Formicarium

an ant colony simulation game you play in your browser

Start with one queen and a handful of workers and watch them dig a whole nest by themselves: tunnels, granaries, nurseries and graveyards. See if the nest can survive floods and centipede attacks. It plays in your web browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install.

Buy $3.99 Play

A cross-section of an ant nest dug through sand, with tunnels and chambers under a row of plants and trees — A colony a while in: the nest dug down through the sand, with its rooms off the tunnels.

What happens

The colony works out its own needs. If there's enough food the ants build more granaries; if too many ants die they dig more graveyards.
The queen lays every egg. Nurses carry the young from egg to larva to pupa until a new worker hatches.
Workers pick up whatever needs doing: digging, hauling sand, harvesting seeds from the plants above, feeding larvae and burying the dead.
Rain soaks the ground and sends the ants underground. Flash floods can pour down the entrances, and soaked tunnels can collapse.
If every worker dies, the queen can't carry on alone, and the colony ends.

Questions

Can I play it on my phone?: Yes. It runs in the web browser on phones, tablets and computers, with touch controls on phones and tablets.
Do I need to download anything?: No. Open the page and it plays. There's no app, no install and no account.
Can I try it before I buy?: Yes. The title screen (with a live colony behind it), How to Play and Settings are all free. Starting your own colony needs a key.
How much is it?: $3.99, once. No subscription and no adverts. Your key comes by email after you buy and works on up to 3 of your devices. If you don't like it, there's a full refund within 14 days.
What is the game like to play?: Calm and engaging. It's like keeping your own ant farm: the colony decides what to dig and build, and you watch the nest grow room by room. Whenever you like, step in by calling a flood, pouring water or moving the queen.
Does my key work for The Meadow too?: No. Each game has its own key. The Meadow is a separate game.