and genetic optimization are key to building a powerful team.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 is the much-anticipated sequel to Frontier’s highly successful Jurassic World Evolution. This bold new era in the Jurassic World Evolution game franchise builds upon the ground-breaking and immersive 2018 management simulation.

Why similar: Sandbox 38.6%, Resource Management 20.3%, Simulation 15.7%, Strategy 12.5%, Survival 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: While more management-focused, the genetic engineering and dinosaur breeding systems are central to the gameplay loop.

In this strategic rogue-like you become a famous expedition leader in the 19th century. You form your own crew with the skills and personality to discover legendary treasures, while exploring randomized locations and stories on every new adventure.

Why similar: Turn-Based 31.1%, Turn-Based Strategy 26.8%, Roguelike 8.5%, Adventure 8.4%, Strategy 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: This turn-based strategy game emphasizes character traits and party management during exploration, similar to managing a tribe in Niche.

Manipulate climate, add plants and evolve creatures in this planet and life sandbox simulation game. From cells to civilizations, spread life throughout the whole planet. Or just enjoy watching your creation burn!

Why similar: Nature 19.3%, Sandbox 17.1%, Education 14.4%, Procedural Generation 12%, Resource Management 11%

You have just arrived in a magical forest world with a hexagon board at its center, a mysterious creature nearby, and secrets lurking in the shadows. Why are you here, and what will you do next? A deceptively simple puzzle game, wrapped in a magical adventure.

Why similar: Puzzle 21.9%, Nature 20.5%, Family Friendly 12.8%, Relaxing 11.7%, Adventure 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-strategy game that focuses on cultivating a garden and managing the growth of plants in a beautiful, natural setting.

Place yourself at the heart of the Jurassic franchise and build your own Jurassic World. Bioengineer dinosaurs that think, feel and react intelligently to the world around them and face threats posed by espionage, breakouts and devastating tropical storms in an uncertain world where life always finds a way.

Why similar: Sandbox 33.8%, Simulation 18.6%, Resource Management 16.6%, Strategy 16%, Survival 6.2%

Dorfromantik is a peaceful building strategy and puzzle game where you create a beautiful and ever-growing village landscape by placing tiles. Explore a variety of colorful biomes, discover and unlock new tiles and complete quests to fill your world with life!

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 22%, Board Game 15.5%, Puzzle 10.7%, Sandbox 10.6%, Resource Management 10.1%

From seed to a great tree! Survive the seasons, face crisis and mutate yourself into a tree able to achieve your final form! Grow flowers, mutate, adapt and evolve and finally bear fruits!

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 24.4%, Nature 17.2%, Sandbox 14.6%, Survival 10.4%, Roguelike 7.8%

Axes and Acres is a deep and engaging single-player strategy game designed to create exciting decisions every turn. The rules are easy to learn, but every turn can be played out in many different ways in order to farm, build and survive.

Why similar: Turn-Based 34.8%, Turn-Based Strategy 28.1%, Board Game 13.9%, Procedural Generation 12.9%, Strategy 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: A turn-based strategy game that requires careful planning and resource management to ensure the survival of your settlement.

Protect the environment, and save it from harm! Give commands to the animals, observe their rituals and help them survive. Face different disasters, react to human presence and help the animal kingdom flourish in this unique, environmental experience!

Why similar: Education 22.3%, Nature 17.4%, Sandbox 16.8%, Procedural Generation 9.9%, Relaxing 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: This god-game focuses on managing animal populations in the wild, requiring you to intervene to ensure their survival.

Manage your workers, stations, machines and create awesome stuff as your little big workshop grows into your dream factory!

Why similar: Resource Management 26.4%, Simulation 23.1%, Strategy 20.6%, Sandbox 20%, Funny 4.6%

Welcome to Automachef, a resource management puzzler where you design kitchens, program machinery and watch your genius come to life! It’s time to engineer tomorrow’s kitchen, today!

Why similar: Puzzle 27.9%, Resource Management 27.3%, Simulation 27%, Funny 12.6%, Strategy 3.7%

Dinosaur survival management game. Lead your own pack of dinos and feed to grow bigger. Can you survive or will you become extinct?

Why similar: Survival 36.6%, Simulation 20.8%, Strategy 20.2%, Relaxing 18.5%, Singleplayer 3.9%

Curious Expedition 2 is a turn-based narrative roguelike set in a reimagined version of the late 19th century that uses procedural gameplay and story elements to create completely unique and epic adventures every time you play.

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 19.5%, Turn-Based 18.5%, Board Game 14%, Procedural Generation 7.8%, Survival 7.8%

You are a blacksmith in the world of the sword, magic and war, in which any blacksmith who knows how to make even the simplest swords is in demand. You start off as a poor unskilled blacksmith, but in time you will gain experience and improve to achieve wealth, fame and power, and change this world!

Why similar: Simulation 37.5%, Resource Management 31.1%, Puzzle 16.6%, RPG 11.3%, Singleplayer 3.6%

Ready to play some ball? Grab a team, suit up, and climb inside your human! Prep its thrusters, lower the all-terrain wheels, and spin up that flailing magnet-arm. It's time to play Regular Human Basketball!

Why similar: Funny 100%

Become a cat! Cattails is a unique animal simulation RPG. Hunt for food, fight invading cats, explore to gather herbs, and socialize with other cats in an expansive open world. Get married and raise a family of kittens, befriend your neighbors, and learn to live in the dangerous wilderness!

Why similar: Nature 26.5%, Family Friendly 18.1%, Survival 16.9%, RPG 14.8%, Relaxing 10.9%

Build your biome! With an empty biodome as your canvas, add plants and animals from three different ecosystems. Observe interactions like hunting, blooming, and even decomposing! Will your biodome last for decades, or will it experience a total ecosystem collapse? You’re in control!

Why similar: Education 52.7%, Simulation 29.9%, Strategy 17.4%

LIVE THE LIFE OF A WILD WOLF! As a two-year-old gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park, hunt elk and moose, find a mate, and then establish a territory and raise your pups.

Why similar: Education 25.7%, Nature 20.6%, Survival 14.7%, Family Friendly 10.9%, RPG 9.1%

Vilmonic is an artificial life simulator and genetics and evolution sandbox game. Protect and breed unique pixel-art life forms where pixels and color have meaning. Craft tools and buildings and change the environment. Find ancient tech and fend off haywire zombitons. Craft Farm Breed Evolve!

Why similar: Nature 28.1%, Education 27.9%, Sandbox 22.5%, Procedural Generation 12.2%, Simulation 9.2%

Adapt your Species to survive and thrive in the Oceans depths in this turn-based strategy game based on the hit board game Oceans.

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 34.3%, Board Game 26.1%, Nature 15.9%, Survival 9.3%, Strategy 8.1%

Survive and evolve as an organism with this simulation game in which you will literally start as a single cell and manage and organize all its functions to a fully fledged system! Assemble, breathe, eat, fight threats, produce energy, grow, anything is possible!

Why similar: Sandbox 46.8%, Procedural Generation 20.4%, Strategy 14.6%, Simulation 10.4%, Resource Management 6.5%

The 3D online multiplayer game of social deduction and mischief, inspired by medieval politics and the Werewolf/Mafia (1986) genre. Gather 'round the tabletop, uniting allies of the realm with strategy to distinguish friend from foe.

Why similar: Board Game 38.8%, Survival 21.1%, Funny 14.7%, RPG 13.8%, Strategy 11.5%

Turn-based fantasy gladiatorial game with monster breeding. Crossbreed various species to create monster hybrids for gladiatorial combat. Manipulate creatures’ traits with surgery, magic, and alchemy. Manage your enterprise, craft items and upgrade your base. Fight in the arena for gold and glory!

Why similar: Turn-Based 49.8%, Sandbox 27.2%, Simulation 9.6%, Strategy 9.5%, Singleplayer 4%

Basement is a strategy game, where you start doing illegal business to fund the development of your dream video game. It won't be easy, so get ready to deal with other gangs, cops, crazy junkies, mysterious investor and even ghosts from the past.

Why similar: Resource Management 33.6%, Sandbox 31%, Strategy 15.8%, Simulation 14.4%, Singleplayer 5.2%

Shape worlds with your godly titans. Make symbiotic ecosystems and inspire humanity with your creations. Their achievements unlock new possibilities. Make different planets for different human spirits, and fill the universe with life!

Why similar: Turn-Based 21.9%, Nature 15.5%, Resource Management 14.4%, Puzzle 14%, Sandbox 13%

NEO Scavenger is a game where you must survive in the wasteland long enough to figure out who you are. Each turn, you must decide where to go, how to scavenge for supplies, and how to deal with anything and anyone you encounter.

Why similar: Turn-Based 26.9%, Survival 19.8%, Turn-Based Strategy 11.1%, Procedural Generation 9.9%, Roguelike 9.9%

The most devious and acclaimed artificial intelligence in strategy gaming is better than ever. A grand strategy/RTS hybrid that reverses many conventions of both genres. Take territory without attracting attention, build your empire with care, and adapt to an ever-evolving galactic battleground.

Why similar: Sandbox 56.4%, Strategy 22.4%, Simulation 21.2%

As an Engineer - crew member of one of the first Mars colonies - you are responsible for repairing and maintaining Mars Rovers. In this advanced simulator you will learn the internal details of various Mars Rovers and their components.

Why similar: Education 39.5%, Relaxing 15.4%, Puzzle 14.3%, Family Friendly 13.2%, Simulation 11.9%

Live the life of a wild wolf in a realistic ecological simulation set in Yellowstone National Park.

Why similar: Nature 31.4%, Education 22.7%, Survival 20.6%, RPG 9.7%, Exploration 6.6%

Experience the wild as a badger sheltering your cubs from harm. On your journey, you will be stalked by birds of prey, encounter perils of the night, cross fierce rivers, escape forest fires and face the looming threat of starvation. Food is to be found, but is there enough for everyone?

Why similar: Nature 30.8%, Survival 19.6%, Family Friendly 14.7%, Adventure 10.7%, Exploration 10.5%

In Autonauts you must build, create, and automate. Start by establishing a colony, crafting bots and teaching them via Scratch-style programming to build an ever evolving autonomous paradise of agriculture, industry and enlightenment.

Why similar: Sandbox 29.8%, Resource Management 28.1%, Simulation 22.4%, Relaxing 10%, Strategy 7.6%

Put your entrepreneurial skills to the test in the first title in the ROI series as you create & optimise intricate production lines. As an early 20th-Century industrialist, grow your empire & adapt to an ever-changing business landscape with unexpected events that could lead to boom…or bust.

Why similar: Resource Management 37.5%, Sandbox 20.6%, Strategy 19.7%, Simulation 17.9%, Singleplayer 4.3%

Breed budgies and discover hidden colour mutations in this realistic genetics simulator.

Why similar: Nature 57.9%, Simulation 34%, Singleplayer 8.1%

Take on the role of park manager and design the ultimate zoo for nature's greatest creations.

Why similar: Education 25.5%, Sandbox 24.8%, Resource Management 20.5%, Simulation 10.1%, Strategy 8.7%

Sandwalkers is a roguelike turn-based exploration game. Build your team, traverse varied hostile environments, face countless dangers, and gain knowledge that will help you find and resurrect the Mother Tree Umama.

Why similar: Turn-Based Strategy 23.1%, Turn-Based 19.8%, Board Game 16.4%, Survival 12.1%, Procedural Generation 8%

Collect, raise and breed an army of beetles to rise up and lay claim to the abandoned lot! The game features a complex genetics simulation and real-time tactics missions with a full campaign.

Why similar: Nature 24.7%, Education 22.6%, Resource Management 16.4%, Procedural Generation 15%, Strategy 7.5%