Survivor: Evolution Through Play
Award-winning gesture-based game that lets visitors experience evolution first-hand.
Players take on the role of a species fighting for survival — adapting to changing environments, gathering food, and evolving to outlast their competitors.
Brief
The Natural History Museum wanted an interactive experience for its Extinction gallery that would help visitors understand how species adapt and evolve under environmental pressure. The challenge was to turn the science of evolution — a vast, complex process — into a fast, intuitive, and competitive game suitable for both individual and group play.
Our Approach
We designed a motion-controlled experience that used body movement as the main interface, allowing visitors to move, react, and adapt in real time. Working with museum scientists and exhibition teams, we created an environment where players experienced natural selection through play.
A robust content management system allowed museum staff to update scenarios, modify difficulty, and switch languages as the exhibit toured internationally — ensuring scientific accuracy and accessibility for all audiences.
Our goal was to make evolution tangible — a game where survival depended on agility, adaptation, and instinct.
Our Solution
The final installation delivered a high-energy single and multiplayer experience where visitors competed for survival in ever-changing conditions. Ice ages, floods, volcanic eruptions, and shifting landscapes tested their adaptability as they raced to gather food and evolve.
By combining gesture control, dynamic visuals, and real scientific principles, Survivor transformed a complex subject into an unforgettable experience — one that educated, entertained, and inspired curiosity about life’s resilience.
The gesture-based design removed the need for touchscreens or controllers, creating a fully immersive experience that anyone could join.