The Endless Forest

The Endless Forest is a free, constantly evolving 3D deer simulation game that can be played both alone or in massive multiplayer online mode. Everyone plays a stag (male deer) and there is only non-violent interaction. To enhance the immersion, there is no chat function, but only deer-body-language instead. You can rub trees, sniff other deer, walk, jump, rest or run. The game was originally developed as a screensaver, but a standalone launcher was released afterwards. When you connect to the network, the game seamlessly introduces the other deer online. Inactive deer, but still online (in screensaver mode), are shown sleeping. If you are all alone in the forest, you can roar to try and wake them up.

You cannot name your deer, but by registering on the site, you can choose a unique symbol. This will appear as a glowing symbol between your antlers, identifying you as a unique animal. The locations currently include a mysterious ruin and the forest itself. There are no goals to achieve or rules to follow, but it serves as relaxing escapism, and as a sandbox for social experiments between humans without the usual means of communication. The game engine allows for rotation and zooming. To stress the harmless nature of the game, it is impossible to hurt your deer. Even when you collide with trees at full speed, it only slows you down and triggers some magical dust, no harm done.

The game received a grant from Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, with support from Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Design Vlaanderen, Entropy8Zuper! and Provinciaal Archeologisch Museum Ename.

The 1.5 release doubles the play arena with an idyllic pond surrounded by weeping willows, and adds Abiogenesis, where the twin god creators, Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn, perform live in the virtual world at regular intervals, creating swarms of animals, changing the seasons, playing music and creating scenery on the fly.

The 2.0 release adds the ability to alter the look of the deer avatars by acquiring hidden magic to cast spells, new ways to express emotions, French and German as additional languages, and there are new locations such as a hollow oak and a stream.

The third phase allows players to become fawns and explore a new area with birch trees and cycamores. There are also blue and red breasts on your antlers to collect and the antlers can play hide and seek among a bunch of large boulders.