SimLife

SimLife: The Genetic Playground is a video game produced by Maxis in 1992.[1] The concept of the game is to simulate an ecosystem; players may modify the genetics of the plants and animals that inhabit the virtual world. The point of this game is to experiment and create a self-sustaining ecosystem. SimLife was re-released in 1993 as part of the SimClassics Volume 1 compilation alongside SimCity Classic and SimAnt for PC, Mac and Amiga.[2]

SimLife: The Genetic Playground
Developer(s)Maxis
Publisher(s)Maxis
Producer(s)Jim Siefert
Designer(s)Ken Karakotsios
Programmer(s)Daniel Goldman
Rodney Lai
Artist(s)Jenny Martin
Bonnie Borucki
Composer(s)Russell Lieblich
SeriesSim
Platform(s)Macintosh, MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, Amiga
Release1992
1993 (Amiga)
Genre(s)Life simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Development
SimLife running on Windows Vista.

The producers of SimLife refer to it as "The Genetic Playground". The game allows users to explore the interaction of life-forms and environments. Users can manipulate the genetics of both plants and animals to determine whether these new species could survive in the Earth's various environments. Players can also create new worlds with distinctive environments to see how certain species (earth's species or their own) fare within them.

SimLife gives players the power to

  • Create and modify worlds;
  • Create and modify plants and animals at the genetic level;
  • Design environments and ecosystems;
  • Study genetics in action;
  • Simulate and control evolution;
  • Change the physics of the universe in your computer.

Reception

Computer Gaming World in 1993 praised SimLife, stating that "By neatly bridging the gap between entertainment and education, SL brings the engrossing science of genetics within reach of any interested person".[3] Games Finder gave SimLife a score of 7 out of 10.[4]

Computer Gaming World in 1994 said that the UnNatural Selection expansion pack "offers a vivid demonstration of several key principles underlying Darwininan evolution ... it would not be surprising if instructors began assigning the game as homework for college-level courses in evolutionary biology". The magazine concluded that it "offers up a slick, funny and memorable game combined with a fascinating artificial life laboratory".[5]

In 1993 SimLife received a Codie award from the Software Publishers Association for Best Simulation.[6]

See also

References
  1. "SimLife: The Genetic Playground At MobyGames". Archived from the original on 2014-07-17.
  2. "SimClassics Volume 1 Compilation Advertisement". The One. No. 70. emap Images. August 1994. p. 116.
  3. Eden, Maxwell (April 1993). "Last one in the gene pool is a..." Computer Gaming World. p. 56. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  4. "Simlife Genetic Playground Review - Games Finder". Archived from the original on 2014-06-25.
  5. Black, Randall (February 1994). "The Galapagos Were Never Like This!". Computer Gaming World. pp. 74, 76.
  6. "Awards - Thy Name Is Controversy". Computer Gaming World. May 1993. p. 146. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.


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