Think You Could Survive as a Wolf in Yellowstone? Thousands of Players Worldwide Are Trying It
“WolfQuest” is an online game that lets players step into the life of a wolf living in Yellowstone National Park. In addition to creating the game for fun, players said that they become deeply connected to their virtual wolves. Some of them even cried when their wolf character died after spending a long time raising and protecting it. It is meant to be an educational experience rather than just for entertainment. The goal is to educate players while providing them with an authentic wildlife experience, according to producer Dave Schaller of St. Paul, Minnesota, per Cowboy State Daily. Even well-known biologists were consulted to keep the game as accurate as possible.
Moreover, team members from Eduweb Inc. also visit Yellowstone National Park regularly to study the landscape and ensure the virtual environment closely matches the real one. Today, WolfQuest has around 150,000 to 200,000 players worldwide. Players spend their time building their wolf characters, forming packs, raising pups, and learning how to survive in a challenging natural ecosystem that mirrors real wolf life. “It’s an exciting life. There’s hunting, and there’s fighting with other wolves,” Schaller said.
The primary objective of the players is to keep the wolves alive from dangers such as wandering outside the park or being shot by hunters. However, even after protecting it for a long time, the wolves will eventually face another unavoidable reality: old age. In WolfQuest, every wolf will die naturally, reflecting real-life in Yellowstone, where most wolves live about four to five years. Only a few survive much longer, with the oldest reaching around 12 years. That’s why a wolf reaching age eight in the game is considered an elder. “When your wolf reaches age 8, it becomes an elder wolf. It gets special status,” Schaller explained. As a wolf nears the end of its life, the game adds emotional touches such as “premonition of death” dreams.
However, the dangers in WolfQuest remain very real. Players who are not careful can wander beyond Yellowstone’s northern boundary into Montana, where they might get shot by hunters. Schaller reveals that players are given very little control, and moments are intentionally sudden and unexpected. While this can feel frustrating from a gameplay perspective, he explained that the design reflects the real dangers Yellowstone wolves face in the wild. “It’s kind of terrible gameplay — you have no control over it. It’s just shots out of the blue. We wanted to recognize that this threat (being shot by hunters) has become greater and greater,” he revealed.
Although WolfQuest has become popular in recent times. It is not new. It was created 20 years ago and has undergone multiple updates over time. Biologist Doug Smith gave his guidance during the game’s development. He led the wolf program in Yellowstone National Park for nearly three decades. “It’s a good game. It gets people to pay attention while having fun,” Smith said.
Also, he appreciated the game’s educational focus, noting that it helps players better understand wolf behavior and life in the wild while offering an engaging way to learn about wildlife and conservation. Smith also talked about the problem of getting people involved in wildlife ecology, saying, “How do you get people interested and engaged? This is a good way.” Furthermore, many players who have never been to Yellowstone say the game has made them want to visit the park in real life.
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