Unstable Ecosystems by mango-malarkey

Perhaps more of a simulation-program than a game, this little piece of software illustrates the life of simple creatures living together. Plants, herbivores and carnivores make up the food chain, fighting for survival. Watch how they interact in a symbiotic dance. Your role is simply to choose which new species will join the ecosystems.
Can you make it stable enough to have your species survive for generations?


Controls
Mouse - choose between species
| Link | https://github.com/j-ronnas/UnstableEcosystems |
| Itch.io | https://mangomalarkey.itch.io/unstable-ecosystems |
| Original URL | https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/unstable-ecosystems |
Ratings
| Given | 1🗳️ | 1🗨️ |
Some feedback I have:
- It would be better if you could clearly distinguish between the different groups (plants, herbivores, carnivores), say by assigning a certain colour(s) to each type of organism, or putting a letter on each one of them. Because after a while you will forget which colour is which group.
- The game doesn't feel that challenging. By right what is supposed to happen is that if you do not manage the animals carefully the whole ecosystem will die out, but what happens really is that the choice to add a certain animal comes fairly frequently, which means if I lack, say, herbivores, when the choice comes to add an animal I can just add a herbivore, or add more plants if the choice for a herbivore isn't there. So because this choice comes so frequently, it's very easy to prevent this game from reaching the tipping point where the whole ecosystem collapses and you lose the game. An idea would be to use some sort of currency, where a thriving ecosystem gives you currency which you can use to add organisms of any type you want, and if the ecosystem is failing it becomes harder and harder to save it unless you make very wise choices.
With that said, I really appreciate simulation-programs! I made one myself too so it would be suspicious not to, heh. The graphics are minimalistic but to the point, the trails are really neat, and I'm not sure if it's intentional or a bug, but *sometimes* the creatures will shiver when being chased, if it's intentional then it's a nice touch!