Spore was a sensation back in the day. The ability to create artificial life made it one of the best god games ever created. In addition to that, it also proved to be a great strategy game, where you could attack an alien planet, and, unlike other god games, it was a sandbox evolution simulator. You were limited only by your imagination and, well, your computer’s ability to process. Ultimately, it’s an extremely fun game for all ages with its own universe, creatures, and lore.

But – it has been some time since the game's release, so many people may be taken aback by the graphics design, or they just played this one back in the day and want to try something new. 

In this article, we will go over spore-like games with survival, evolution, and real-time strategy elements. Those are revolutionary games in their genre or just very well-executed concepts. They may focus more on the Spore’s space stage or create strange creatures. Our goal was to create games with not precisely similar gameplay but similar vibes to what you could experience in Spore. So, without further ado, let’s review the examples we have prepared for you.

• Developer: Maxis

• Release Date: September 2008

• Platforms: Windows 

• Meta Score: 84

But, let’s first look at Spore itself, as you may not be acquainted with the title. Well, if you would like to have an entire universe for you to travel, lots and lots of creatures to evolve in multiple different ways, and even conquer the universe – Spore is definitely a game for you. The core gameplay is pretty simple – you go through a creature’s evolution, where you have complete control of the next big step in the evolution process. Add claws, legs, and whatever you like to create a perfect being.

And, it’s real evolution, so you must remember that there will be many situations where your concept may not work out, and your guys will just get destroyed. Leg on a forehead may not be the best idea, for example.

After completing the evolution part of the game, you will then get to experience the wonderful world of space exploration. It’s survival of the fittest on the ground and in the space. The game turns into a space exploration, and unlike other games, it does not limit itself to being just an epic journey or a game where you conquer other worlds. Each element of this game is highly detailed and precise. It’s not like you have an evolution-based game; somewhere in a distant future, you have space fighting. Here – everything is world class. And that’s why people fell in love with this game.

• Developer: Crytivo Games

• Release Date: August 2018 (Early Access)

• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, SteamOS 

• Meta Score: N/D

Starting with games like Spore, we have The Universim. It’s a wonderful simulation/god game where you take the role of a literal divine being who guides their followers through the rough way of creating a civilization. You get to lead them through the Stone Age to explore the space, similar to what is possible in Spore. Although you may not get to experience the evolution part of what made Spore one of the best games ever, it’s still a deep and interesting title that you will definitely enjoy if you like the game in the title.

How does it work? Well, it's like a city-building simulation, where you manage resources, research new and interesting technologies, and deal with various problems. As their god, the most important part for you is making them happy. And – that they would crush the other gods’ civilizations. While natural selection may be the key to development, sometimes you need divine intervention. So, if playing good games is a part of your grand strategy, The Universim is a game for you!

• Developer: Prideful Sloth

• Release Date: November 2021

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One

• Meta Score: 78

Next up, we have the Grow: Song of the Evertree. Like a previous game, it also utilizes the God-like concept as you take the role of a Gardener that restores this beautiful world to the glorious plant-based mystical experience. The main goal is to grow the title Evertree, the only life-creating plant that sustains everything else. Additionally, you get to experience this vast and wonderful environment, full of many species at many stages of development.

Similarly to Spore, you get to create life, this time not with animals, but plants. It’s the best game for all the flower lovers out there. In our experience, we have got to tell you that it is so much easier to keep a plant alive in Grow than in real life. Unfortunately.

Nevertheless, Grow focuses on collaboration and creating a community. Players try to grow Evertree by working with each other, exploring the world together, or just creating a place to talk and share experiences. Additionally, you get to see and judge, probably, other players’ gardens, so it’s a neverending adventure where you can compete with each other in the most delicate way possible on who has a better garden basis.

• Developer: Firaxis Games

• Release Date: October 2016

• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, SteamOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android

• Meta Score: 88

Another game on our list is a big one – Civilization VI. When it comes to going through various stages of civilization development, there simply is no better game to do so. In Civilization VI, you not only get to experience the great amount of fantastic technological aspects of different civilizations from history but also meet wonderful historical leaders like Cleopatra, Genghis Khan, and Ghandi. So – you can tell your parents/significant other that you are actually learning something while playing video games. 

But how is it similar to Spore? Well, you create not a single monster but a whole civilization of people; you grow it, expand it, and you can even get to space with it! Additionally, it has an advanced city-building system, where you can create entire cities and develop military or science. You also experience diplomacy when talking to other nations and negotiating treaties…just to stab them in the back after a few minutes.

An interesting aspect is this game's “victory conditions,” as you can do it in many different ways. You can get there with your scientific advancements, cultural ones, religion, or by just conquering the world! Definitely worth checking out!

• Developer: Squad

• Release Date: June 2011

• Platforms: Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

• Meta Score: 88

Next, we have the Kerbal Space Program for all the Kerbals in the building. In this game, you take the role of the director of the Kerbal Space Program. What does it imply? Well, you are taking care of Kerbals, who want to explore space. It’s as simple as that, right? Well, no.

But first, how does this game relate to Spore? Here you are. Quirky graphic design? Check. Managing some weird creature with an unusual color of skin – check. Taking those creatures from one single-cell organism to something much more complex? Well, not exactly, but they do look pretty interesting!

The gameplay is pretty straightforward. You have a few ways that you can play this title – first one is rocket design, where you get to create your very own device. Next is space exploration, where you travel to the wonderful Kerbal solar system. 

Another is the Career mode, where you manage the budget and reputation of the whole space program. You can also go with Science Mode for all your science endeavors and bring this data to your home planet, Kerbin. And finally, we have the Sandbox mode where you can basically do anything you want, no questions asked. Seems fun? Well – enjoy!

• Developer: Amplitude Studios

• Release Date: May 2017

• Platforms: Windows, macOS

• Meta Score: 80

Next up is Endless Space 2. It’s your favorite 4X game to get stuck in, as it’s pretty demanding. It’s most similar to the second part of Spore, but it has much more detail in that department. You can even say that it’s the advanced version of the second part of Spore and a great game of its own accord.

So, what’s it all about? First, you need to find your faction. There are a few for you to choose from – The Sophons, the Cravers, the Lumeris, the Vodyani, the United Empire, the Horatio, the Riftborn, and the Unfallen – each with its strengths and weaknesses. Each one of those is extremely hard to explain, so let’s just say that you have your classics and a few unexpected ones when it comes to the standard factions in RTS games.

Similarly to Civ VI, the game does not end in an easy way, where you get more points than your opponents. Here, there are plenty of victory conditions for you to explore: military conquest, scientific supremacy, economic dominance, and diplomatic achievements. But be careful with how you play your cards. Endless Space 2 is a hard game if you are not careful, so thread carefully! And – have fun!

• Release date: 2018

• Developer: Ludeon Studios

• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows, Mac operating systems

• Meta Score: 87

Another fun game that lets you observe your, maybe not species, evolve, but rather people with their hopes and dreams is Rimworld! The one, the only, one of the most fun survival games ever is definitely something that all Spore lovers would enjoy. When it comes to surviving in harsh conditions, starting a civilization out of scratch, and fighting against all odds – there are no better games than this one.

So, what’s it all about? You and your fellow crewmates crashed into a planet. Now, as there is no way out, you need to stay in and, well, essentially survive. There are a couple of things to do here and there: get some resources and find ways to survive in this harsh environment. 

You can get more and more advanced technology with each level and find new tools to help you in your everyday life. But what makes this game unique is that it’s all based on the imagination of an AI storyteller that generates all the events happening to you and your crewmates. There are three options for you to choose from. 

First is Cassandra Classic, where you can expect pretty much the expected. You are on a planet; things happen – that’s normal. Then, you have Phoebe Chillax if you want to play, but you mostly like to gather resources, do some side quests, and are not interested in getting to the bottom of everything. And then you have the Randy Random. A totally random person that obviously does not care about anything but being the most chaotic you can be.

Apart from that, it’s a pretty standard survival game. You need food, rest, you need to talk to people, and take care of the most basic, but sometimes – more advanced, needs that they may have. Getting to know them is important, as you never know what will happen next!

• Release date: 2018

• Developer: Ludeon Studios

• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows, Mac operating systems

• Meta Score: 87

Next up, we have the Surviving Mars game. Similarly to Rimworld, it all takes place on an Alien planet, where you must survive in dire conditions. Living on Mars has never been easier. Additionally, it’s the favorite Elon Musk game, so you can count on at least one person understanding what you are talking about when being in ave for it.

Build your base, create some living conditions, and develop even further than that. It may feel like your everyday life strategy/survival game, but it has a lot of realistic elements that many of the games on this list lack. For example, you need to create oxygen to breathe on this unwelcoming red giant. 

Of course, it’s not the easiest of games, so if it’s your first approach to the genre, you may feel unwelcome (similarly to Mars itself). Nevertheless, it’s a solid title that you can count on being replayable repeatedly. Especially if you have the right approach to it. Similarly to Spore, it also gives you a lot of things to choose from when it comes to ensuring your survivability.

And here we are, at the end of our road. As you can see, most games like Spore utilize rather the space exploration aspect than evolving creatures. It seems like getting exotic animals to turn into monsters and discover their true nature is not something that comes easily. Nevertheless, Spore's efforts to create a completely new genre seem to be working, as people are still craving something similar to the 2008 game. 

And, even though it seems unlikely, they are still playing it. And that’s just astonishing!

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