Creatures Caves

I know everyone has been excited to hear what Steve Grand, the creator and lead programmer of Creatures, has been up to recently and we can now confirm he has been working on a new articial life game called Grandroids!

Screenshot of the Grandroids world (the creature is not from the game, just testing the physics).

Steve says, "I?ve been working on the theory behind a new breed of artificial life for years, now, and recently had what I hope is the scientific breakthrough I?ve been looking for. So I?ve started work on a new game.

I don?t know what the scenario will be yet or what the final creatures will look like, but it?s basically the same concept as Creatures, except this time in 3D, with real physics and with vastly better biology and brains. Ever since C1 I?ve been trying to understand how the mammalian brain gives rise to imagination and mental imagery, and I think I?m really onto something now that can be implemented in real time on a PC (after all, computers are at least a thousand times more powerful than they were when I started writing C1). I think I have the key to an artificial life form that can actually think. Norns could react but they couldn?t think ? they couldn?t make plans, have hopes or intentions, dream dreams, learn physical skills, etc. Higher consciousness can?t exist without an imagination either. It remains to be seen how smart they actually prove to be but they?ll certainly be much more realistic than the norns in lots of ways and hopefully a lot more fun to look after.

There?ll be an API for community extensions and tools, too, of course, and a lot more to learn about their physiology and behavior. I?m thinking in terms of creatures somewhat like orangutans in character, but we?ll see. Hopefully there will be several species. First I have to build their brains, and until a few weeks ago I was stuck on a really tricky problem in the layers of their brain that learn to recognize and classify things. But I think I?ve solved that now and I?m ready to get back to coding this week. .. I?m really excited about it potentially starting up again at long last."

- So wow, Grandroids is in development and looking for funding. You can read a little more about the game on its KickStarter page:

kickstarter.com/..grandroids-real-artificial-life-on-your-pc

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