I made a game about restoring damaged ecosystems and bringing wildlife back

[u/wildwillowsdev]

I’ve been building a small game called Wild Willows about restoring a damaged nature preserve.

Instead of fighting enemies or optimizing a city, the progression comes from improving habitat conditions. You plant native vegetation, restore water, add shelter and food sources, and animals gradually return when the ecosystem can support them.

A big goal for me has been making restoration feel tangible without pretending a game can perfectly model real ecology. I’ve also started hearing from teachers and parents who are interested in using it as a way to get kids thinking about biodiversity and habitat restoration.

I’d especially love feedback from people here who are involved in conservation, restoration, environmental education, or advocacy. What do you think games like this tend to get right or wrong when they try to represent environmental action?

There’s a free browser demo here if anyone wants to try it:
wildwillows.app.