Streaming
What makes it even better, however, is that the Darwin project is built around the idea that streaming is an important part of the experience. As a result, the likes of Twitch have built-in features that allow players to post their playthroughs to the web. Viewers watching through Twitch can also get involved in the action in meaningful ways. For example, they can give suggestions to the Director on how to make things interesting or vote who is the favorite player. The Director can then use this information to provide rewards for the funniest players.
Few games use streaming like this, and even fewer players play a role outside of traditional gameplay. In this way, the developers of the Darwin Project have given it a sport-like quality where you feel like you have to put on a good show as well as perform well. I’ve never played anything like it in this sense before. It was a nice change of pace to be the director from time to time, rather than always getting straight into the action.
Conversely, there are some downsides to this particular game model. Playing without streaming to an audience can feel like you’re playing in an empty stadium. The game only loses some of its energy when the Director has no one else watching him as they inform the flow of each round. Also, the actual combat feels very weak. Despite the fact that you have a number of traps and abilities at your disposal, most encounters seem to turn into going around and awkwardly trying to unleash an attack.
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