Garden of Ants

Garden of Ants is a real-time ant colony simulation developed by biologists. It is inspired by the complex structure of ant societies and the many different ant species that have evolved a multitude of castes, each with its own specialization. Control tunnel-digging workers, tree-climbing leafcutters, defensive soldiers, acid sprayers, blocker ants, explosive ants, or pupae thieves, just to name a few!

Dynamic Environment: The game embraces a minimalist aesthetic while simulating a dynamic environment across three distinct layers, each offering a different play style. Underground, you dig tunnels and specialized chambers to care for your eggs, cultivate the fungus that sustains the colony, and tend to your queen's needs. Above ground, you explore the vast landscape to collect seeds and hunt insects. In the vegetation layer, you move along delicate branches to herd aphids and gather leaves. The cycle of day and night brings additional challenges, such as nocturnal predators and changing temperatures.

Founding the Colony: The game begins with the founding of a new underground colony by a fertilized queen. A small piece of fungus provides nourishment for the first tiny worker ants, who take over caring for both the queen and the fungus while bringing fresh organic material that fuels its growth and forms the foundation of the colony.

Colony Expansion: Workers collect nutrients for the fungus by mining the soil and gathering organic matter. The larger and healthier the fungus becomes, the more ants it can support. As new castes emerge, they unlock access to additional resource types, allowing the colony to grow even further.

Nutrition and Defense: Collect a variety of resources from the environment, such as seeds, honeydew from aphids, and the chitin-rich remains of captured insects. These resources nourish larvae, allowing them to develop into specialized castes with unique abilities and roles within the colony. The fungal gardens, however, must be constantly protected from unwanted intruders. Parasitic flies, rove beetles, "zombie" fungi, and silverfish can infiltrate the nest and disrupt its delicate balance.

Exploration and Expansion: Explore the surrounding world by digging new underground tunnels or sending agile scouts to the surface. Climb trees to survey the area and spy on your enemies from above. The colony must contend with rival ant species, predatory insects such as antlions and spiders, and expand its influence until it becomes the dominant force within the ecosystem.

Procedural World & Multiplayer: Every new game takes place in a procedurally generated world, ensuring that each colony begins in a unique environment with different terrain, resources, and challenges. Garden of Ants is also planned to support multiplayer for up to 8 players, allowing you to cooperate or compete as rival colonies in the same living ecosystem.

Watch your colony grow and fight for survival in a living world!