heads up before playing:

firstly this project has no load or save options so if you close the game it will restart. you can pause anytime but i want people to be aware of that

secondly, there is no true end state; there is clearly a finite amount of content to add to the game but once you’ve unlocked it all the game will continue until you decide to stop playing

what is this game?

this game is a small scale plant ecosystem simulator that challenges you to grow from nothing to a resilient ecosystem by focusing on processes of succession to jump up the ladder from pioneer grasses to large bushes to fully grown trees. there are some puzzle elements in how one must lay out their shade, temperature regulators and other resources to promote a more resilient ecosystem

this project was made in 7 days for the Brackey's 2024.2 Game Jam by me alone but borrowing several assets from free or previously free unreal marketplace listings. all the credits to those creators will be below. this means, as with most game jam projects, there are some rough unfinished edges known problems are listed below

known issues:

bug where shade is lower or higher than is should be on certain tiles; from my testing this is infrequent and is usually instead an intended mechanic working in a non obvious way

the environmental variables slowly change each year so in the long run things like temperature and storm events get pretty extreme, eventually this makes it impossible for anything to survive

the plants featured in this game likely would not all live in the same climates: most are arid desert plants, but there are a few like the pandanus tree that is tropical

in the same way, not all plant models match up to their names; i am working with whatever i could find free so had to stretch things for a few of the grasses

let me know of any other issues that come up so i can update the list!

*also the exact values and data used are not representative of real life exactly but instead follow similar principles to simulate how areas can be rewilded in a way that i hope is still engaging*

Credits:

Plant models and textures:

Project Nature's Mediterranean Packs

Quixel Megascans' Grass Pack

Andrew Svanberg Hamilton’s Rural Australia Pack

Scale Y's Science Fiction Valley Town Pack

Music:

MuzStation Game Music's Mega Game Music Collection

Rain Noises:

Soft Rain Ambient by SoundsForYou