The Sapling

The Sapling is a short simulation game where you design your own plants and animals, and put them in a world together. Or you turn on random mutations, and see what evolution does to your ecosystem!

The Sapling is a life sim, sandbox and science game developed and published by Wessel Stoop.
Released on December 12th 2019 is available in English on Windows and Linux.

It has received 1,348 reviews of which 1,213 were positive and 135 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.5 out of 10. 😎

The game is currently priced at 15.99€ on Steam.

The Steam community has classified The Sapling into these genres:

Life Sim Sandbox Science God Game Nature Artificial Intelligence Procedural Generation Simulation Dinosaurs Aliens Education Relaxing Open World Casual Singleplayer Atmospheric Early Access Indie Short Survival

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at The Sapling through various videos and screenshots.

screenshot_ss_8a215b56b48dbbd422cb5c8ff525261dfbe4221a.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_af9191aa6d66356b316706763df1e93e16389bac.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_c9c324b989b6bc75d505cb3437728a42ba88255d.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_392b0fc32e299784f11f4fb271c07258ed084430.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_e83fdfe0bef48c3faeb9473e42e699253d44c516.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_0e0af36e72b6cd062b51f442ec86b0d6e0708faf.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_aec43c28b50cf62cdf551df000cc3e3982df4517.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_7177848725bc46c28e08a07b4ddbde247942a035.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_04bccfe49b90eb8ccfb3350029c7086c2dca5766.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_694103555ed3035a40091a3976d9725116d38f9e.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_f6442a12f41b1442b5253a713782c0e774a07ff2.1920x1080.jpg

Requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows

OS *: Windows 7
Processor: A processor with SSE2 instruction set support
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0) capabilities.
DirectX: Version 10
Storage: 150 MB available space

Linux

OS: Ubuntu 16 or newer
Processor: A processor with SSE2 instruction set support
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0) capabilities.
Storage: 150 MB available space

Reviews

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

Dec. 2024

It's a well-planted game, the creator is underrated, it's like Spore, which is a game I LOVE, but with updates! Overall, The Sapling is an underrated game with an underrated creator, I hope the creator makes more games because this game is GREAT. 10/10

Sept. 2024

a great game that gets updated all the time. If you find ecosystems and mutation interesting this is the game for you Good Gameplay and Good music

April 2024

its good but gets boring after a few hours still i think it was worth the money

April 2024

I love sandbox and evolution games. so this was a must buy however my pc has issues running it for longer then an hour due to the amount of stuff going on even when having everything to low and the cap for each type of creature to 1000. but thats my problem. if you have a better pc and enjoy playing god then it a must get. and itl only get better.

April 2024

I love this game and it has loads of potential. here are my ideas that would make this game much better. The game’s performance can be laggy, detracting from the immersive experience. Addressing optimization issues would significantly enhance enjoyment. Additionally, the randomness of evolution, while exciting, can lead to frustration. Consider introducing an evolution slider to balance randomness and directed evolution. Imagine if certain animals could evolve into more complex beings—perhaps even humans or other intelligent species. Implementing gradual transitions would add depth and narrative richness to the game.

Similar games

View all

Ecosystem Create virtual lifeforms whose development is shaped by a deep simulation of evolution. Guide them as they fight, mate, and adapt to the environment you have built. All the creatures in the trailer evolved on their own in the game!

Similarity 70%

Price 17.99€

Rating 7.5

Release 08 Nov 2024

View

Crest - an indirect god sim Your word is gospel in this god sim set in Sub-Saharan Africa. Influence and try to control your followers using commandments but beware, free will leaves these open to interpretation. Will you create a flourishing civilization or lead them to death and destruction?

Similarity 61%

Price 9.89€

Rating 6.3

Release 08 Mar 2018

View

Thrive An evolution simulation game. Take control of your species in the environment and edit your species as a whole. Compete with other evolving species for resources on an alien planet.

Similarity 56%

Price 3.99€

Rating 8.7

Release 26 Nov 2021

View

SpaceEngine The world's first science-based photorealistic interactive 3D planetarium that models the entire Universe, using procedural generation for uncharted areas.

Similarity 55%

Price 28.99€

Rating 9.3

Release 11 Jun 2019

View

Fish Game Fish Game is a detailed and highly “sofishticated” freshwater aquarium simulator, lovingly crafted *by* enthusiasts *for* enthusiasts! Featuring fish with personalities and dynamic relationships, water quality modeling, and so much more! Made with support from our friends at Smarter Every Day!

Similarity 55%

Price 24.50€

Rating 8.8

Release 26 Oct 2023

View

WorldBox - God Simulator WorldBox is the ULTIMATE god simulator and sandbox game. A petri dish for your fantasy civilizations. Create your own world or destroy it using many powers. Watch civilizations grow, form kingdoms, colonize new lands, sail to far continents, wars to ignite, empires to fall and towns to burn!

Similarity 54%

Price 19.50€

Rating 9.3

Release 02 Dec 2021

View

Among Ripples Control a pond's ecosystem; experiment with what you can do and see what happens. Among Ripples is a meditative ecosystem management simulator; you add different creatures to the pond and see how they interact.

Similarity 54%

Price Free to play

Rating 6.6

Release 22 Jan 2015

View

Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends The epic story of evolution, technology, humanity, and dinosaurs is yours to tap.

Similarity 53%

Price Free to play

Rating 8.8

Release 03 Nov 2021

View

Universe Sandbox Create & destroy on an unimaginable scale with a realistic physics-based space simulator. Explore the beauty of our universe and the fragility of our planet. Use science to bend the laws of gravity, collide planets, boil away oceans, fire epic space lasers, and customize your universe. VR optional.

Similarity 52%

Price -49% 14.86€

Rating 9.4

Release 24 Aug 2015

View

Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolution Play with evolution! Species: ALRE is a scientifically-grounded, emergent simulation of natural selection. Creatures evolve and speciate in response to in-game mutation and selection forces, allowing you to experience and tinker with evolution in real-time.

Similarity 51%

Price 16.79€

Rating 7.2

Release 28 Sep 2018

View

Prehistoric Kingdom Take control of limitless power in Prehistoric Kingdom to build, manage and grow the ultimate zoo for extinct animals.

Similarity 51%

Price -58% 10.43€

Rating 8.2

Release 27 Apr 2022

View

Preserve Preserve is a relaxing puzzle nature-building game in which you flourish a vibrant ecosystem by cleverly placing plants and animals to create a perfect symbiosis to your liking.

Similarity 50%

Price -33% 8.43€

Rating 8.6

Release 08 Aug 2024

View

Data sources

The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.

Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates

Steam data	23 November 2024 08:05
SteamSpy data	21 January 2025 08:37
Steam price	22 January 2025 20:28
Steam reviews	21 January 2025 21:59

15.99€

8.5

1,213

135

Online players

Developer

Wessel Stoop

Publisher

Wessel Stoop

Release 12 Dec 2019

Platforms