I don’t think there’s ever been a video game quite like Spore.
Released in the late 2000s, the game lets you create and then guide a lifeform from
a microorganism in a tidepool to an advanced creature in a galaxy-spanning civilization.
Being able to, essentially, design and play as your own speculative creature really blew
my mind when I was younger.
I remember spending hours trying to make my creations as detailed as possible, and coming
up with fake scientific attributes about how they functioned in the ecosystems around them.
Of course, you could also use Spore to create bizarre monstrosities, and throw the rulebook
of biology out the window.
After all, the final game was certainly not always a, uh, scientifically accurate depiction
of evolution, and often cartoonishly over-exaggerated the stages of life.
I also know a lot of content was cut during its development, which disappointed some.
Yet for all its eccentricities, Spore remains an evolution simulator that’s quite nostalgic
to many — myself included.
And the game does explore a number of the principles of evolution and biology, albeit
in a simplified manner.
So, for this entry into the archive, we’ll make a creature and play through the game
ourselves to gain an understanding of how this virtual race for survival relates to
real scientific laws.
And as an added challenge, we’ll try to keep our creature within the parameters of
plausibility — as much as such a thing is possible in Spore.
So, let’s begin our multi-billion-year voyage through this simulated universe…
The game opens on a swirling spiral galaxy.
The opening screen really sells the potential of the journey you’re about to embark on.
From this distant perspective, anything seems possible.
We have a number of gleaming planets upon which we can begin our odyssey of adaptation.
This particular world seems like a good fit.
Like Earth, it seems to have primarily green plants to match the light wavelengths of its
host star.
It’s worth noting that in Spore, as in our own universe, alien planets might have completely
different colored foliage depending on their star’s wavelengths.
We’ll call this world ‘Planet Curious,’ and kick off the simulation.
The game begins with a sequence of an asteroid hurtling past the planet’s host star, and
towards the planet itself.
Breaking through the atmosphere and raining down into the sea, the asteroid carries with
it hidden microorganisms.
The concept of microorganisms surviving in space for long periods might sound like science
fiction, but certain species of tardigrades, or ‘water bears,’ can indeed survive the
vacuum of outer space.
The idea that a similar microorganism could hitch a ride to another planet on an asteroid
is a genuine scientific theory.
And with the lifeform we’ll be guiding emerging from the rubble, the first stage of Spore
has officially begun.
While this section of the game is called ‘Cell Stage,’ it seems to be a multi-cellular
organism from the very beginning.
Our species begins life on this planet drifting through the tidepool, feeding on pieces of
algae-like plant matter.
On Earth, many tardigrades live their lives in a similar manner, locating and feeding
on clumps of wayward algae cells for sustenance.
As a heterotrophic lifeform, our microorganism cannot produce food within their body, and
must regularly consume plant matter to continue functioning.
Our herbivore’s mouth appears to be that of a filter feeder, and resembles that of
Rotifers on Earth.
Rotifers are among Earth’s most successful microscopic filter feeders, vacuuming up plant
matter using their swirling mouth-parts.
And if our microorganism wants to get lunch, they’ll have to be the first in a rapidly
expanding line.
For other emerging herbivores are after the same resources, and when resources are limited,
competition begins.
And so, within this tidepool, the first race for survival on Planet Curious is underway...
If our lifeform is going to survive, they need to adapt.
Entering the cell editor, we can see that thus far, we’ve been navigating the tidepool
using a single flagellum: a long, whip-like structure that a wide range of microorganisms
use for locomotion.
Some microorganisms actually possess multiple flagella to propel themselves along — a
strategy we’ll copy with our lifeform.
Our species also evolves a pair of lateral spikes to fend off the competition.
Spikes are an extremely basic adaptation, found on the microscopic level in life like
the heliozoa, whose bodies are surrounded by sharp projections that can spear other
microorganisms.
Now that our lifeform is looking rather promising, it’s time we give this particular iteration
a name.
For now, we’ll call them Curiosus Minimus.
Over the course of our multi-billion-year journey, we’ll see them change quite a bit…
Back in the tidepool, our extra flagella have helped us outmaneuver other herbivores.
Over the eons, our species has grown larger, and can now feed on the ends of bigger aquatic
plant structures — again, just like certain tardigrades.
But it’s no longer just herbivores within this primordial battleground.
At every turn, newly emergent carnivores try to snap at Curiosus Minimus.
These early hunters resemble some of the oldest predators in Earth’s fossil record from
the Cambrian era.
Nectocaris is a notable example of an early carnivore — and really does look like a
Spore creature in most reconstructions.
With all sorts of unfriendly customers swarming the waters, the spikes of Curiosus Minimus
are an invaluable adaptation.
Over millions of years, a new trait arises in the form of navigational appendages the
game calls cilia.
On Earth, the term ‘cilia’ refers to hair-like structures found on the surface of various
single-celled organisms.
In Spore, cilia are clearly something different, analogous instead to the tiny, primitive fin
structures present on certain ichthyoplankton.
And with our new fins, the tidepool has never been easier to navigate.
So far, we’ve subsisted entirely off plants.
But in the interest of documenting a wide variety of behaviors, I’m going to steer
our lifeform down the path of the omnivore.
In Spore, this is possible through the development of a proboscis, or proboscis as it’s sometimes
pronounced.
On Earth, various animals feed using a proboscis, both above the waves and in tidepool-like
environments, as is the case for the Phyllodoce lineata, a species of worm that uses its strange
mouth to feed on smaller organisms.
With our new mouth, would-be attackers are now a potential source of nutrition.
Over the next several million years, our species flourishes — developing a second pair of
fins for navigation, and earning the new name of Curiosus Aquaticus.
We’re now a far larger lifeform than when we first began, more comparable to a small
fish than a microorganism.
And other lifeforms have followed suit, with life on Planet Curious becoming far more sophisticated
in general.
Some organisms can even deliver a sudden electric shock if Curiosus Aquaticus gets too close.
Mastery over electricity is familiar in our world, with electric eels using disc-shaped
cells packed into specialized organs to generate their painful zaps.
While this is a promising strategy, Curiosus Aquaticus is doing just fine without it — with
our back fins becoming larger and well-defined.
The age of the tidepool is about to come to an end…
A cartoonish animation shows us that our species has developed a brain.
On earth, the first brains emerged from interconnected nerve nets, simple nervous systems that are
still present in some types of jellyfish.
With our developing brain and enviable omnivore niche, when it comes to swimming in sludge,
Curiosus Aquaticus rules the pool.
But a new stage of life is about to begin on dry land…
Looking back at our history, we’ve already had quite a journey: from simple herbivore
to complex omnivore.
And now, the next stage in our evolutionary journey is evolving legs and crawling out
of the water.
The land-to-ocean transition process was a complicated one on Earth, and we don’t see
much of it in Spore, although we can speculate as to how it happens.
Over millions of years, the fins of Curiosus Aquaticus likely became larger and more muscular
as ecological conditions encouraged them to spend more and more time at the water’s
edge.
These early explorers likely weren’t the most graceful on land, and still lived their
lives very much tied to water, like earth mudskippers.
But eventually, primitive legs emerged.
And now, with a fresh new color scheme, the rather strange lifeform we’ll dub Curiosus
Irregularius is ready to leave the water behind, and take their first steps as a proper land-dweller.
As we enter Spore’s Creature Stage, a loading screen informs us of the kinds of creatures
we might encounter.
And as always, it looks to be quite an unusual bunch.
Curiosus Irregularius starts off life on land living in small, communal nests, and generally
lying low.
On Earth, there are numerous types of species that build their nests directly on the ground.
But it’s an exciting sign of rising intelligence that our creature has evolved to live in social
units.
As a generalist omnivore, Curiosus Irregularius spends much of their time foraging for food,
and scuttling along, unseen, through the grasses.
And they’re not alone on land.
Other species — perhaps distant relatives — have also made the land to water transition
during this early period.
The game gives us the option to hunt them, or try and impress them socially using displays
like singing and dancing.
On Earth, all manner of animals conduct similarly unusual displays — but typically only within
their own species to facilitate courtship and mating.
But while this kind of cross-species communication isn’t likely, it’s the system the game
provides us with, so we’ll have Curiosus Irregularius show off their singing voice
to any creature who will listen.
Over the generations, Curiosus Irregularius will change quite a bit.
Within the creature editor, Spore gives us the option to make pretty much any changes
we want.
Like I said before, you can really push your creature to some pretty absurd limits.
I remember spending hours when I was younger just testing the boundaries of what Spore
allowed you to do.
While all that is fun, it’s not quite how evolution works, so we’ll be keeping changes
gradual.
On that note, one ancestral trait I’ve decided to retain are the stalk eyes.
Eyes at the ends of stalks have their drawbacks, but they also have their advantages, like
a better field of vision.
And frankly, they’re just fun.
In nature, stalk eye users include certain crabs, and types of snails, so they’re not
an unheard-of characteristic.
In terms of a mouth, this leech-like suction mouth ringed with primitive teeth seems like
the most likely to emerge from a proboscis.
Another useful adaptation Spore offers is a type of projectile venom.
I feel the closest analog to this in the natural world is the chemical spray of the spitting
cobra, so I’ve placed the poison launcher in our creature’s mouth.
We can say it’s derived from some kind of salivary gland, as that’s where most venom
in nature emerges from.
Another shift that might feasibly occur over millions of years is a change in our creature’s
coloration.
Colors and patterns play a fascinating role across Earth’s ecosystems.
Some have bright colors as a signal to others of their kind, or as a warning to predators.
Others have colors that match their environments to hide or to stalk prey.
Still others have colors and patterns that resemble other forms of life to reduce their
chance of being targeted.
For our purposes, I’ve decided to stick with a green pattern that matches our environment.
And watching our creature in motion, I have to say that while I endeavored to make a vaguely
plausible species, they look a bit horrifying.
I’m still quite attached to them, though.
As ages continue to pass, our species grows more adjusted to land and begins living in
larger social groups.
Other species on Planet Curious are also changing and diversifying, some of whom we impress
with our social displays, and others who must be fended off.
We are still an omnivore, after all, and with our gnashing teeth and venomous spray, we
represent a formidable threat.
Yet we are a food source for some larger, more specialized carnivores.
If our species is really going to thrive, we might have to change our solitary hunting
strategy…
Another age passes, and we can evolve a larger mouth with more defined pseudo-teeth.
Like many of the mouths in Spore, this one does look… a bit odd.
I do think it’s cool, however, that the abilities of these mouths seem to be loosely
inspired by the behavior of real-world animals — with the songbird-like mouth better at
things like singing, and the crocodile-like mouth featuring one of the strongest bites.
It’s obviously a simplification, but it’s a fun detail nonetheless.
Sticking with our horrifying leech mouth for now, we can also upgrade our poison spit and
our talons, and add a display structure on our creatures’ shoulders that will help
us show off.
I imagine this feather-like structure evolved from some kind of rigid plate for the purpose
of attracting a mate.
And while that might sound far-fetched, some display structures on Earth which have evolved
to attract mates are far more elaborate.
With a new pattern of stripes on our creature’s legs to help it blend into the tall grasses,
I think it’s time we gave this iteration the new name of Curiosus Striatus.
And this new chapter looks to be an exciting one, as our species’ social intelligence
has progressed to the point where Curiosus Striatus can hunt in a coordinated pack.
With this critical advantage, our species is now frequently able to outcompete lineages
that were once higher in the food web.
On occasion, the pack wanders into more trouble that it can handle.
At one point, a group of Curiosus Striatus are crushed under the foot of an Epic, a type
of giant monster that I remember being one of the scarier parts of Spore when I was younger.
At another point, we wander out to sea and are swallowed by a creature from below — another
part of Spore that I distinctly remember finding terrifying.
But with each new generation, our pack-hunting omnivores are getting smarter…
And as the pages of evolution continue to turn, it’s possible that Curiosus Striatus
might become bipedal.
Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two
rear limbs.
While we associate this kind of walking with humans, all sorts of animals do it for all
sorts of reasons.
In dinosaurs like the theropods, for example, bipedalism is thought to have emerged to free
up their front limbs and allow them to grasp fast moving prey.
We can imagine that primitive grasping digits might emerge in our species for the same reason.
With a new mouth and more complex display structures, this is a big shift for our lifeform.
And as is sometimes the case in Spore, while our design might look pretty streamlined while
standing still, in motion, it looks… a bit unusual.
Oh well.
With a new name to celebrate its grasping digits, Curiosus Digitatus is born.
And with our new hands, fruit that was once out of reach is now quite accessible.
The social interactions of Curiosus Digitatus are also more complex, moving in larger packs
across the vast open plains.
With our coordinated movements and theropod-like anatomy, we’ve never been higher up on the
food web than we are right now.
Some Curiosus Digitatus will even, on occasion, pick up sticks and hold them in their hands.
While for the moment this is just the product of curiosity, it’s similar to the behavior
of early primates that gave rise to the first hominids.
With these grasping appendages encouraging their inquisitiveness, Curiosus Digitatus
are on the cusp of evolving higher intelligence.
Curiosus Digitatus now live in larger nests.
They can impress just about any species through their displays, and hunt just about any species
with their claws, fangs, and venomous spit.
And with another cartoonish graphic conveying that our brains have once again become larger
in size, the final stage in our development is upon us.
It’s worth noting that while in Spore, your creature evolves along a direct path toward
advanced intelligence, real evolution is of course more meandering, with organisms adapting
to physical changes in their environment, and not necessarily increasing in intelligence
size over time.
But having a more streamlined journey through evolution makes Spore more exciting.
Speaking of which, entering the creature creator one last time, we can make the final upgrades.
These include a four-part mouth, which is similar in some ways to the mouthparts of
certain insects.
Our fingers are also longer and more dexterous — with the critical beginnings of an opposable,
thumb-like digit — and our display structures are more extravagant than ever.
Finally, our posture has become more upright.
This remarkable iteration has earned the name Curiosus Sapiens.
Looking onwards towards the future, the various social units of Curiosus Sapiens will continue
to thrive and achieve greater complexity.
These intelligent omnivores have come a long way from their tiny, filter-feeding starting
point.
Looking back through our history once again, it’s been a long and winding road to reach
this point.
The stages after cell and creature all about technological development, so we won’t be
covering them — at least in this video.
Watching a creature evolve in Spore remains a pretty special experience.
Despite the game’s age, I often see people posting new stuff they’ve made online.
I know that Spore almost had more features and more realism in it, and while it’s a
shame those elements got cut, the simulated galaxy we’re left with is still pretty unique.
I think part of what keeps people coming back to this game is that the experience is very
much what you make it.
You can push the creature creator to its absolute limits and make absurd monstrosities, or you
can try to stay within the lines of plausible biology.
It’s up to you.
I’d love to see another high-profile game tackle something similar, as I feel there’s
real potential for a modern, more science-based take on this concept.
But for now, we can always fall back on the weird and wonderful possibilities of Spore.
As always, thanks for watching.
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