Darwin's Dilemma

One of the most unique and addictive puzzle game I’ve ever come across but also sadly one of the most obscure, Darwin’s Dilemma is slightly derivative of the old Evolution game, but is much more complex and interesting.

The goal is for you to "push" matching creatures together. Make enough matches, and the creatures evolve in to new ones, which must then be further matched to evolve into a more advanced creature up the evolutionary chain, and so on. The unique gameplay makes Darwin’s Dilemma difficult to describe, but rest assured that this is the one game you won’t want to miss if you are a fan of devious brainteasers or life simulation (e.g. Conway’s “Life” concepts). It’s challenging, unique, and incredibly addictive. Definitely a must-have, and definitely a Hall of Belated Fame material in my book. Too bad the game, like most other Inline Design classics, was never released for the PC. But is it worth the (minor) hassle of installing Basilisk II to try this gem? Absolutely.

Note: if you like the game, check out IconQuest in the extras box below – it’s the freeware prototype for Darwin's Dilemma, and plays very similar except that instead of evolving critters, you are faced with a variety of icons to push around and transform.

Review By HOTUD