| A formicarium is an insectarium which is | | | | an ant in a colony of black ants in the |
| designed primarily for the study of ant | | | | back yard of a suburban home. The ant |
| colonies and how ants behave. "Ant | | | | colony must battle against enemy red |
| Farms," similar to these, are popular | | | | ants. The ultimate goal is to spread |
| subjects for school projects. Those who | | | | throughout the garden, into the house, |
| study how ants behave are known as | | | | and finally to drive out the human |
| myrmecologists. | | | | owners. In this respect, SimAnt differed |
| A formicarium is usually an ant colony | | | | from other 'Sim' games, which largely |
| enclosed by a transparent box made of | | | | had no "win" or "lose" situation. |
| glass or plastic. The first | | | | In the Quick Game, the player |
| commercially-sold formicarium was | | | | establishes a black ant colony in a |
| introduced around 1929 and patented in | | | | small patch of yard, shown in top-down |
| 1931 by Frank Eugene Austin, an inventor | | | | perspective. The computer opponent |
| and professor at the Thayer School of | | | | establishes a competing red ant colony |
| Engineering at Dartmouth College. Austin | | | | in the same patch. Underground ant |
| included painted or wooden scenes of | | | | colonies are depicted in a side view. |
| palaces, farms, and other settings above | | | | The player has direct control of a |
| the ground level, for a whimsical look. | | | | single ant at a time, indicated by a |
| The best-known formicariums are examples | | | | yellow color, and may switch control to |
| of "Uncle Milton's Ant Farm," for which | | | | a different ant at any time (by |
| the ants are sent to the purchaser | | | | double-clicking the desired ant). (A |
| through the mail, upon receipt of the | | | | little known fact is that the spider in |
| coupon enclosed with the Ant Farm. The | | | | the game can also be controlled by |
| educational toy is made by Uncle Milton | | | | double clicking it.) The player's yellow |
| Industries in Westlake Village, | | | | ant may influence the behavior of other |
| California, and has sold over 20 million | | | | black ants by leaving pheromone trails |
| Ant Farms since 1956 and which owns the | | | | to destinations such as food and enemy |
| brand name "Ant Farm" (a registered | | | | ant colonies and can control the other |
| trademark). This type of formicarium is | | | | ants in a limited way (by ordering a |
| for observing worker ants and its | | | | certain number to follow it, for |
| effectiveness in serious ant propagation | | | | instance). The quick game is won or lost |
| is limited. | | | | when either the red or black colony in |
| Formicariums and "Ant Farms" are usually | | | | said patch is defeated. |
| made thin enough so the tunnels and | | | | The player's yellow ant may pick up food |
| cavities made by the ants can be seen | | | | and rocks, regurgitate food for friendly |
| and for their behavior to be studied. | | | | ants, and attack enemy ants, spiders, |
| They can be filled with soil, sand, | | | | caterpillars, and antlions. Natural |
| vermiculite, other mineral fragments, or | | | | hazards include human footsteps, |
| sawdust. Newer formicariums filled with | | | | spiders, antlions, lawnmowers, and rain, |
| semi-transparent gel (pictured right) | | | | which washes away pheromone trails and |
| can be made thicker. The gel provides | | | | can flood the bottom of ant nests. |
| nutrition, moisture and a medium for the | | | | In the Full Game, the player begins with |
| ant nest. | | | | an ant colony in an overhead view, much |
| Other types of formicariums are those | | | | like the Quick Game. The region of this |
| made with plaster, or simply with no | | | | overhead view is a single square of a |
| medium. Plaster nests can be made by | | | | map containing a yard and house, and the |
| placing modeling clay on a glass panel | | | | player wins by colonizing the entire |
| in the form of tunnels and chambers. The | | | | map. The player spreads to other areas |
| plaster is poured onto the mold and when | | | | by producing young queens and drones to |
| it has dried the clay is removed and the | | | | mate with each other. The full game is |
| remaining structure can be used for | | | | won or lost when either of the red or |
| housing ants. The ants in this type of | | | | black colonies is eliminated. |
| formicarium are very easily seen, but it | | | | The Experimental Game is similar to the |
| can be less than comfortable for the | | | | Quick Game, except the player can also |
| ants. Mediumless formicariums can be in | | | | control red ants and has access to a set |
| any container, with the ants staying in | | | | of experimental tools. These tools allow |
| moist test tubes or other small | | | | the player to place pheromone trails, |
| containers. This also allows for better | | | | maze walls, rocks, ants, and food. |
| visibility, but can be less interesting | | | | The boxed game also comes with a |
| because no digging takes place. | | | | thoroughly researched instruction |
| Often, containing ants inside a | | | | manual, which not only covers game |
| formicarium can be a problem. Several | | | | mechanics, but also contains a large |
| substances are used to repel the ants, | | | | amount of information regarding ants and |
| including vegetable oil, petroleum | | | | ant societies. |
| jelly, or fluon. They are applied to the | | | | Creatures |
| side of the formicarium to prevent | | | | There are a variety of creatures in |
| escape. These substances are generally | | | | SimAnt such as spiders, antlions, |
| too slippery for the ants to walk on. | | | | caterpillars, pillbugs, birds, and even |
| Despite this, some species of ants can | | | | humans. All of these creatures are |
| build bridges of debris or dirt on the | | | | hazards to a player's ant colony, though |
| substance to escape. | | | | the player can switch to playing a |
| Another way of preventing the ants from | | | | spider in order to destroy opposing ant |
| escaping is to place the entire | | | | colonies. The spider, caterpillars, and |
| formicarium in a shallow container of | | | | the antlions can all be killed by |
| water, creating a moat. | | | | swarming them with other ants you've |
| SimAnt is a 1991 life simulation | | | | gathered to yourself. Dead spiders and |
| computer game by Maxis focusing on ants. | | | | caterpillars will eventually turn into |
| It was designed by Will Wright, maker of | | | | food. They will also return later on. |
| other 'Sim' games such as SimCity and | | | | Antlions stay dead once they are killed. |
| The Sims. | | | | The ants' caste system in the game is |
| The game is essentially a simulation of | | | | simple. Workers normally make up most of |
| an ant colony (Ant simulation game) . | | | | the colony and their jobs are to gather |
| The game consists of three modes: a | | | | food, dig out the nest, and care for |
| Quick Game, a Full Game, and an | | | | eggs, larvae, and the queen. They also |
| Experimental Game. It was released for | | | | help defend the nest. Soldiers are |
| the IBM PC, Commodore Amiga, Apple | | | | stronger than workers, and better at |
| Macintosh, and Super Nintendo | | | | fighting other ants; they can do most of |
| Entertainment System. The Nintendo | | | | the same jobs as workers but need more |
| version also added eight scenarios, | | | | food and can't care for eggs and larva. |
| where the goal in each is to eliminate | | | | The queen ant only has to lay eggs and |
| the enemy red ants in various locales, | | | | is the most important ant. New queens |
| each with different hazards. However, | | | | and males (drones) have wings and their |
| this edition of the SimAnt lacks the | | | | only job is to mate and make new |
| Experimental Game. | | | | colonies. |
| In SimAnt, the player plays the role of | | | | |