In SimAnt, as in so many of the Maxis simulations, the designers have taken hold of a particular subject matter and focused our attention on nearly every aspect of it. The subject matter this time is the incredibly durable and indestructible ant, the largest body of beings on the face of the planet. In SimAnt, you become one of Earth's most determined survivalists and experience life from an ant's perspective. In so doing, you'll find yourself immersed in tasks that seem, well, human in nature. You'll wage war, defend your home, face poisonous chemicals, reproduce, work singularly or in groups, eat, and even face natural disasters.
SimAnt offers three basic play modes. Quick Games puts you in the role of Yellow Ant, the leader of the black ants in a ferocious battle for supremacy and survival against the dreaded red ants for a single patch of yard. The win condition is simple--kill the red queen.
In Full Games, once again you become Yellow Ant, jumping from body to body as your "character" dies, and your mission is on a much grander scale. You must eliminate all the red ants in the yard and then systematically drive the humans from their house by taking over 70% of the 192 indoor "patches."
The final mode, Experimental Games, gives you human status again and, by using different environments, tools, and chemicals in a laboratory setting, you can study your ants' behavior by manipulating numerous parameters.