PolyPine: A Cozy Habitat-Building Sim

Following its PC release in March 2025, PolyPine is now available on mobile. Created and released by IndieArk, this forest simulation game lets you cultivate a dynamic, living ecosystem. Each tree, animal, and mushroom has a role in sustaining the forest's health.

What began as a small tree simulator experiment has blossomed into a full-scale forest simulator!

PolyPine revolves around balance. You start with a handful of basic seeds and observe your forest develop through the entire life cycle of trees. From seed to sapling, mature tree, decaying wood, and fallen logs. Every phase serves a distinct ecological function, offering unique habitats for various plants, insects, and wildlife.

Meanwhile, all animal species exhibit unique behaviors with tangible effects. Click on a moose, and it may fertilize the soil with its droppings. Tap on a vole, and you'll see it gnawing on tree roots. Foxes hunt prey, while beavers fell and collect trees.

You'll witness spiders weaving realistic webs that trap mosquitoes and flies. Each action you take shapes your forest's growth over time. Squirrels depend on trees, butterflies on flowers, and wild boars unearth small plants to maintain ecological equilibrium.

PolyPine gives you the freedom to terraform the landscape. Sculpt the terrain to your preference, whether you envision rolling hills, deep fjords, or sprawling wetlands. You can even dig ponds teeming with aquatic life like perch, stickleback, and pike, bordered by water lilies, pondweed, and reeds.

The world of PolyPine is not without its perils. Forest fires, severe storms, and bark beetle infestations periodically endanger your creation. These events challenge you to adapt or harness nature's inherent unpredictability.

Fallen logs become habitats for new species. Conversely, underground mycorrhizal networks, established by mushrooms, interlink tree roots, enabling the forest to share nutrients and flourish. The diversity of plant and animal life is impressive, featuring 42 animal species and 35 types of plants.

If you enjoy forest simulation games, you can download PolyPine on the Google Play Store. Also, be sure to read our exclusive coverage of the new friendship system in Sky: Children of the Light.