Games like Substrate: Emergence
by Petri Dish Games LLC
SPORE™ and Gridworld play most like Substrate: Emergence. Of the 13 closest games below, most share its god game, sandbox and colony sim; 2 came out in the last year and 9 are free or under $10. The best known is SPORE™, with 66,962 Steam reviews.
View on Steam · $12.99 →
Ranked by how similar the games actually are, not by sales. Released and Price are remembered for next time.
Closest matches
SPORE™
Dec 19, 2008 · Maxis™
Both: God Game · Sandbox · Colony Sim
Be the architect of your own universe with Spore, an exciting single-player adventure. From Single Cell to Galactic God, evolve your creature in a universe of your own creations.
God GameOpen WorldSandboxColony SimSimulationExplorationSpaceCasualScienceCute👍 66,962Gridworld
Dec 24, 2015 · DopplerFrog
Both: Sandbox · Colony Sim · God Game
Gridworld is an artificial life and evolution simulator. Watch creatures evolve through natural selection as they learn to find food, avoid danger, and compete with other creatures for survival.
SimulationSandboxArtificial IntelligenceScienceProcedural GenerationManagementColony SimGod GameLevel EditorPixel Graphics👍 238Ecosystem
Nov 8, 2024 · Tom Johnson
Both: Colony Sim · God Game · Sandbox
Create virtual lifeforms whose development is shaped by a deep simulation of evolution. Guide them as they fight, mate, and adapt to the environment you have built. All the creatures in the trailer evolved on their own in the game!
Colony SimAutomationSimulationGod GameLife SimSandboxFishingUnderwaterNatureRealistic👍 600The Sapling
Dec 12, 2019 · Wessel Stoop
Both: Sandbox · God Game
The Sapling is a simulation game where you design your own plants, animals, algae and fungi, and put them in a world together. Or you turn on random mutations, and see what evolution does to your ecosystem!
Life SimSandboxGod GameScienceNatureArtificial IntelligenceSimulationProcedural GenerationDinosaursAliens👍 1,933WorldBox - God Simulator
Dec 2, 2021 · Maxim Karpenko
Both: Sandbox · God Game · Colony Sim
WorldBox is the ULTIMATE god simulator and sandbox game. A petri dish for your fantasy civilizations. Create your own world or destroy it using many powers. Watch civilizations grow, form kingdoms, colonize new lands, sail to far continents, wars to ignite, empires to fall and towns to burn!
SandboxGod GameSimulationPixel GraphicsColony SimDestructionLife SimBuildingArtificial IntelligenceFantasy👍 51,238GLITCHED MATRIX Prototype Lab
Aug 23 · GLITCHED MATRIX
Both: Exploration · Creature Collector · Colony Sim
Play a major role in an evolving simulation of simulations. Explore endless 2D and 3D dimensions spanning nearly every game genre, with 50+ experimental prototypes and stories whose worlds, systems, discoveries, and ideas can become part of the greater experience.
Action RoguelikeExplorationFPSCreature CollectorDungeon CrawlerColony SimSandboxUtilitiesEducationArcadePandora's Toybox
May 14 · BetaLab
Both: God Game · Sandbox · Roguelite
Become a God, build a civilization. In this dynamic Roguelite God Simulator, guide human civilization on a procedurally generated pixel world. Watch your people grow, defend them against heretics, and build an immortal legacy.
God GameSandboxSimulationStrategyRogueliteFantasyColony SimBuildingArtificial IntelligenceMythology👍 374Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolution
Sep 28, 2018 · Quasar
Both: Sandbox · God Game
Play with evolution! Species: ALRE is a scientifically-grounded, emergent simulation of natural selection. Creatures evolve and speciate in response to in-game mutation and selection forces, allowing you to experience and tinker with evolution in real-time.
SimulationSandboxEarly AccessGod GameScienceExperimentalIndieReal-Time with PauseSingleplayerRelaxing👍 972The Universim
Jan 22, 2024 · Crytivo
Both: Colony Sim · God Game · Sandbox
Jump straight into managing your own planets as you guide a civilization through the ages. Build the ultimate empire in The Universim, a new breed of God Game in development by Crytivo.
City BuilderColony SimGod GameSandboxBuildingSurvivalManagementSpaceStrategySimulation👍 8,471The Mims Beginning
May 18, 2016 · Squatting Penguins, The End of the Sun Forge
Both: God Game · Colony Sim · RTS
Experience a mystical journey with the Mims in this strategic god-like adventure—build, grow, protect, and wield divine powers. Now it's completely free! Also check out our other story-rich fantasy game, The End of the Sun, where you become a tracker of mythical beings and unravel mysteries.
God GameColony SimCity BuilderAction RTSRTSSimulationSandboxStrategySci-fiResource Management👍 143Legend Creatures(传奇生物)
Jun 18, 2020 · HideChara
Both: Exploration · Roguelite
Legendary creature is an independent game with rich playing methods such as roguelike + self-propelled chess + strategy. You can collect all kinds of magic creatures with various talents and skills, and can also evolve to a higher level.
ExplorationIndieRogueliteRoguelikeAuto BattlerStrategyReplay ValueSingleplayer2DFantasy👍 3,780Time to Morp
Mar 6, 2025 · Team HalfBeard
Both: Colony Sim · Creature Collector · Sandbox
Play with friends in a cozy base-building adventure! Take care of adorable creatures — Morps, explore, discover new species, grow crops, fish, build relationships with your crew, decorate your perfect home, and automate production along the way!
Base BuildingAutomationColony SimCreature CollectorMultiplayerSandboxFarming SimWholesomeCozyCasual👍 179
Also worth a look
Share some of the same DNA, but further from the original.
RimWorld
Oct 17, 2018 · Ludeon Studios
Both: Colony Sim · Sandbox
A sci-fi colony sim driven by an intelligent AI storyteller. Generates stories by simulating psychology, ecology, gunplay, melee combat, climate, biomes, diplomacy, interpersonal relationships, art, medicine, trade, and more.
Colony SimBase BuildingSurvivalStrategyManagementSandboxSingleplayerModdableSimulationSci-fi👍 209,183Oxygen Not Included
Jul 30, 2019 · Klei Entertainment
Both: Colony Sim · Sandbox
Oxygen Not Included is a space-colony simulation game. Deep inside an alien space rock your industrious crew will need to master science, overcome strange new lifeforms, and harness incredible space tech to survive, and possibly, thrive.
Colony SimBase BuildingSurvivalResource ManagementBuildingSingleplayerManagement2DSandboxSimulation👍 135,475Dwarf Fortress
Dec 6, 2022 · Bay 12 Games
Both: Colony Sim · Sandbox
Build a fortress and try to help your dwarves survive against a deeply generated world. Keep your dwarves happy, grow their community and beware of digging too deeply. The deepest, most intricate simulation of a world that's ever been created.
DwarvesColony SimBase BuildingSimulationCity BuilderStrategySandboxManagementBuildingSurvival👍 29,330Cult of the Lamb
Aug 11, 2022 · Massive Monster
Both: Roguelite · Colony Sim
Start your own cult in a land of false prophets, venturing out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland Followers and spread your Word to become the one true cult.
Base BuildingAction RoguelikeCuteCultSingleplayerDungeon CrawlerRogueliteCharacter CustomizationColony SimDark Humor👍 112,325Empires of the Undergrowth
Jun 7, 2024 · Slug Disco
Both: Colony Sim · Sandbox
Command swarms of warriors at an unprecedented scale of warfare in this blend of RTS and base-building. Lead ant colonies against the many fearsome threats of the insect world, while building intricate nests, developing pheromone-based tactics, and evolving to meet growing dangers.
StrategySimulationBase BuildingCity BuilderManagementGrand StrategyColony SimSandboxBuildingHistorical👍 17,521
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