Niche combines turn-based strategy, simulation and roguelike elements in a survival story about shaping a species of cat-, fox-, bear- or dog-like animals. The goal is to keep that population alive as it faces predators, changing climate and spreading sickness. Extinction ends the run, sending evolution back to a new beginning rather than treating survival as a simple matter of winning fights.
Breeding is central to how the species develops: inheritance draws on real genetics, with more than 100 genes available to shape animal traits. The game also incorporates ideas such as genetic drift, gene flow, mutation and natural selection into its mechanics, framing genetics as part of play rather than background lore. Procedurally generated animals and worlds add variation, while five biomes offer different predators, prey and plant life to encounter.
The result is a single-player experience built around managing a population over time, not competing in a shared online world.
