The Bugapes still hadn't recovered from the Great Flood. Once a dominant force, they had been reduced to a scattered tribe living in the remote wilds, far from their former glory. Their diminished presence made it easy for Xu Zhi to quietly reshape the terrain without drawing attention.
He selected a secluded patch of land, poured in a mix of manure, dead branches, and leaves, and waited. The organic matter would decay into a thick, fertile sludge, fermenting under microbial activity to release methane. Slowly, a swamp began to take shape—dark, pungent, and teeming with unseen life.
Into this swamp, he released the Evil Eyes.
They were weak, yes—but with no immediate competition, they had a chance to survive, multiply, and perhaps even evolve. If fate allowed, they might become this world's first true monsters—eldritch beings straight out of a Lovecraftian nightmare.
And if they failed? Well, it wasn't a great loss. Those without the potential for supernatural evolution were destined to go extinct anyway.
The next morning, Xu Zhi sat cross-legged in the yard, munching on an apple and laughing to himself.
"Working with others really does make things more interesting," he mused. "Like that weird eyeball monster… I hate how brilliant that is. There's no way I'd come up with something that dumb on my own. I'm just too smart for that kind of stupid."
As he idly stared at the sandbox, a message caught his eye—and startled him.
It was full.
All one hundred player slots had been filled, and the spores inside were already undergoing evolution.
Xu Zhi blinked. He hadn't even intended for the sandbox to gain much traction. It was meant to be a small, niche simulation—just something to inspire ideas. He hadn't focused on making it particularly fun or user-friendly.
But somehow, it had blown up overnight.
Curious, he checked the internet.
A now-viral thread was dominating the forums:
"Miracle Tech! The Most Realistic Simulation Game in History! 100% Immersion! The Most Hardcore Casual Sandbox Ever—Spore Evolution!"
At first, most replies were skeptical. With current VR tech still in its infancy, no one believed such a game could exist. It had to be a scam, or just clever marketing.
But curiosity has a way of spreading. A few daring players tried it out, and then—boom—the thread exploded.
One of the first replies read:
"It's real! It's insane! You can even feel things in-game! What kind of alien tech is this?! I'm speechless!"
He was immediately flamed as a fake account pushing a hoax.
But more people followed suit. They tested it, got hooked, and never looked back. Soon, someone began posting in-game screenshots—twisted, surreal creatures born of failed evolutionary attempts. The internet went wild.
And then came the hard truth: only one hundred beta testers were allowed.
Everyone else was locked out.
Those few who made it in? They were ecstatic.
They stayed up all night, writing frenzied posts, overflowing with praise. Early that morning, a detailed review topped the forums, written by the player who'd started the original thread.
"Spore Evolution: First Impressions by Akinas Speedster"
"Hey guys! It's me again, Akinas Speedster. Yeah, the one who made the viral thread. I was lucky enough to be one of the first to stumble upon this insane game that just appeared out of nowhere. No marketing, no ads—just pure word of mouth. Time for my first impressions!
Realism:
Let's get this out of the way. Is it really that realistic?
YES. Absolutely YES.
I swear to you, it felt like I was in another world. I don't know what kind of black magic they used to make this, but it's a miracle.
The game even has pain settings. I cranked it up to 100%—big mistake.
I died once, and my whole body started convulsing. I tore off the VR headset and was drenched in sweat. I thought I was having a seizure.
Never doing that again.
So yeah, a word of warning: this game isn't for the faint-hearted.
Gameplay:
Don't be fooled by the 'casual sandbox' label. This game is hardcore. No character creation. You start as a spore. That's it.
When I first logged in, the screen was pitch black. Why? Because I hadn't evolved eyes yet. Yeah, that's how real it is.
You evolve. You die. You start over.
There are no second chances. If your "king" creature dies, your whole species loses its leader. Game over. Back to square one. Start from spore again.
Sensory Immersion:
I played as an eyeball monster once. My field of view was insane.
Tried it again, evolved eight compound eyes—holy crap. The world looked like a kaleidoscope on acid.
So yeah, the game lets you fully experience life as the creature you evolve into. Want to be a dragon? You'll feel the wind beneath your wings. Want to be a bug? Get ready to taste dirt.
Worldbuilding:
Oh, and get this. Right near the ocean where our spores spawn, there's a giant—a huge humanoid figure, wrapped in light, sitting in a wooden chair outside a house.
Sometimes he reads. Sometimes he eats fruit.
We can sneak up to him, even climb on him.
I tried that once with my eyeball creature. Got stomped. My king died instantly. RIP.
I think he's a major NPC. Maybe a boss? Or the creator of this world? We don't know yet.
Final Thoughts:
This game is brutal. Unforgiving. Unique. And it's incredible.
You have total freedom, infinite evolutionary paths, and hyperrealistic sensory experiences.
My goal now is simple: survive, evolve, and create the strongest species. One day, I'll become a dragon. Then I'll fly up and shit on that apple-peeling giant's head.
That would be awesome!
Also—don't ask me for a strategy guide. There's no such thing. Evolution is chaotic. Even the same steps can lead to wildly different results.
Want to get good? Study biology. Read The Origin of Species. Knowledge is power.
Bio majors are basically gods in this game.
Anyway, I need a break. My head's spinning from playing too long. But I'm going back in.
This time, I'll survive a little longer.
I'm hooked, aren't I?"
Xu Zhi stared blankly at the screen.
"You want to shit on my head?" he murmured.
He took a slow bite of his apple.
"The last species that called me 'Baldy' got wiped out," he said softly. "You'll get yours too."
He pulled out a small notebook and wrote something down with an utterly calm expression:
Akinas Speedster. Offense: Threatened aerial defecation. Punishment: Pending.
Ironically, he'd already called the guy "retarded" earlier. But in the sandbox, everything was fair game. Give and take.
------
Read advanced chapters: patre on/Siuteo