{"id":258065,"date":"2020-05-20T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-20T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/orb-farm-an-algae-growing-aquarium-game-is-so-relaxing\/"},"modified":"2020-05-20T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-20T17:00:00","slug":"orb-farm-an-algae-growing-aquarium-game-is-so-relaxing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/orb-farm-an-algae-growing-aquarium-game-is-so-relaxing\/","title":{"rendered":"Orb Farm, an algae-growing aquarium game, is so relaxing"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’d call it a time-waster, but it’s not!<\/h2>

Growing up, I never had guppies or goldfish. Weirdly, I never even bothered to ask my parents for permission even though, in retrospect, they probably would’ve said yes. (I once had a pet turtle.) But I did get super into freshwater aquariums on a whim as an adult. What a fascinating few years that was.<\/p>

I’m sure I’ll want to return to the hobby one day, but for now, I’m obsessed with Orb Farm<\/em><\/a> – a virtual aquarium food-chain simulator that lets players fill a glass orb with sand, water, and yes, life.<\/p>

\"Daphnia\"Water fleas are cute in a totally-horrifying-up-close sorta way.<\/sub><\/p>

As an almighty pixel-laying overseer, you can make your own little slow-moving ecosystem with algae, daphnia, bacteria, grass, and fish. The sun will rise and fall each day, setting the miniature world in motion. Every element plays a part. It’s beautiful to watch the cycle unfold, especially in fast motion.<\/p>

What’s the deal with this browser game? If you’ve ever accidentally watched way too much of one of those “A Year Ago I Put Saltwater in a Jar, This Happened<\/a>” videos or “planted just to plant,” you’ll understand the appeal. You can try to create a balanced ecosystem if you care to, or aquascape with stone and wood, but there aren’t any real stakes. Try not to spring a leak with the Clear button, though.<\/p>

Orb Farm<\/em> creator Max Bittker, who also made the falling sand game SandSpiel<\/em><\/a>, says he was inspired by Life in Jars?<\/a>, the aforementioned rabbit-hole I’m tumbling down again. Here’s his mood board:<\/p> <\/p>

orb game mood board pic.twitter.com\/yz6doxXPx4<\/a><\/p>

— max (@maxbittker) September 13, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>