EX NIHILO

Begin as a spark in the deep. Let each death shape the next generation.

You begin at the bottom of the ocean with no traits and no ability to swim freely. Only a pulse, a little energy, and the light above.

Find food. Face the heat, hunters, and currents. When a life ends, choose an adaptation for its descendants: movement, sharper senses, a stronger shell, or a new way to survive. Your creature changes across generations, and musical layers join its ascent.

Rise through the abyss, volcanic vents, twilight, and the shallows. Reach spawning grounds to preserve your progress. The fossils of earlier generations mark the journey toward the surface.

Death is how your species learns.

Made for Micro Jam 068: Evolution.
Theme: Evolution
Prerequisite: You start with nothing!

Controls

• WASD / arrow keys — swim after evolving movement
• Space / Shift / right mouse button — pulse or dash
• Hold left mouse button — swim toward the pointer after evolving movement
• 1 / 2, arrows then Enter, or click — choose a mutation
• Escape / P — pause
• M — mute

Play in a desktop browser with a keyboard or mouse. Sound is part of the journey; headphones are recommended. Your first generation cannot swim freely. Its first death opens the way to movement.

Credits & AI disclosure

Created with AI-assisted development.
Game implementation: Claude Code.
Final integration, quality improvements and release engineering: OpenAI Codex.
Original procedural music and sound effects: Astra / OpenAI.
Graphics are drawn procedurally with Canvas 2D.
Fonts: Space Mono and Cormorant Garamond, under the SIL Open Font License 1.1.

Full credits and font license notices are included in the game build.