'Evolution: The Video Game' Is a Perfect Adaptation of the Board Game

A popular board game has made its way to Steam and mobile devices.

Earlier this week, North Star Games released a digital version of their popular board game Evolution. With a complex AI system that utilizes different strategies and a fun single-player mode, Evolution: The Video Game might be the best video game adaptation of a board game yet.

As its name suggests, Evolution: The Video Game places players in charge of several species that adapt over the course of eight turns. Each round, players are given a handful of trait cards that can be used either to customize their species, add to a species' population, increase a species' body size (thus making it less vulnerable to predators) or add a new species to their collection.

Once each player has customized their species, players take turn feeding from a communal watering hole, which often doesn't have enough food for all the species. Players need to prioritize balancing defensive traits, moves that increase food intake and collection, or the ability to attack in order to collect the most food and thus win the game.

Evolution: The Video Game is a basically flawless adaptation of the core game, with rounds lasting about 10 minutes or so when playing against AI. By playing through a campaign, players can collect certain types of AI opponents that use different strategies. Some AI tries to crowd out other species at the watering holes, while others focus on high defense or becoming carnivores that prey on other species. Each game moves quickly, with no real AI lag between rounds.

If I had one complaint about Evolution: The Video Game, it's that the new game only collects the base mode of the game. There's enough strategy to keep players occupied for hundreds of games, but players of the board games might be frustrated that they don't have access to the Flight or Climate expansions. Although I'm sure there are plans to include those as future add-ons.

Players can pick up Evolution: The Video Game from Steam for $14.99 or $7.99 to play the game on iOS or Android devices.