Fifteen years is a lifetime in game development. Most studios would have given up, moved on, or run out of money long before reaching that milestone. Revolutionary Games Studio just proved that passionate volunteers with a clear vision can accomplish what seemed impossible. On December 17, 2025, Thrive reached version 1.0.0, marking the completion of the microbe stage in what began as a community attempt to create the evolution game Spore promised but never delivered.
What Makes Thrive Special
Thrive isn’t trying to be Spore with better graphics. It’s attempting something far more ambitious and scientifically rigorous. The game lets you control a single-celled organism in a procedurally generated alien ocean, where survival depends on gathering compounds, evading predators, and making smart evolutionary choices. Unlike Spore’s simplified approach, Thrive simulates actual biochemistry with compound processing, environmental niches, and population dynamics that drive evolution through natural selection rather than designer whimsy.
The auto-evolution system represents the core innovation. Every editor cycle, the simulation calculates compound intake for every species in your patch based on environmental sources and predation. It estimates total energy generated per species, then updates populations accordingly. Species producing more energy become more populous, while inefficient ones decline toward extinction. This creates emergent competition where you’re not just fighting individual cells but entire populations adapting to the same pressures you face.
The Long Road From 2010
Thrive started in 2010 when a group of Spore fans decided they could build the evolution game Will Wright originally promised. The early years were rough. The original team abandoned the project after making minimal progress. Development stalled. The community forum went quiet. Many assumed Thrive would join the graveyard of ambitious indie projects that died before releasing anything playable.
Then a second wave of developers appeared. These volunteers believed in the vision enough to pick up where others left off, rewriting code, rebuilding systems, and slowly transforming Thrive from vaporware into an actual game. Progress remained glacial for years. Version 0.3.2 took five years to reach. Updates came infrequently. But the project survived, kept alive by a dedicated core team that refused to let it die.
The Recent Acceleration
Something changed around 2021 when Thrive launched on Steam Early Access. The exposure brought new players, more feedback, and additional contributors. Development accelerated dramatically. Updates that once took years started arriving every few months. The team added sophisticated compound systems, predation mechanics, multicellular organisms, and visual overhauls. Version 0.8.0 in December 2024 brought reworked 3D organelle models, fresh membrane textures, and improved UI.
What 1.0 Actually Means
Thrive 1.0 doesn’t mean the entire game is finished. It means the microbe stage is complete enough that the team considers it a fully playable, polished experience. This represents only the first stage of the original vision, which includes multicellular, aware, awakening, society, industrial, and space stages progressively increasing in scope and complexity. Completing the microbe stage after 15 years gives some perspective on how long the full vision might take.
However, calling the microbe stage complete is significant because it establishes Thrive as an actual finished game rather than an eternal work-in-progress. Players can start as the Last Universal Common Ancestor, evolve through countless generations, compete with AI-controlled species, and reach a satisfying endpoint. Future development will focus on the multicellular stage, building upward rather than endlessly refining what already works.
The Open Source Advantage
Being completely open source gave Thrive advantages most commercial projects lack. When the original team left, the code remained available for anyone to continue. New developers could examine everything, understand design decisions, and build on existing work without starting from scratch. The project accepts contributions from anyone willing to learn the codebase, creating a rotating cast of volunteers who contribute what they can when they can.
Open source also means no financial pressure. There’s no publisher demanding returns on investment, no need to ship before the game is ready, and no layoffs when money runs out. Development proceeds at whatever pace volunteers can sustain. This creates the patience necessary for projects that take 15 years. The downside is unpredictable progress depending entirely on volunteer availability and motivation.
How To Support The Project
Thrive is completely free to download and play on Steam, itch.io, or directly from GitHub. The game costs nothing because volunteers created everything without expecting payment. However, Revolutionary Games Studio accepts Patreon support to cover hosting costs, pay for art commissions, and potentially fund full-time development if donations grow large enough. Even small monthly contributions help ensure the project can continue.
Non-financial support matters too. Playing the game, reporting bugs, suggesting improvements, and spreading awareness on social media helps more than money sometimes. The community forum welcomes feedback and discussion. If you have programming, 3D modeling, audio, or writing skills, the team actively looks for contributors willing to commit time to development. Getting involved requires more effort than donating, but directly shapes the game’s future.
The Future Stages
After microbe comes multicellular, transitioning to more complex organisms in a 3D world. Then aware, tracking the player species developing intelligence. Awakening introduces tool use and tribal gameplay. Society brings larger settlements and research systems. Industrial covers the industrial revolution. Finally, space stage would launch players off their home planet to explore the cosmos. Each stage adds complexity and different gameplay styles, from RTS to 4X strategy elements.
Whether Revolutionary Games Studio can complete all these stages remains uncertain. The microbe stage alone took 15 years. Even with accelerated development, finishing everything could take decades more. But Thrive 1.0 proves the project isn’t vaporware. It’s a real game made by real people who care enough to spend years building something for free. That dedication deserves recognition regardless of how long the remaining stages take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I download Thrive?
Thrive is available free on Steam, itch.io, and GitHub. The Steam version is easiest for most players with automatic updates and Steam Workshop support planned for future releases.
Does Thrive cost money?
No, Thrive is completely free. It’s open source with all code publicly available. The developers accept Patreon donations but never charge for the game itself.
Is Thrive better than Spore?
They’re different games with different goals. Spore prioritizes accessibility and creative freedom. Thrive focuses on scientific accuracy and realistic evolution simulation. Neither is objectively better, they appeal to different audiences.
When will the multicellular stage be ready?
The team hasn’t provided a timeline. Given that the microbe stage took 15 years, multicellular stage will likely take several more years minimum. Open source volunteer development makes predictions unreliable.
Can I contribute to development?
Yes! Revolutionary Games Studio welcomes programmers, artists, musicians, and writers willing to contribute. Check their website for information about getting involved and joining the development team.
What languages is Thrive available in?
The game supports multiple languages thanks to community translators. Check the settings menu for available options, which expand as volunteers provide translations.
Will Thrive ever be finished?
The microbe stage is finished with version 1.0. Whether the remaining stages get completed depends on sustained volunteer interest over many years. The project has survived 15 years, suggesting it will continue, but timelines remain uncertain.
How scientifically accurate is Thrive?
Much more accurate than Spore. The developers consult scientific research for compound systems, cell biology, and evolutionary principles. It’s not a perfect simulation but represents evolution far more realistically than most games attempt.
Why This Matters
Thrive’s milestone demonstrates that passion projects can succeed given enough time and community support. In an industry dominated by quarterly earnings, battle passes, and games as service, seeing volunteers spend 15 years building something free challenges assumptions about what motivates game development. These people didn’t create Thrive for money, fame, or career advancement. They made it because they wanted this game to exist and no one else was building it. That purity of purpose shows in every system, every carefully researched mechanic, and every update that arrives when it’s ready rather than when marketing schedules demand. Whether Revolutionary Games Studio completes the full vision or not, Thrive 1.0 stands as proof that community-driven development can achieve what corporate studios won’t attempt. The game exists because people cared enough to make it exist, and will continue existing as long as someone cares enough to maintain it. That’s worth celebrating regardless of how long the next 15 years take.