FOSSPicks
FOSSPicks
Nate explores the top FOSS including the ultra-secure LibreWolf browser, new calibre features, an elegant GnuPG front end, and the graphically flawless evolution sim Thrive.
Evolution sim
Thrive
Linux games are sometimes criticized for having limited graphics support relative to Windows titles. Not so for this evolution sim, which is built using the Godot engine. The game is available to purchase on Steam for a small fee. However, it remains open source. The code can be compiled from GitHub, though the developers recommend that Linux users download the Thrive Launcher (available on Flathub) to install the game and necessary dependencies.
The game's basic premise reminds me of Spore's early stages (2008) in that the player controls a single-celled organism. Unlike Spore, you're given the choice of starting in a warm pond or hydrothermal vent. By default, the game also has the cell behave in a "real world" fashion so man-eating microbes or exotic food sources are out of the question.
The latest release (0.7.1) has introduced photosynthetic life forms. In other words, your organism now starts in a world without oxygen, so it must evolve its metabolism as the gas is introduced into the atmosphere. At regular stages, you can choose new patches for your organism, such as flagella for movement or the ability to metabolize more sources such as iron into ATP for energy.
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