This awesome ESP32 project simulates an entire ecosystem on your hardware at 60FPS

Credit: Master_Molasses1783 Published Jul 19, 2026, 2:02 AM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary This project turns an ESP32 into a 60FPS micro ecosystem with food chains and evolution. It features seven entities: plants, herbivores, carnivores, apex predators, spores, corpses, and decomposers. Requires ESP32 and IdeaSpark 1.9" ST7789 TFT (170x320), and all the code is on GitHub. If you've got an ESP32 microcontroller sitting around and doing nothing, why not make a cool set piece with it? People have created some cool little simulators you can leave running, such as the ASCII Aquarium. However, this full ecosystem that runs at a smooth 60FPS is definitely one of the best out there. The ESP32 Micro Ecosystem Simulator turns your microcontroller into a living world Complete with its own circle of life Over on the ESP32 subreddit, Master_Molasses1783 showed off the ESP32 Micro Ecosystem Simulator. It turns your microcontroller into a miniature fight for resources as animals eat, reproduce, and die over time. And the whole thing runs at 60FPS, too. Seven different entities make up this world: Plants (green) act as the backbone of the ecosystem and slowly grow over time. Herbivores (cyan) keep the plants in check and reproduce a lot. Carnivores (pink) act as a middle ground in the animal world, where they hunt the herbivores but also flee from apex predators. Apex Predators (gold) don't have anything hunting them and eat carnivores. Spores (purple) add illness to the ecosystem, killing animals and spreading to others. Corpses (dark X) are left over once an animal dies. Decomposers (lime) consume both spores and corpses and use them to make life, thus bringing the circle of life to a close. There are a few mechanics that add a little depth to this project. For instance, parents pass down their Speed stat to their offspring, which can mutate. The faster an animal goes, the quicker they can seize food and escape predators, but the more energy they burn. IF you'd like to give it a try, the developer lists the following hardware requirements: ESP32 (Standard Dual-Core version) IdeaSpark 1.9" TFT LCD (ST7789 controller, 170x320 resolution, BGR color order) Wiring (Default) TFT_CS: 5 TFT_RST: 4 TFT_DC: 2 TFT_MOSI: 23 TFT_SCLK: 18 TFT_BL: 32 (Backlight) If those look agreeable, head over to the ESP32 Micro Ecosystem Simulator GitHub page for the code and the setup instructions.