Evolution Games

Evolution Games (sometimes shortened to evo games or evo quests) are an offshoot of forum quests where the quest-giver would provide a few 'baseline' creatures, and the players would direct the evolution of the creatures. These kind of forum games have been played by /tg/ since early 2011 and later by /qst/.

Some variations in these games might be the introduction of sapience, which leads to tribal civilization-like game, and maps of the area. Most evolution games contain pictures of the organism being evolved, but there are the rare few that manage to do it without pictures.

Game Records

Here are some compiled versions of evolution games. Ones currently in session will be updated with progress*.

*Fat chance, whenever some fa/tg/uy gets to it, more like.

Early quests based on Evolution

Expand for list.

Derpuhpus Quest

A very early evo game, initially using text rather than modifiable pictures. Details the evolution of the humble Derpuhpus, an octopus-like creature, from its origins in the sea until its discovery of stoneworking. Status: Concluded

Bug Quest

An evo game, uses maps but without a picture of the communal bugs featured in the quest. Part evolution game, part management and strategy game.

EVO quest

Thought to be one of the quests that popularized evolution games. Equal parts quest and evolving creatures, we start as a cave-dwelling salamander and ended up with a demigod of the Kobolds. Magic-heavy.

Modern Evolution Games

Mollusk Quest

The first of the MS Paint generation, where players are given a base creature's picture, and modify it to reflect its evolution. Starts off as a blue slug, and ended up with gentlemen slugs (complete with moustache, monocle and top hat), villainous slugs (twirly moustache, cape and top hat), and train beetles. Yeah, it's not realistic, but it's quite fun nonetheless.
GM: from Aether !GuYmUwz4mI
Status: Concluded

Evolution Game

This is the first true evolution game, setting the standard of starting with three creatures and giving a name to the genre. The critters in this game were the the slug-like Allos, the rodentish Billu, and the insect/crustacean hybrid Cryd. Ended with three tribes capturing each others' members to appease the divine Stygians.
GM: from Aether !GuYmUwz4mI

Island Evolution Game

Continuing the success of the cave-based evolution game, it starts with three island creatures: the eel-like Dolli, the birdlike Etta, and the mollusk-ish Fryc. Later on the airborne jellyfish-like Innu was added. Ended with gigantic enemy crabs, vampiric two-headed dragons, a tribe of Etta descendants, deep-sea nightmare fuel, a tribe of ogrelike Dolli descendants, and fleshy castles in the sky.
GM: from Aether !GuYmUwz4mI

Moon Evolution Game

Well remembered by participants and infamous among evo thread regulars, this thread is generally known as "the Nightmare-Fuel" game due to the monstrous descendants that resulted at the thread's conclusion. Three unassuming organisms went on to develop into iridescent lunar dragons, walls of flesh possessing sonic weaponry, and an organic, biological form of the Skynet (from the Terminator films), complete with laser-based point-defense system. The ancestors of these horrors were the tripedal Trit, the flat-bodied Humell, and the gelatinous Yu.

In addition, this thread is responsible for unleashing the Yu'Mel onto a world that did nothing to warrant such punishment. The Yu'Mel is chief among the panoply of abominations created in this thread, an amorphous blob that boasted the ability to steal and copy the genetic code of other lifeforms, adding the features and abilities of the victim to the Yu'Mel's own arsenal. This creature is still a running gag among evo gamers, often posted as a reaction image comparing a scary or darkly creative new creature to this past horror.
GM: from Aether !GuYmUwz4mI
Status: Concluded

Species Saga

A more 'realistic' kind of evolution game. Starts with the amphibious geckolike Gilim, the insectlike Deka, and the fishlike... Feesh. Later on, the Shreemp joined the fray (a creature which later went on to feature in the Primordial series). Sadly, the second thread wasn't archived, but there was a wide range of Feesh descendants, and communal Dekas.
GM: ecologyfag
Status: Concluded

Primordial Evolution Game

From the humble beginnings of three small sea-dwelling organisms, this particular series has simply exploded into what is the largest and longest-running evo game yet. Over 30 threads of evolving on four continents and numerous islands, and more threads covering civilizations built by the sapient species of the world.
GM: Indonesian Gentleman
(Co-GMs: Non Gent, New Gent, APoe, long-time players)
Status: Hibernating

Snowcone Evolution Game

An evolution game set in an ice planet. Starts with the fuzzy fuzzbal Snufs, tentacle-faced quadruped Jeel, and the penguinlike Ucan. Later on an Ultros wannabe, the Hooklurt, rose from the icy planet's depths. Ended with graceful flying Ucas descendants, armored predatory Jeels, scorpion-tailed Snufs, lazy sledding Ucans, and nigh-invisible Hooklurts.
GM: Bandwagon
Status: Condcluded

Convergence

Convergence I.
Convergence II.
This game starts with a defined post-apocalyptic setting filled with noxious chemicals and radiation from a fallen civilization. The starting creatures were the insectoid Nanzi, worm-like Slygg, and plankton-like Foram. Eventually developed into a sci-fi story involving Monoliths and Machines.
GM: Deus vs Machina
Status: Abandoned.

Swamp Evo Game

A one-shot evo game which has us evolving three creatures and a plant.
GM: New Gent
Status: Concluded

Fortune Evolution

Never meant as anything more than a one-shot, this evo game instead went on to become a large, expansive world, much like the Primordial Evo game that inspired it. It's believed to be the first evolution game to have its own article here on 1d4chan. Links to its many threads (nearly a dozen at the time of this writing) are included on said page. At this time, Fortune is the second-longest running evolution game
GM: FortuneHost
Status: Concluded

Omnimute Evolution Game

Betamute too A simple evolution game (run by a semi-regular of both Fortune and Primordial) where each player starts out with an amphibious Omnimute creature of their own to evolve. Each lineage was colour coded and only evolved by one player (who usually namefagged as the colour eg.Red, Teal).
GM: Omnimute Host
Status: Unknown

Chubb Evo

A one-shot evolution game that started with one creature. While it started somewhat seriously, it quickly spiraled into silliness at the end.
Status: Concluded

Unnamed Evolution Game

A recent evolution game that is the first to attempt some actual mechanics.
GM: Hostbro !SKYOCemjjs
Status: Running

Arigan Evolution Game

A promising new evolution game, set in the planet of Arigan
GM: Omnimute Host as Anonymous
Status: Running

Fallen Star (a.k.a Leech World)

Thread 1
Thread 2
An originally untitled evolution game opening up with the image of a meteor exploding in the upper atmosphere of an earth-like planet, supplying the world with the seeds of life.
GM: Bandwagon
Status: Unknown

Unnamed EVO Quest (planet Klogas)

Thread 1
Thread 2
Thread 3 An originally untitled evolution game, abandoned early on by the OP, kept alive by some anons. Took place on Klogas, a young world 3 times the size of earth orbiting a neutron star, shielded from most of the radiation by a gas torus. Began with 3 aquatic species, Kreps, Belps, and Ferm. Ended up with flying squids, jet propelled algae eaters, floating coral, and 2 prime candidates for sentience.
GM: EvOP !RJZXCVj/po, Darwin !OWKyfe6NVs
Status: Possibly abandoned

Ezfrous

Divergent Evolution Game

An evo game meant to be played multiple times. Each time it start with the same five organism in the ocean of an earth-like unnamed planet; the scavenging Bzol, the omnivorous Mulu, the carnivorous Braf and opportunistic Cerar. Algae are the fifth organism and the only plants. Ideally, supposed to be a short game that last a few threads so new scenarios can be seen.
GM: Depend on the game, originally Divergence
Status: Always awaiting next reboot

Essari Evolution Game

An evolution game using the Divergent starter organisms. Well-thought world mechanics.

Crysalis

Scrotus IV

Traditional Evo Expanded (the commandeered evo)

Starting off with 4 fairly evolved creatures, ExtinctOp created Evo2K18 with a promising start, however 4 days into the thread he vanished. When the thread was dead Commodore Norrington “commandeered” the thread and became the new GM later adding LongShorts as Co-Gm to help with the running of the game. After the takeover world mechanics and events where added and the game was shaped to become suitable for further civ games afterwards.
GM: Commodore Norrington
(Co-GMs: LongShorts,ExtinctOp)
Status: Running

Many more have been created over the years. Most were failed one-shots that never took off. Others have yet to be added to this list.