The Bugapes still hadn't bounced back from the Great Flood. What remained of them was a small tribe huddled in a remote corner of the world. Gone were the days when they roamed freely across the sandbox.
Which was perfect.
With no one around to observe him, Ethan could reshape the terrain without attracting unwanted attention.
He picked a quiet patch of land, poured in manure, and mixed it with dried leaves and fallen branches. It would all decompose into a thick, nutrient-rich sludge. With microorganisms doing their part, the mixture would ferment and release methane, creating a properly foul swamp.
Once the conditions were right, he dropped the Evil Eyes into their new home.
They were weak, sure, but they had zero competition right now. That gave them a fighting chance. If all went well, they might evolve into something monstrous—something worthy of the name "Evil Eye," straight out of Lovecraft's nightmares.
And if they failed?
Oh well. They'd probably get wiped out anyway.
The next morning, Ethan sat in the yard with his legs crossed, chewing an apple and laughing to himself.
"Yep, working with other people is the way to go. Humans are endlessly creative. I mean, look at that ridiculous floating eyeball monster. I hate that I didn't think of it myself. My brain's just way too logical to dream up something so gloriously stupid."
He leaned back and glanced at the sandbox—and blinked.
It was full.
Completely full.
A hundred spores. Maximum server capacity. All evolving simultaneously.
Ethan hadn't planned on letting that many players into the sandbox. The game was supposed to be a niche project—just a side gig to fuel inspiration and pass the time.
He hadn't even bothered to polish the gameplay loop. It was never meant to be entertaining.
And yet, in less than 24 hours, it had gone viral.
Curious, Ethan pulled out his phone and checked online. Sure enough, a forum thread was blowing up—and it was the source of the chaos.
Thread Title: "Miracle Technology! The Most Realistic Simulation Game Ever! 100% Realism! Hardcore Sandbox Madness – Spore Evolution"
At first, the replies were a mix of skepticism and sarcasm. No one believed it was real. VR tech wasn't that advanced, and this whole thing sounded like another overhyped Chinese indie flop.
But a few brave souls gave it a shot.
And then things exploded.
One user returned with a wild claim:
"It's real! It's amazing! I could feel myself as a spore! What kind of alien tech is this?!"
Naturally, everyone assumed he was trolling.
But more players tried it. More got hooked. And then came the screenshots—horrific, hilarious monstrosities, all the failed products of players trying to master evolution.
People lost their minds.
And then the crushing news dropped: only one hundred beta testers could register.
The rest? Locked out.
Desperate, envious, and slightly furious.
Meanwhile, the lucky few inside were having the time of their lives. They didn't sleep. They didn't blink. They were too busy evolving.
And then came the first detailed game review.
User: AkinasSpeedster
---
"Hey everyone! It's me, the guy who started the thread. Yep, I was the first one to stumble across this masterpiece that dropped without so much as a whisper. No marketing, no trailers, just BAM—best game I've ever played.
Let me answer the most important question first:
Is it really 100% realistic?
Yes.
YES.
I swear on my grandma's rice cooker, I've never played anything like this. I don't know how they did it—some kind of alien tech, maybe—but I was THERE. Like, mentally, spiritually, cell-by-cell THERE.
Let me warn you though: this game has PAIN settings.
I made the mistake of cranking it to 100%.
When I died? I convulsed. I sweated buckets. My body locked up like a toaster in a bathtub. I yanked off the headset thinking I'd be in the hospital. 0/10 would NOT recommend maxing that out unless you're trying to experience a seizure for fun.
So here's your first warning: this game is not casual. It's pretending to be casual, but deep down? It's evil.
No character creation. No classes. Just a single button:
[Start Life as a Spore]
You enter the game and it's pitch black. Because guess what?
Spores don't have EYES.
You want vision? You evolve it. You want to breathe? Evolve lungs. Want to run, bite, swim, fly? You better evolve the damn tools.
And you only control your species' 'king'—a single organism. If your king dies, your entire playthrough is over. Your colony continues to exist, sure, but you're locked out. It's like dying and watching your kids grow up without you.
It hurts, man.
My first run, I evolved into a hideous floating eyeball with tentacles and a mouth. It was glorious. I had the field of vision of a security camera on steroids.
Next run? I got compound eyes. Ever wanted to see like a fly? It's horrifying. It's magnificent. I cried a little.
The game literally lets you feel what it's like to be something else. You gain the senses of whatever you evolve into. That alone makes it next-level.
I swear, if I could evolve into a dragon, I'd fly above the clouds and scream in joy. But so far, the furthest I've gotten is a wobbly amphibian with a massive eyeball dragging itself out of the ocean... and then I got stomped to death.
Which brings me to something else.
There's a giant.
No, seriously. A colossal godlike NPC just sits in front of his house, peeling fruit. Sometimes he reads. If you get close, he'll squash you like a bug. I tried sneaking up on him and SPLAT—game over.
I think he's a secret boss. Or maybe he's the final challenge. Either way, I will get revenge one day.
Here are the three hardcore truths of Spore Evolution:
1. Perma-death. One life. No respawns. You die? Back to spore form. Everything you evolved is GONE.
2. No repeatable strategy. You try the same steps twice? Evolution says "nah" and gives you something different. It's fully organic. No cookie-cutter paths.
3. No real guide exists. If you want to get good, read Darwin. Learn evolution. Study biology. It's that real.
My current goal?
Evolve a dragon species. Soar above that fruit-peeling giant... and take a steaming revenge dump on his head.
That, my friends, would be peak gaming.
Anyway, I'm taking a break. Got a headache from evolving so hard. But I'll be back. I have unfinished business in that world.
If you're reading this and didn't make the beta?
Study biology. And pray for an open slot."**
---
Ethan stared at the review, chewing slowly on his apple.
"You want to take a dump... on my head?"
He smirked.
"The last species that got cocky and called me 'Baldy'? Let's just say they're not around anymore."
He pulled out a notebook and jotted something down.
Note to self: AkinasSpeedster – Threat Level: Minor. Insult Level: Personal. Vengeance: Pending.
He chuckled to himself.
Of course, he completely forgot that he had called the player dumb just yesterday.
But hey—karma's a circle.
And this circle was just getting started.