Download Darwinia demo Free for Windows

Intelligent creatures called Darwinians live and evolve solely inside a computer network, but an evil Viral Infection threatens them with extinction. Armed only with a variety of executables, you must save them by destroying the virus. Initially, the sprite-based graphics give Darwinia a retro feel, but the gameplay is as engaging and far more unique than most new real-time strategy games.

You cannot control the Darwinians directly. Instead, you exert influence by using mouse gestures in the game’s Task Manager to execute computer programs. One of the most basic programs is the Squad, which attacks the virus and its offspring. Other programs include Officers, which herd the Darwinians, and Engineers, which harvest souls and rebuild infrastructure. You can run up to four programs concurrently.

Although we like the concept of gesture-based commands in theory, we couldn’t see the practical advantage over just punching a button. All of the other controls, including camera angles, are responsive and easy to learn, and though the graphics are pixelated, it’s actually an amazing world to explore. The integrated instructions consist entirely of contextual hints and there is no accompanying documentation, but the game’s Web site provides adequate assistance.