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Niche: A Genetics Survival Game

Niche - a genetics survival game is a turn-based strategy game combined with simulation and roguelike elements. Shape your own species of animals based on real genetics. Keep your species alive against all odds, such as predators, climate change and spreading sickness.

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Very Positive

5,155 Steam reviews

Review History

Reviews

5,155 total

≥h

Steam User 9475STEAMRecommended

I've wanted to play this game for years, so glad I can now ^^

Mar 28, 2026·4h·Verified

Steam User 3269STEAMRecommended

42 часа понадобилось, чтоб пройти игру вдоль и поперёк со всеми достижениями. Мне не хватило контента, но игра запала в душу и конкретно меня затянула. Особо понравиться тем, кому меньше 14 или если очень уж любишь сандбоксы

Mar 27, 2026·43h·Verified

Steam User 4000STEAMRecommended

Awesome game. Love the way mutation and evolution is implented, the story as way as the differing designs of the islands. Not really anything there to critize from my side, just a perfect game for an enjoyer of evolution based games and tribe management/survival games.

Mar 25, 2026·5h·Verified

Steam User 7974STEAMRecommended

Well...I feel I don't really need to say much about my knowledge on this game with the ungodly amount of hours I've spent on it. So now that my years of hyperfixation has washed away I feel I can finally give a fair and non-biased review on this game.

So this game is all about micro-managing this ragtag group of creatures (called nichelings) in which they have to "evolve" to survive the environment they're currently living in. Sounds interesting in concept but there's just not enough genetics, traits. biomes, and challenges that actually push you to the limit in which your forced to become a specialized species. Meaning I could have a whole ass platypus living in a snowy biome if I so wished, doesn't make sense right? Welcome to Niche.

Genuinely sometimes I feel this is a game that could have had SO MUCH MORE content, like genuinely. More creatures that can randomly spawn, more trees, different grass. Maybe miscarriages due to certain factors when it comes to loss of food or events, nichelings having certain traits or personalities (ie, gluttonous making them eat more food than a normal nicheling, energetic making them have more energy than a normal nicheling, something that's not defined just by physical traits practically). More weather too, like thunderstorms or something. Various more patterns as well but that's just me being greedy. Anyway you get the point, this game just didn't reach its maximum potential before the devs decided no more updates to base game content.

It obviously has its merits for me to play this long, which is that the content it DOES have is good-

You can guide the genetics your nichelings will acquire by making them live in certain conditions to unlock said genes, making them all unique and have different strengths. Some are strong, some good at collecting, some good at swimming, truly a wide array of possibilities. The generations system is also very good (you have a family tree where you can trace where certain traits came from), the genetics aspect of the game is also solid, and everything marketed is truly present and enjoyable but afrer a while it just gets...repetitive and boring. Nothing is new, nothing is a challenge unless I deliberately handicap myself to do so.

It's a good time passer game overall, I just wish this game reached the heights of greatness that I know it could have achieved. People who are neurodivergent will definitely enjoy (I am living proof). 10/10 game, wish they'd just add more content, hell I'd even take fantasy creature traits/genetics at this point

Mar 24, 2026·317h·2·Verified

Steam User 8954STEAMRecommended

it's a hard game, but i think i just have a skill issue

Mar 21, 2026·13h·Verified

Steam User 5457STEAMRecommended

In practice and origin, Niche began as a university project for educational purposes. Later transitioning into a full game successfully funded on Kickstarter, it delivers functional and entertaining gameplay. Although it might not be obvious at first glance, the mechanics are pulled directly from real scientific and biological concepts; however, these have been simplified so that we, as players, can immediately understand and apply them to the core game loop using real-world biological foundations!

Basically, your goal is to adapt your species (known as nichelings) to thrive in different environments as you explore. You do this by gathering and hunting for food, as well as expanding your tribe by recruiting other animals. Along the way, various threats—both environmental and from external creatures—will try to hinder your efforts. If a gene isn't right for your current lineage or if you prioritize the wrong traits, your species' extinction (the definitive "game over") will be only a matter of minutes away...

The most striking part of the game—and its very foundation—is the genetics system that allows us to alter and manipulate our nichelings. This system is governed by Mendelian laws: each gene manifests based on dominance or recessiveness. The dominant gene (active) defines the animal's identity, while the recessive gene (inactive) stays in their DNA even if it’s not visible, allowing it to be inherited. The game even correctly simulates codominance, which, honestly, isn't something you see in a game every day!

Since this is a turn-based strategy/roguelike game, every action counts. Every animal in your tribe has its own role in helping the group prosper, so you must choose wisely who to invite. An animal's positioning can be a double-edged sword depending on the environmental difficulty, and resources are vital to avoiding extinction. That said, the game isn't necessarily "hard"; everything is simplified enough that you don't have to overthink to maintain a long-running save. As long as your tribe has good genetics, diverse immunity genes, and a prosperous environment, there’s nothing to worry about (though you should definitely keep an eye out for predators).

This game is incredible (too much, really, unless you're interested in biology...) in many ways:

- It teaches us scientific and biological concepts that are often much harder to memorize in an academic setting (such as the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), inbreeding depression, etc...).

- It is both entertaining and relaxing, giving you the chance to experience your own story with your own rules through its Sandbox Mode.

- While it may not have "infinite" content, the biomes and the variety of genes are enough to create thousands of distinct generations and variations. Technically, there are endless ways to play a single save because of this!!

All of this is what makes this small but great game so unique! It is a love letter born from one person's passion for the entire educational and naturalist community <33

Niche is the perfect example of what happens when an entire community comes together to bring life and light to a project that seeks to expand the visibility of nature itself. I love it so much!!

Mar 20, 2026·106h·3

Steam User 2144STEAMRecommended

I like playing this as a casual "im just wanting to play something" game. I always go back to this game. Its my cozy game.

Mar 19, 2026·11h·Verified

Steam User 6291STEAMNot recommended

Tedious busywork simulator. Have to control each animal each turn, mostly wandering through grass at 1 tile per action.

Does not capture evolving at all:
- if you have many members you must keep banishing them to not starve, or waste time controlling them all each round
- no adaptation to environment - evolution is restricted to meeting a random animal with which yours mate, or performing an action 50+ times IN that run.
- no competition with other animals, it's all just a simple sandbox with random spawning of stuff around you

Mar 17, 2026·21h·1

Steam User 5654STEAMRecommended

This is a really interesting game mechanic. You're aiming to breed different genetic traits while also trying to survive on various islands. Honestly, it's easy to fail. But failing isn't frustrating! It's really motivating. There are so many different traits to learn about that I feel like I've only accessed quarter of the game. Would def recommend if you're really sick of farming sims.

Mar 16, 2026·15h·Verified

Steam User 7776STEAMRecommended

I have created a creature

Mar 16, 2026·36h·Verified

Steam User 1981STEAMRecommended

because it is really good

Mar 13, 2026·6h

Steam User 1065STEAMNot recommended

gets boring very quickly….

Mar 5, 2026·2h·Verified

Steam User 6248STEAMRecommended

IT IS SO INCREDIBLY FUN!!

Mar 5, 2026·6h·1·Verified

Steam User 8400STEAMRecommended

beautiful, calm, educational and fun!

Mar 5, 2026·41h·Verified

Steam User 5045STEAMRecommended

used to play this when i was home-schooled (for the ecology + genetics aspects). had a lot of fun then, and i still have so much fun now! love this game <3

Mar 4, 2026·53h·Verified

Steam User 0714STEAMRecommended

Казино, где ты пытаешься вывести фурри киборга

Mar 1, 2026·5h·Verified

Steam User 0421STEAMRecommended

I used to watch seripixelbiologist play this all the time. it is still as fun as it looked like it was back then. would recommend.

Feb 28, 2026·9h·Verified

Steam User 8329STEAMRecommended

Ummmmm, What else is there to say?

Feb 26, 2026·194h·Verified

Steam User 0746STEAMNot recommended

I love the concept but I feel like the genes available aren't enough, this game would really benefit from a wider gene pool and new traits

Feb 25, 2026·12h·4·Verified

Steam User 0960STEAMRecommended

It’s a good choice if you’re looking for something relaxing. You can jump in from time to time and still enjoy it.. but I wouldn’t recommend paying the full price. The visuals aren’t very impressive, and the experience can start to feel repetitive quickly. It’s much more worth it during a sale ⬇️💰

Feb 22, 2026·23h·2·Verified

Steam User 8230STEAMRecommended

[h1] Super duper fun :D [/h1]

I've wanted this game since around it's release back in 2017, I remembered it's existence and started watching gameplays on youtube a few months back and finally got it after it had a 75% off sale (hell yeah), and I've been enjoying it ever since! Just as engaging and interesting as I remember, and even better now that I'm the one actually playing it!

Feb 21, 2026·11h·1·Verified

Steam User 6042STEAMRecommended

this game is great! just unfortunately very niche

Feb 21, 2026·97h·1·Verified

Steam User 8198STEAMNot recommended

Много зависала в этой игре в детстве, но сейчас по сути в ней нечего делать, развлечение на несколько дней. Геймплей однообразен. Очень хотелось бы увидеть обновление...

Feb 19, 2026·2h·Verified

Steam User 1865STEAMRecommended

Feb 19, 2026·5h·Verified

Steam User 1118STEAMRecommended

I'm a bit split on if I should recommend the game or not. The graphics are charming, it has a unique gameplay loop, the premise is interesting and the price is very affordable. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy my first two(?) playthroughs.

Above all else, however: I don't understand how anyone can find it overly challenging. It is *stupidly* easy to cheese the game by lingering on islands with abundant resources while not over-staying on challenging ones. A sense of completionism, or more specifically, the unlocking of new genes is the only incentive to stick around on unique islands for any time longer than it takes you to cross them, but most traits are not going to be useful in the long run and once you realize the magic sort of disappears. (Arguably, the optimal strategy while playing is to maintain a large population of "generalists", with minimal adaptations to any given island.)

One pitfall new players can fall into is the assumption that you are supposed to entirely avoid inbreeding, when the game in fact incentivises it: Rogue males have horrible genetics, random encounters with new nichelings are unreliable AND much of the gameplay involves "curating" the genes of your nichelings, in short: the game expects you to mostly breed within your pack. But that being said, unless you do a self-imposed challenge run, entirely neglect resource gathering or don't breed it's VERY hard to lose.

For as interesting of a game as it is conceptually, it is in my opinion a bit shallow in execution. Basically, one of those sandbox games which is fun for some time, but eventually gets pretty boring unless you add an element of personal roleplay and/or challenge.

Worth buying if you find yourself intrigued, but go in with tempered expectations.

Feb 17, 2026·139h·3·Verified

Steam User 6616STEAMRecommended

This game is very relaxing and a way/create to find cool new creatures. You can collect all the genes like Pokemon. It's a place to create your own niches story through the bloodline. One downside is it can get boring over long periods of time and they don't update it much.

Feb 14, 2026·198h·Verified

Steam User 2942STEAMRecommended

I just like this game :D

Feb 14, 2026·4h·Verified

Steam User 5099STEAMRecommended

very fun playing eungenics the game :)

Feb 11, 2026·21h·Verified

Steam User 6363STEAMRecommended

NIIICHEEE BOYY

Feb 11, 2026·10h·Verified

Steam User 4025STEAMNot recommended

A fun and unique game with an interesting genetics concept. Unfortunately not a great game for replayability and becomes repetitive very quickly. My biggest issue with the game was the fact that some of the achievements don't even work properly so any attempt at 100% completing the game is impossible.

Feb 11, 2026·83h·7·Verified

Steam User 0095STEAMRecommended

the game is difficult and your creatures will die often, but the game is a fun survival puzzle

Feb 10, 2026·19h

Steam User 0438STEAMRecommended

Feb 4, 2026·59h·Verified

Steam User 2201STEAMRecommended

started playing because of an old youtuber i watch and it's such an interesting game! lots of updates have made it more and more interesting!

Feb 3, 2026·12h·Verified

Steam User 3779STEAMRecommended

This game is awesome, ive always loved genetic games and this one is one of the best

(Im bad at reviwes...)

Feb 2, 2026·21h·3·Verified

Steam User 6492STEAMNot recommended

I really wanted to like this game. Theres a lot of heart and effort put into every aspect and the comunity around it has been so wonderful and passionate for YEARS. I followed the development since this game first started gaining traction and I was so excited tog et playing it.

When I finally got and started playing the game, thats when it all fell apart. It has good visuals, good ui design, good music, good art. Everything is amazing except for one aspect. The core gameplay loop. This game meshes two ideas that clash with each other. Its meant to be a strategic survival game. A limited amount of moves per day, units that each have different skills and abilities, natural hazards, and resources that need to be managed to survive and progress. The creatures you need to keep alive, though, are the main issue. They die of old age far too quickly, so getting attached to them or having them specialize in certain tasks is a recipe for disaster. Even the story seems to forget how fast they die off. It just clashes with the survival aspect, within a matter of a few days I have an entirely new cast that I just dont have enough time to even think about beyond their stats. If they stayed alive for just a little bit longer, then I could actually care about each individual and their lineage. If they stayed alive for just a little bit longer I could actually get invested, but I cant.

I tried five separate times to play this game and like it and every time I just fail. It just loses me. My guys will die in two days anyways so why should I even care about keeping them alive? Why should I care about getting back to the original tribe when the one guy who even knew about it died 30 generations ago? Even if it was for balancing purposes so you couldn't have too many kids with someone with op genes, just make them be infertile as they get older.

TLDR: The lifespans are too short for me to get invested in the survival or genetics of the creatures in this genetics survival game.

Feb 2, 2026·5h·25·Verified

Steam User 8133STEAMRecommended

Amazing but will ragebait you

Jan 28, 2026·31h·Verified

Steam User 7238STEAMRecommended

I can keep coming back over and over and over, it's absolutely beautiful masterpiece :)

Jan 25, 2026·633h·2·Verified

Steam User 0560STEAMRecommended

super cool way to learn about evolution and natural selection (i.e. recessive vs dominant genes, inheritance, and even survival of the fittest)

Jan 24, 2026·35h·Verified

Steam User 2057STEAMRecommended

分享一下玩这个游戏的经验
除了红色与黄色以外的所有皮毛颜色影响隐藏效果白化可以用无白化救过来 lk跟kl是可以繁殖的[赌不是kk 或者 ll]如果是kk或者ll的可以互相或者跟其他基因的繁殖然后去母留子野外的某些地图是有草药的可以治愈水蛭是黄色的可以提前击杀吸上了在同一回合拔下来也不扣血野外的流浪汉如果是红的则是不友好的不会攻击但是会强制怀孕[黄色流浪汉的恶心脑袋可以用基因两个变异强行筛掉] 天上的鹰则会食用幼崽[躲进草丛貌似可以避免] 小心果子以及其他地形的东西可能会受伤
[b] 挖掘 [/b]：从土里刨东西食物与树枝
[b] 开裂 [/b]：采收坚果椰子 [strike] [大风天哦千万不要站在椰子树底下！因为你站在栮[咚!]阝][/strike]
[b] 收集 [/b]：采收浆果
[b] 力量 [/b]：攻击力
[b] 潜行 [/b]：在草丛中的行动距离
[b] 速度 [/b]：在空旷地方的行动距离
海里有小鱼跟大鱼可以抓而且可以挖出蚯蚓[[strike] 貌似记得不太清清楚了 [/strike]]吃 [strike] 还有树根？ [/strike]
野狼攻击性物种的使用：[spoiler] 野狼幼崽被驯服长大之后可以与其繁殖获取相应组件并且会帮忙狩猎 [/spoiler]
[b] 野狼每天有2点行动点数 [/b] [u] [一次跑到你身边一次攻击] [/u]

Jan 23, 2026·36h·Verified

Steam User 4063STEAMRecommended

this game is so amazing. The amount of different storys and lore i created with this game is insane.

Jan 17, 2026·84h·Verified

Steam User 3363STEAMRecommended

No feeling like the dread you get when you travel to a jungle world on story mode and have all of Adam's decendants get absolutely demolished by the different monkeys on the first day.

Jokes aside, this game can be quite engaging. It combines strategy by adding the ability to add modifiers to hopefully create more nichelings with specific genetic traits. It mixes strategy and cute critters, and I think that's pretty neat. (It can get a tiny bit tedious, my word of advice is to keep your pack relatively small and collect as much food as you can. Don't go above like, 20 members, and that's pushing it.) solid 8.5/10 game, 10/10 if planning and strategy are your forte.
The bearenas can be rough though lol watch out for them and use sniff/hearing to know for certain if they're accompanied by a baby or not. If you don't want any bearenas, even a friendly one, take out the baby in a few turns or else you'll be stuck with a full grown one in just a few days. (probably more useful for you to just befriend them though.)

if you want to learn more about the game in a fun and engaging way, try watching Seri! Pixel Biologist's videos on the game. She turns them into a story you can follow day by in-game day, and it helps you get a feel for the game. (This is how I got into the game initially.) These videos help not only get a feel for the mechanics but also can be a relaxing way to wind down.

This game I would definitely consider part of the "Stardew Valley" niche in that it is relaxing and is a game you can take at your own pace. If you happen to be a science nerd, you might really enjoy this game. There is strategy to getting specific genes for different areas, (such as venomous fangs for swamps or jungles, due to the dangers and poison berries.) Or different patterns to help camouflage in different environments.

Overall, really fun and engaging game, highly recommend to any science nerd who thinks genetics are pretty cool.

Jan 15, 2026·17h·1·Verified

Steam User 1683STEAMNot recommended

i like the idea, but i wasn't a fan in my admittedly very short playtime. i went into it expecting something like spore, and what i got was the kind of game that requires a spreadsheet to keep track of everything. tedious, complicated, difficult to progress- if a game that feels like homework sounds rewarding to you, you'll probably enjoy it.

Jan 14, 2026·4·Verified

Steam User 5266STEAMNot recommended

Not my cup of tea.

Jan 12, 2026·1h·2·Verified

Steam User 9515STEAMRecommended

Loved this game I think the genetics are good too

Jan 12, 2026·41h·1·Verified

Steam User 1879STEAMRecommended

I love Niche. It can be a little hard to get into if you don't know some controls (QE to turn the camera, scroll to zoom in and out) and if you have bad internet you'll have trouble pressing buttons. But it's so fun once you get the hang of it, and there's a ton of challenges to try if normal gameplay starts to get boring. I know some people dislike that you have to gather food and nest material but I think the game would be far too easy without it.

Jan 11, 2026·29h·Verified

Steam User 8771STEAMRecommended

my child got ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ down syndrome

Jan 11, 2026·2h·2·Verified

Steam User 4386STEAMRecommended

animol

Jan 10, 2026·31h

Steam User 5433STEAMRecommended

Slightly addictive game. Trialled it to help my kiddo play on his account, & ended up on it for days.

Tamagochi for biology nerds.

Jan 6, 2026·9h·3·Verified

Steam User 6811STEAMRecommended

Super fun and unique genetic survival game! Every run through is different and actually this game helped me to better understand some of the topics and concepts of my college genetic course!

Jan 3, 2026·213h·Verified

Steam User 4461STEAMRecommended

This is an enyoable game that played as advertised.

Jan 2, 2026·8h·Verified

Steam User 2943STEAMRecommended

I love this game to bits but it makes me ANGRY that theres no option to attract/call for a mate/other nichelings, ive had SO any gameovers that happened because i went to a new island and could NOT find a nicheling to add to my pack.

Jan 2, 2026·10h·Verified

Steam User 4297STEAMNot recommended

Cool idea but very tedious to play. Not fun

Jan 2, 2026·1h

Steam User 5224STEAMRecommended

It's been a very long time since the last time I had played this game. Even without large updates or even any smaller ones, this game holds up after all these years perfectly~ Unique gameplay, cute designs and visually-pleasing art? Sign me up!

Jan 2, 2026·26h·Verified

Steam User 2823STEAMRecommended

I like the animals and the genes.

Jan 1, 2026·11h·Verified

Steam User 8090STEAMRecommended

Игра с интересной задумкой и хорошей реализацией. Механика выработки или нахождения новых генов хорошо сделана. Каждое последующее препятствие заставляет игрока думать и тщательно планировать свои ходы. Понравится любителям пошаговых стратегий и коллекционерам. Жаль, что разработчики больше не добавляют новые гены или острова с существами. Надеюсь на новые обновления, длс или возращение вырезанного контента (снежное тело и голова трицератопса).

Jan 1, 2026·41h·1·Verified

Steam User 0479STEAMRecommended

Really recommend. It's a bit confusing at first but really it's everything you can ask from a survival game. Unique obstacles depending on where you go, also a lot of customizability. Just pure fun whenever you want

Dec 31, 2025·32h·Verified

Steam User 5064STEAMRecommended

(english version below)

200 Spielstunden (einschließlich Idle-Zeiten) bedeuten: Ja, es hat gefallen. Die Nichlinge sind sehr niedlich und wirken trotz der begrenzten Animation auch sehr lebendig. Mir hat es viel Spaß gemacht, mit ihnen zu spielen, und die verschiedenen genetischen Entwürfe zu sehen. Man kann Niche als schnelle Survival-Reise spielen mit knappen Vorräten und hohem Überlebensdruck. Alternativ lässt sich auch eher Ressourcen-Management betreiben, was das Überleben auf schwierigen Inseln deutlich entschärft. Und auf freundlichen Inseln oder im Sandbox-Modus kann man sich ganz der Züchtung besonders schöner oder ungewöhnlicher Nichlinge widmen. Ich hätte mir im Spiel das ein oder andere Tool gewünscht, um meine Population besser im Blick behalten und Verpaarungen besser planen zu können. Aber so strategisch ist das Spiel eher nicht gedacht. Wie im echten Leben: da kommen ja auch nicht unbedingt die optimalsten Paarungen zustande 😊. Ein subtiler Humor zieht sich dabei durch das ganze Spiel und verleiht ihm zusätzliche Würze.

***

200 hours of playtime (including idle time) say it all: yes, I enjoyed it. The Nichelings are very cute and, despite the limited animation, feel surprisingly lively. I had a lot of fun playing with them and watching the different genetic designs emerge. Niche can be played as a fast-paced survival journey with scarce resources and constant pressure to survive. Alternatively, you can focus more on resource management, which makes survival on difficult islands much more manageable. And on friendly islands or in sandbox mode, you can fully devote yourself to breeding particularly beautiful or unusual Nichelings. I would have liked a few more tools to keep better track of my population and plan pairings more deliberately. But the game is not really meant to be that strategic. Just like in real life, the most optimal pairings don’t always happen 😊. A subtle sense of humor runs throughout the game and adds an extra touch of charm.

Dec 30, 2025·217h·3·Verified

Steam User 2543STEAMRecommended

Good

Dec 29, 2025·18h·Verified

Steam User 9419STEAMRecommended

good

Dec 28, 2025·389h·1·Verified

Steam User 1411STEAMRecommended

stupid creaturtes

Dec 25, 2025·269h·3

Steam User 6456STEAMRecommended

peak

Dec 25, 2025·106h·2·Verified

Steam User 7333STEAMRecommended

Chess but with silly animal eugenics

edit: It's on a crazy sale rn, PLEASE buy this game. It's not for everyone (as the reviews show), but if you like it, you'll REALLY like it (as people's play hours show).

Dec 19, 2025·55h·4·Verified

Steam User 1595STEAMRecommended

demasiado entretenido y adictivo

Dec 18, 2025·9h

Steam User 5223STEAMRecommended

This game is a style i love to get into, however it is rather difficult more than i thought to actually progress...I don't mind dependant games like this but i wish the animals lived longer than three steps - therefore steps are absolutely crucial and just becomes repetitive too quickly in that sense

Dec 18, 2025·10h·6·Verified

Steam User 6446STEAMRecommended

Best game ive ever laid my eyes on

Dec 16, 2025·4110h·2·Verified

Steam User 0250STEAMNot recommended

Пожалуй, одна из любимых моих игр. Вариаций тех, кого можно сделать из генов - достаточно много. Своим животным можно добавить от различных полос до новых морд, и в принципе, для меня это один из самых весомейших плюсов игры на ровне с интересными локациями и взаимодействиями с фауной разных островов.

Но все это перекрывается одним большим, жирным минусом - отсутствие обновлений как таковых. Помнится мне, после приобретения игры (2018(?) год), геймплейное обновление вышло лишь единожды, и с тех пор я могла узреть лишь хотфиксы, различный мерч, выход игрушки на телефон из этого же сеттинга и всё. Хотя казалось бы, потенциал был велик. И только поэтому я не рекомендую эту игру, потому что примерно за часов 50 открывается 90% геймплея, что для песочницы, по-моему мнению, довольно мало. Для тех, кто не страшится отсутствия обновлений от разрабов - покупайте смело.

Dec 13, 2025·89h·2·Verified

Steam User 7508STEAMNot recommended

Near impossible off the bat, game doesn't provide enough resources, time, or new members for it to be sustainable. It's just frustrating, not fun. I've tried to play this game several different times now and I just cannot get into it. It's incredibly boring as well. Save yourself the annoyance and just get Spore.

Dec 11, 2025·3h·2·Verified

Steam User 4528STEAMRecommended

Nice game that will teach you the basics of genetics!

It is just very difficult, especially at the beginning where you have no idea how anything works. I recommend using as many tutorials from the internet as possible, because you won't make it without these. You will die many times and sometimes you will even have to reset the whole save and start from the beginning.

I personally didn't finish the story mode yet, but maybe I will try to continue it someday.

Dec 8, 2025·43h·3·Verified

Steam User 6992STEAMRecommended

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE GAME!!!! LITERALLY I HAVE WATCH SERIPIXELBIOLOGIST PLAY WHEN IT WAS IN BETA MODE OR HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS GAME FOR 10+ YEARS.
I do have some dislikes but honestly 5 game files are too little thats my one main issue.
However, I do wish I could play earlier versions of it or version 1.2 / within a 1-2 year of its initial release. or even Beta version.
There are too many genetics for the best fun gameplay. thats a me issue. thats a "I must strategize all the things and cant make up my mind" issue.
However perhaps the devs could make a gameplay where after completing some things a on / off switch to how many genetic options are available could be present. perhaps that over a level difficulty??

Otherwise I think I really loved what I saw within its first release but after jungle enemies maybe it got too complex for me. at the very least the nesting bear terrifies me and I am not a child.
IOS game doesnt compare - nowhere near the fun.

Dec 7, 2025·1827h·14·Verified

Steam User 7490STEAMRecommended

This is so fun, I am excited to see what updates and tweaks will come in the future. I wish the user interface was somewhat more user friendly. Even in story mode it feels very sandbox. that being said it is very fun

Dec 2, 2025·13h·1·Verified

Steam User 1621STEAMRecommended

Lovely funky creatures. low stress. Beautiful graphics

Dec 1, 2025·6h·1·Verified

Steam User 3211STEAMRecommended

I enjoyed playing the game, every island presented new challenges and kept things interesting. The threat of death is always near.

Dec 1, 2025·156h·1·Verified

Steam User 9839STEAMRecommended

hello niche community ❤️‍🩹🌹

Nov 29, 2025·33h·2·Verified

Steam User 3200STEAMRecommended

Love this game!!! Play it all the time to calm down. The creatures are so cute!!!

Nov 29, 2025·20h·1·Verified

Steam User 9084STEAMRecommended

not my thing

Nov 28, 2025·1·Verified

Steam User 5274STEAMRecommended

Niche is an amazing game where you can learn about and apply genetics in real time. With every genetic niche, there are boundless ways to explore traits and how adaptable they are given any situation. I have been playing this game as a kid, and with about 500 total hours between consoles, I am still learning new tricks and hidden easter eggs about the game. Niche is very re-playable and is a game that you can keep playing in different ways again and again. As an educator, I see lots of potential to teach my students how genetics work with this game! It is a passive way to understand how habitats and animal behaviors influence natural selection.

Nov 25, 2025·243h·1

Steam User 4882STEAMNot recommended

Good concept but the graphics are cheap and lifeless. Hardly worth even half price.

Nov 25, 2025·1h·2·Verified

Steam User 8746STEAMRecommended

I promised that this would be my first ever game installed whenever I got my first ever laptop/PC.
10/10 genetics, I keep having a crisis every time a predator shows up, so thanks for that, devs!

Nov 23, 2025·6h·Verified

Steam User 1145STEAMNot recommended

I think this will be a great game for people looking for a cozy, casual way to spend their time; but for me, too much of the game time is map exploration, which feels like a grass cutting simulator. The game's focus on survival through evolution feels overshadowed and underdeveloped.

Nov 21, 2025·32h·2·Verified

Steam User 8409STEAMNot recommended

I really struggled with whether to recommend this or not, but in the end I've settled with the fact I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. The influence of Warrior Cats is clear and isn't enough to hook my WC addicted daughter because the gameplay itself is lacking somewhat. There are some really great ideas in here and it isnt an awful game but it just could (and should) have been so much more. It really does feel like a wasted opportunity that was never finished because honestly the foundations and ideas are solid. Maybe pick it up on a steep sale if it takes your fancy, but I couldn't ever hand on heart say it's worth buying at full price.

Nov 21, 2025·1h·1·Verified

Steam User 4171STEAMRecommended

The most inclusive scientific game since Spore.
You can get really in depth and target specific individual genes to change/keep in order to 100% it.
Or you can just let loose and see what happens...
Genuinely interesting and enjoyable to revel at the random recombination!
Still hoping for a sequel!

Nov 21, 2025·94h·Verified

Steam User 9544STEAMRecommended

This game is fun and cute but I have two major misgivings about it :

Firstly the title of the game is misleading, lets break it down into the two parts :

Niche : you actually do not really need to fill a niche as you can reasonably exploit the majority of the games story environments easily without much adaptation specialisation as you can simply avoid most predators and there is mostly an abundance of food.

- a genetics survival game : The game is not really about natural selection so there is no real process of genetic evolution and most of the game does not pose any serious threat to survival.

Secondarily and furthermore despite the games title it actually advocates pseudoscientific and anti-Darwinian religious communist ideologues for example:

The game is really about promoting intelligent design hogwash nonsense instead of natural selection scientific fact.

Its based on a Christian Creationist story from Genesis as you start the game as Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and the sole purpose is to return to Paradise.

The maker of the game is obviously trying to encourage and normalise long term and constant mating with parents and siblings, but they are duty bound to significantly represent the down sides of such inbreeding in the game to deter such behaviour in real life - but it does not as I found out for myself after several interesting hours researching this subject on various helpful websites with videos about sister said help me bro I'm stuck in the washing machine.

The game is strongly advocating for communism which is counter to the core tenants of the theory of evolution - let me elaborate as in the game your creatures operate under a communistic economic and social system as exemplified thusly : "each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs" this gameplay system of food and nesting material being communal and socialist is antithesis to survival of the fittest.

And finally the maker of the game must be a raving furry as all the possible creatures you can play in the game are all very sexy alluring things from websites like Fur affinity that I have never visited.

TLDR : anti-Darwinian intelligent design Christian Creationist inbreeding furry communist utopia simulator

Nov 21, 2025·11h·Verified

Steam User 5392STEAMRecommended

LOVE THIS GAMEEE

Nov 21, 2025·64h·Verified

Steam User 7048STEAMRecommended

It's very fun for understanding the basis of genetics!

Nov 20, 2025·42h·Verified

Steam User 4743STEAMRecommended

симулятор животной оргии между птицами, черепахами, китами, лисами и рыбками гуфи.
мне нравится.

Nov 20, 2025·1h·Verified

Steam User 3802STEAMRecommended

very reccimend, i love breeding

Nov 20, 2025·39h

Steam User 0109STEAMRecommended

very cute, i would've eaten this up as a kid and i'm eating it up as an adult

Nov 18, 2025·3h·Verified

Steam User 9997STEAMRecommended

This is a very fun game once you get through the initial islands and story mode. It's also definitely made for those who love story telling, or a slower paced game.

I have over a thousand hours of this game on my previous steam account, and I've 100%'d the games achievements. I've also played this game far before full release in some of its earliest versions.

If you're struggling to enjoy this game, I recommend adjusting the settings in sandbox mode or selecting a medium/hard island to start with, or even setting a win condition for those that struggle to play without a clear goal. Creatures dying too fast to get attached? Lengthen pregnancy and lifespan! There's a lot to do in sandbox mode that often gets untouched, and I think that sandbox mode is the true star of the game compared to the more tedious story mode which, I admit, would probably seem repetitive for a player not interested in that kind of game play.

This game is definitely made for the more creative types, as I had the most fun with my imagination and this game when I was younger, but there are a lot of ways to play that can be discovered! I love this game so much.

Nov 16, 2025·90h·Verified

Steam User 5381STEAMNot recommended

I really wanted to like this game; but the product description doesn't match the actual game at all. The developers themselves compare it to spore, warrior cats, show a trailer that is -much smoother and more involved- than the actual game is.

Furthermore all of the text is extremely small, complex menus. There's no QoL help. The forums for this game are all folk using XL spreadsheets to keep track of necessary game mechanics. The pop ups that tell you if an animal is sick or dead doesn't tell you which animal. Showing us bones isn't helpful! I also thing some of the mechanics are questionable. Realistic, maybe, but rogue males who harass and breed my females unwillingly was not in the cutesy "it's like spore!" description.

There's a great idea here but it's executed poorly and even having bought it on sale for £3 I've requested a refund. It's not worth it and I physically am unable to play it without eye strain due to the lack of accessibility features.

Nov 15, 2025·3h·7·Verified

Steam User 0498STEAMRecommended

Silly little guy game! :D, bought it again for the childhood nostalgia and it's fine, can get boring pretty quickly though tbh.

Nov 15, 2025·48h·3·Verified

Steam User 1798STEAMRecommended

Niche – a genetics survival game is an unusual and captivating blend of strategy, simulation, and roguelike survival, developed by Stray Fawn Studio. What sets it apart from most survival games is its unapologetic focus on real-world genetics, turning inheritance, mutation, and natural selection into the pillars of gameplay. Rather than controlling a single hero, you guide an entire tribe of creatures—adorable yet vulnerable “Nichelings”—across hostile, procedurally generated islands. Their survival depends on the genes they inherit, the adaptations they develop, and the choices you make from one generation to the next. It’s a game where every creature is temporary, but your lineage continues, shaped by careful planning, strategic mating, and the ability to respond to changing environments and dangers.

From the first moments, Niche presents itself with an approachable, low-poly art style that belies the depth beneath the surface. Each tile-based island is filled with resources to gather, predators to avoid or confront, plants to forage, and environmental hazards that influence the evolutionary pressures your tribe must confront. The clean visuals make it easy to track your animals, observe their traits, and understand how mutations manifest physically—patterns, snouts, ears, claws, and fur colors visibly change as generations pass. This visual clarity reinforces the game’s educational undercurrent, helping players understand how genes combine, express themselves, and contribute to survival or extinction.

At the heart of the experience is the genetics system, and this is where Niche’s depth truly emerges. Each creature carries a pair of genes for every trait, some dominant, others recessive, and every mating pair creates offspring with unpredictable but traceable combinations. Managing a tribe means balancing short-term needs—gathering food, fighting predators, clearing territory—with long-term evolutionary goals, such as breeding resistance to a toxic biome or ensuring immunity to deadly diseases. Deciding which Nichelings reproduce becomes a strategic and emotional task; you weigh their strengths, their weaknesses, and the broader genetic health of the group. This creates a steady rhythm of exploration, breeding, adaptation, and survival that can be deeply rewarding once you understand how the systems interlock.

The turn-based structure reinforces this thoughtful approach. Every action consumes time, and every creature ages with each passing day. Young animals offer new potential but lack experience; elders may have superior stats but are nearing the end of their lifespan. This constant cycle encourages planning several generations ahead. The game’s procedural maps and escalating biome difficulties ensure that no two playthroughs are identical. Grasslands give way to jungles, arctic regions, or poisonous swamps, each introducing new predators, food shortages, and environmental pressures that force your tribe to mutate and adapt or face extinction.

However, Niche’s strengths are also the source of its most common criticisms. The genetic system, while fascinating, can feel overwhelming at first. The tutorial explains the basics but leaves much of the nuance for players to discover on their own. Those unfamiliar with Punnett squares or inheritance may initially struggle, and the slower pacing may deter players who expect more action-oriented or immediate survival challenges. Additionally, while the gameplay loop is robust, it can become repetitive once you’ve mastered the mechanics: explore, gather food, breed, migrate, repeat. The emotional connection to individual creatures also varies—some players grow attached, while others view them as genetic tools rather than characters.

Despite these limitations, Niche offers tremendous replayability for players who enjoy strategy-driven progression. The satisfaction of breeding a perfectly adapted lineage, surviving harsh biomes, and watching your creatures develop new traits feels earned and meaningful. Every playthrough becomes a story about evolution—triumphs, mistakes, mutations gone right or wrong, and the steady march toward a stronger, more resilient species. The game’s roguelike foundation ensures that even failures contribute to the learning experience, making each new attempt richer and more informed.

Ultimately, Niche – a genetics survival game is a rare title that combines scientific concepts with engaging gameplay in a way that feels natural and compelling. It rewards curiosity, patience, and experimentation rather than speed or aggression. For players who appreciate deep systems, thoughtful strategy, and a unique take on survival, it offers an experience unlike anything else on the market. Those looking for fast action or a traditional narrative may find it slow, but for its intended audience, Niche remains a distinctive and intellectually satisfying gem.

Rating: 8/10

Nov 15, 2025·13h

Steam User 1436STEAMRecommended

I screamed when my little family all turned to bones and have not worked up the courage to play a second time since; but, I know lots of love went into this game

Nov 15, 2025·4h·Verified

Steam User 1572STEAMRecommended

This Game Is Lowkey ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Terrifying
I just had a run where a Rogue Male came up to my Animals and me, being an Idiot, thought mating with him would be cool.
It Was Not.
I started having ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up babies and I quickly lost control of the amount of animals I had cuz he would keep mating with any female that moved. Even his own daughters. And there was like No food on the part of the island I was on. So everyone was hella dying hella quick and I was Unskilled in handling this. A baby I just had was killed the second day of it's life because of a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ HYENA WEREWOLF.
I recommend this game cuz i had a lot of fun with it. It's so stressful and absurd and I will probably get better once I play this more, but I Had to write this review now. I really liked the time I've had with this so far even if I'm bad at it. Definitely worth the like, 4$ I spent on it.

Nov 15, 2025·2h·Verified

Steam User 6752STEAMRecommended

I got really sucked into this game. I was on a mission to breed out the Derp Snout LOL. Played for hours on end and kept being surprised, fun little game and a steal if you get it on sale.

Nov 15, 2025·10h·Verified

Steam User 6992STEAMNot recommended

I got this game because it was on sale for four dollars, and well. I guess I got what I paid for. It sounds so interesting, but the actual gameplay is tedious and repetitive, and gets old very quickly. It's a lot of doing the same thing over and over again: gathering enough food so that your tribe doesn't starve, moving them as far as you can trying to progress to the next island, breeding animals along the way, and rinse and repeat. Each animal only gets a maximum of three turns per day, which means you really can't do much. And while it's not so much a gameplay feature, it did personally disappoint me that when a creature died without having been able to pass on its genes, it was simply entirely erased from the family tree. Ancestors are visible only as long as a direct child of theirs is living, so as soon as the last child of a particular animal dies, you lose that link in the family tree as well. It actually makes it very hard to keep track of which animals are related and how, too, so it really makes for a poor storytelling game if that's your interest (personally, I'm not into that, but I do like having a history of gameplay to look back on in games with lineages like this).

TLDR: It's mildly entertaining for a bit, but honestly, and sadly, it's not worth buying. Certainly not for full price. If you really really want to try it, wait for a sale.

Nov 14, 2025·5h·2·Verified

Steam User 8677STEAMNot recommended

not worth the $4 i spent on the game. save your money. game is made for a 10 yr old and has no reason to replay

Nov 13, 2025·1·Verified

Steam User 6684STEAMRecommended

I've been completely sucked in the first 8 hours into the game, obsessed with growing my tribe and developing the perfect race. I'd say it's a pretty good game :)

Nov 13, 2025·35h·Verified

Steam User 7689STEAMRecommended

нууу, вроде прикольная механика но мне не зашло

Nov 12, 2025·1h·1·Verified

Steam User 7496STEAMRecommended

verry good,verry nice and a medium strategy game

Nov 12, 2025·17h·Verified

Steam User 9928STEAMNot recommended

It's a cool idea, and I have a science background, so I like that aspect of it. It's also beautiful to look at, and the creatures are really cute. My main issue is that the gameplay can get really tedious. It really is about just breeding multiple generations to get the traits you want, and making sure that the animals you aren't breeding are finding enough food and nesting materials to support the ones who are. Maybe farther down the line there's more to it (e.g. predators), but right now I've only explored about a fourth of the large island I'm on (I think the third island in the storyline setting), and it's just...boring. Honestly, this is the case with a few of the Stray Fawn games I've played: beautifully designed, solid ideas, and they just move too slowly to be really engaging.

Nov 12, 2025·11h·49·Verified

LANGUAGE	AUDIO	SUBTITLES	INTERFACE
English	Y	—	Y
Chinese (Simplified)	Y	—	Y
Chinese (Traditional)	Y	—	Y
English (UK)	—	—	Y
French	Y	—	Y
German	Y	—	Y
Japanese	Y	—	Y
Polish	Y	—	Y
Portuguese (Brazil)	Y	—	Y
Portuguese (Portugal)	—	—	Y
Russian	Y	—	Y
Spanish (Spain)	Y	—	Y
Turkish	—	—	Y