Thrive: The Evolution of a Game

In which I examine the past, present and future of an evolution game forged from the ashes of Spore and perhaps destined for the stars.

This video is a partial adaptation of the following articles I wrote in 2016 and 2018 respectively:

0:00 Intro
2:35 Part I: How to Microbe
17:27 Part II: On the Origin of Thrive
32:43 Part III: The Impossible Game
45:20 Credits

----------------------

FOOTAGE

Ballad of the Banana
Emil Blichfeldt Sørensen

Blinking
Jon P

Factorio - Gameplay Trailer 2016
Factorio

Flames
Pixabay

GTA 5 Wasted green screen Chroma key
AltF4

Revolutionary Games Thrive stream highlight. - The underwater curse.
Captain Mcderp

Spore: Cell Stage Video
Spore

Spore Creature Stage Video Preview
IGN

Spore - Disturbance [Thrive]
DarkEdgeTV

Spore Tribal Stage Preview
IGN

The Simpsons
Fox

Thrive Gameplay Overview | 2021
The Scarlet Seeker

Thrive Steam Edition. Thrive got steamy!
SonOfmowgef

TV Screen Turn off Effect with Sound Full 1080HD Free Download
Infinity Mania

Will Wright GDC 2005 Spore (The Future of Content) Remastered
Devin Watson

----------------------

MUSIC

After the Blizzard (Thrive Polar Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Alien Plains (Thrive Aware Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Casually Busy (Thrive Democracy Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Cold Clockwork of the Stars and Nations (Thrive Fallen Soldiers Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Dew and Spiders (Thrive Rainforest Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Genesis (Thrive Microbe Opening Cutscene Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Hitting Rewind on History (Thrive Awakening Theme)
Oliver Lugg

In Need of a Tune-Up (Thrive Spaceship Editor Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Monkeys Spinning Monkeys

Robot March (Thrive Robot March Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Take Ten (Jeopardy Theme)
Julann Griffin

The Coral Sea (Thrive Ocean Theme)
Oliver Lugg

These Constants Into Morning
Oliver Lugg

The Swamp Stomp (Thrive Swamp Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Thrive Main Theme (Original)
hongchong7

Trilobites (Thrive Multicellular Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Under the Ice (Thrive Ice Ocean Theme)
Oliver Lugg

Voyager’s Wake (Thrive Space Voyage Theme)
Oliver Lugg

[Sentiant]

Honestly the fact that Thrive is still going for no reason but sheer willpower is one of the highlights of my internet experience.

Literally everyone familiar with the game industry told them “you can’t just keep a game going with no money or professional programmers” but open-source volunteers went

[ElizabethWarne]

“what if they could use the hydroyhermicle vents to smeltle the meltle” is going to be stuck in my head for the next seventeen years, thank you

[TheBibitesDigitalLife]

The "flood people suggesting an ever-growing amount of random ideas" is definitely a fact of the evolution game community ahahah
Even with the Bibites it's hard to not want to please everyone

[nicholas]

That is what's called "an inspiring story" in my book! Props to all the people who have given of themselves over the years to make this happen. Maybe, with your help, it will flourish a little more. Everyone counts.

[katiebabyxx]

The fact that they are finally starting to develop the multicellular stage is inspiring. So excited.

[windowpanememberrrr]

OH DAMN. You likely don’t know me, but I actually met you on the Thrive forums like 4 years ago and since haven’t really used them, but that’s how I got to know your work! I’m really excited for this video!

[northsoutheastweest]

Honestly, even if all they finish is just the microbe and multicellular stages, I'd be thrilled. The other stages would be beyond fantastic, but I'd consider it a job incredibly well done if the first 2 stages are completed. Here's hoping.

[nixl_]

This is why i love free and open-source software so much, it gives impossible tasks a chance at working. FOSS for the win!

[Concavenator]

Oh God the memories. I remember waiting for Spore, I remember thinking "cool, but is this it?", I remember the Evolutions! forum dreaming something better, I remember the colored hexagon cells. It's unbelievable that Thrive is still going on, but here we are. Whatever happen, it IS a game, a functional, enjoyable game. It started from basically nothing, it survived against all common sense, it became something small but beautiful, and it still has all the potential to become greater someday. Just like real evolution, only a bit slower. Thanks for your work, Oliver (especially for the Main Theme), and for everyone else's.

[AngelboyVR]

more than a decade and we still want a game that allows you to recreate dragons in an evolution gameplay manner with which we can roam around the earth and multiply. (including me)
it is so fascinating and leaving me in awe to still find videos like these, so many years after i discovered Spore way back in my childhood.
i hope Thrive will ... thrive and becomes THE creature editor we always wanted.

truly a lot of sentimental value is bond with this entire journey, i have not been part of any of this but i fully understand the weight and emotions of it all.

[floorbeardthepirate]

I found this channel with the 5d chess vid, and when I looked back at your previous uploads I found weird music for what looked like a game. I went along my merry way and occasionally got the feeling that the aforementioned game was something bigger. As I saw this video thumbnail my suspicions were confirmed, and watching it I discovered that it was built in the engine I work with. I however am young and inexperienced, currently barely able to get the motivation to finish my own solo project primarily built in GD script. I want to avoid the mistakes made by so many of the senior devs on the game so that I don't jump into a project I'm not ready for. I am just going to bookmark this tab as of now, and come back later. I plan to make a game this summer and gain more experience (and work ethic), but I hope to join this project later and contribute when I am ready. Thank you Oliver. See you on the forums (hopefully) sometime in the future!

[captainstroon]

With Thrive I always get the feeling it will be stuck in the cell stage forever. But if it ever gets out of the primordial soup, I just hope it won't be five games in a trenchcoat like Spore turned out to be but a more connected experience instead.
(Oh no, I have been infected by the only giving ideas virus! That said, here we go:) This could be done by being able to go back to a toned down versions of previous stages in later stages.
Want to experience the cell stage again during the multicellular stage? What about being able to manage your creatures gut biome and helping them digest new stuff?
Want to experience the cell stage again during the industrial stage? What about being able to develop vaccines and nanobots in a petri dish?
Want to experience the multicellular stage again during the awakening stage? Take control of a single hunter and get your tribe some well needed food or stuff.

[horset]

I quite like that you start the game as LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor). Just a really cool little detail.

[Wauzmons]

Great video and also thanks for mentioning Elysian Eclipse. People are already asking me for underwater civilisations now and it doesn't stop. Help. 🐟

[Corvilux]

Oh man, I remember playing this years ago and I just recently remembered it and oh my god.

[robotrannicthesurprisingly]

Damn it oliver you're hitting me in the feels if I hadn't been overwhelmed by the lingering horror of the old forums still containing an absolute monstrosity of my own design and I'm so glad everyone in the community has forgotten about it.

Somethings are best left forgotten.

[FilipeLeviSilva]

The current Thrive has endured an arduous and cruel selective pressure and, despite everything, it adapts and overcomes.
Just like real life forms, it might fall prey to the predators and sheer apathy in its 'ecosystem', but there will always be someone ready to bear the burden, someone to carry on the genes.
And maybe, in the future it will Thrive.

[purplehaze]

I’ve never played or even heard of this game prior to today, and I just spent 45 minutes of my life watching this all the way through because the presentation and editing is sufficiently superb to keep me interested. Very underrated video.

[CharliMorganMusic]

Nice. I bought it on steam. Hopefully this makes the estimated 12 years of development time shorter.

[TalsScribeMitch]

The personal story in part 3 made me actually smile. Such a good story.