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testingthetree.com is a small collection of browser games and simulations about one big question: how do we actually know what we think we know about the origin of life and the tree of ancestry?
Every tool here takes one assumption biologists usually take for granted, and lets you poke at it yourself. No biology degree required. Most of these take 2–5 minutes.
This wiki is the guide. Pick a game below, or start with About the Project if you want the bigger picture first.
| Game | What it tests | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🦠 | One, Few, or Many? | Was there really one common ancestor for all life? | ~2 min |
| 🎲 | Origin of Life Gamble | Could random chemistry really stumble into life? | ~5 min |
| 🧩 | Origami Ancestry Test | Does looking alike mean being related? | ~3 min |
| 🌳 | Cytochrome-C Challenge | What's really behind an "evolutionary tree" diagram? | Explore at your own pace |
| 👾 | Xenobiology Classification Lab | Can you sort by true ancestry, or just by looks? | ~3 min |
- Just want to play? Click any game above — each page explains the rules and what to look out for.
- Want the "why"? Read About the Project.
- Something not working? Check the FAQ.
- Poking at the code? See For Developers.
Every page in this wiki is also linked in the sidebar on the right, so you can jump around freely.