You can now evolve on Switch!
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Update: Evolution on Switch has arrived! Here is the link: Nintendo eShop. It will run you $19.99.
We've been lucky enough to have our hands on the Switch version for a little while now and would like to post some impressions specifically how it plays on Switch.
If you want full details on what the app offers, you can check out our full review. We've included North Star Digital's press release below for more information, along with the release trailer:
Switch Impressions
The important thing to note upfront is that this is the same game as the mobile and Steam versions.
When you first launch, you will be able to log in with your Evolution account you may have created on other platforms. This instantly syncs your games from other devices onto the Switch. A good start!
The first thing I noticed when playing was how incredibly smooth the game plays on the Switch hardware. Everything loads quickly and smoothly.
The next is that the controls are customized for the device. If you are playing handheld, you can use the touch screen and control the game as you would on a phone or tablet. Or, you can use the Joy Cons to control the action. It is great to have the option to use either, but the really nice part is some of the shortcuts they added through the controls. Undo and End Turn have been mapped to the top bumper buttons, making them very easy to use. When playing a card you may use a button to select whether you are using that card as a trait or to boost the population or body size. It took me a few turns to get into the swing of things, but once I did I found the games really zooming by with the help of the streamlined controls.
There's honestly not a lot else to discuss here. The game is the same one we loved before, packed full of features, but it runs a bit smoother and has well integrated Switch controls. In short, it's all you could really ask for in a Switch port of a mobile game. Your personal play situations will vary, but all else being equal, I think with the performance improvements and controls, the Switch version reigns as the best digital version of Evolution out there, so if you are looking to try the game for the first time, or just really want to play on Switch, this one is easy to recommend.
Press Release
KENSINGTON, MD — Nov. 5, 2020 — Evolution Board Game, the strategy game of adaptation from North Star Digital Studios with more than 3 million players worldwide, will rule the wilds of Nintendo Switch on Dec. 10, 2020. Pre-orders start today at 9:00 a.m. PT.
Pre-order before launch and receive the new Evolutionary Arms Race Promo Pack add-on containing five brand new trait cards for free. Show deadly stripes with the new Nintendo Switch exclusive tiger skin in local and cross-platform matchups.
Evolution, 2019’s Digital Board Game of the Year, has been rebuilt from the ground up with lightning quick Joy-Con™ support, making it the perfect platform for online play*, pass and play, and board gaming on the go. Its robust features include everything players of digital board games could ask for:
- Master a single player campaign with 21 levels and distinct A.I. opponents
- Chat or start real time and asynchronous games from your friends list
- Find new opponents with skill-based online matchmaking
- Climb the online multiplayer rankings and single player progression ladder
- Keep cards close to the chest with pass and play optimized for Nintendo Switch
- Test yourself against weekly challenges
- Discover gorgeous hand-drawn species hidden throughout the game
Start from humble beginnings with an intuitive learn-while-playing tutorial and select traits to develop species to survive the harsh realities of the natural world. Are they at risk of being eaten by predators? Protect them with horns or a hard shell. Having trouble finding enough food in the watering hole? A long neck brings previously inaccessible food within reach.
Tinker with the nigh-infinite amount of genetic combinations while enjoying new artwork, animations, and a campaign mode complete with deadly bosses. Ascend the leaderboards and become the best digital board game biologist in the world, earning new avatars and other rewards. Cross-play with PC, Mac, iOS, and Android means there’s a whole world to play against.
Evolution Board Game arrives on Nintendo Switch on Dec. 10, 2020 everywhere except Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong. It is priced at $19.99, with pre-orders open today for Nintendo Switch and the full game available now on Steam, iOS, and Android. For more news about Evolution Board Game and other projects from North Star Digital Studios, follow them on Twitter and Facebook or visit the official website.
