
Experience the story of life on Earth like never before with SHADOWBOX: Mausoleum of Natural History, a virtual, interactive, and free-to-play museum featuring 3D scans of real fossils.
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About
Experience the story of life on Earth like never before with SHADOWBOX: Mausoleum of Natural History, a virtual, interactive, and free-to-play museum.
Explore exhibits that detail the life, death, anatomy, and ecology of extinct species containing photogrammetric scans of real fossils. Examine fossils up close, and learn how to identify long-lost species in real life. Scan QR codes to read more about the science behind SHADOWBOX. Collect songs and audio logs to listen to as you explore. Run, jump, and climb on the exhibits, if you please!
As of the current version, Beta 2.3.0, the following exhibits are open to visitors:
Burgess Shale (Cambrian Period)
Maquoketa Formation (Ordovician Period)
Louisville Formation (Silurian Period)
Winnica Formation (Silurian Period)
Martin Formation (Devonian Period)
Silica Formation (Devonian Period)
Onondaga Limestone (Devonian Period)
Naco Formation (Carboniferous Period)
Westerville Formation (Carboniferous Period)
Kaibab Limestone (Permian Period)
Coconino Sandstone (Permian Period)
Dunedoo Formation (Permian Period)
Moenkopi Formation (Triassic Period)
Thaynes Group (Triassic Period)
Chinle Formation (Triassic Period)
Blue Lias (Jurassic Period)
Turney Ranch Formation (Cretaceous Period)
Moreno Hill Formation (Cretaceous Period)
Menefee Formation (Cretaceous Period)
Fort Crittenden Formation (Cretaceous Period)
Fruitland Formation (Cretaceous Period)
Kirtland Formation (Cretaceous Period)
Nacimiento Formation (Paleocene Epoch)
Green River Formation (Eocene Epoch)
Kerch Basin (Miocene Epoch)
The Geological Eras Tour
Real, False, & Phony Fossils
Your input will help the SHADOWBOX development team create the most accessible, informative, and engaging experience possible. If you have suggestions, feedback, or would like to report a bug, head on over to the Steam forums.
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Languages: English
Engagement
Reviews
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As a museum nerd, this is a really cool find. There are plenty of fossils that you can view along with information. This is a free to play experience that is worth checking out I look forward to seeing it evolve over time. That being said there is a lot that can be done to improve the game. I think that having more of the text added in game would add to making it a more seamless and accessible experience. I think having the in world qr codes that don't scan is a little confusing, so at least limiting them to the viewable text field would help. There is a need for more illustrative imagery that shows what the fossils might have looked like in life. It would also be cool if there was a bit more game-ification of the exhibits in a way that would capture younger audiences.
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Concurrent players on Steam, sampled daily since tracking started.
Hours played at review time, across 26 reviews with recorded playtime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxm48Ki7YLg SHADOWBOX is the best and biggest science project you've never heard of! It has tons of 3D models of dinosaurs, reptiles, and anything from ancient natural history! It's created by a real paleontologist who absolutely knows his stuff. The 3D models are hyper realistic and give you the authenticity that not many virtual museums have. It's even better than some museums I've been to in real life! So if you have any interest at all in paleontology, dinsoaurs, or ancient life, you should really check out the Mausoleum.
This is awesome. I love the idea of a virtual museum and being able to "pick up" fossils to inspect them. I agree with some other reviews that it can be a little laggy but the concept is great and I can't wait to see future exhibits. The hall of time where you can see fossils through the ages is my favorite part. This was covered as part of this week's episode of Free2Play Weekly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1m4-LHqPgQ&t=102
If you like virtual museums, dinosaurs, or just something relaxing, then I would very much recommend this, great atmosphere with a ton of educational content for anyone who's even mildly interested in paleontology or natural history. It's still in early access, so there are a few improvements left to be made, but overall a great experience as it is.
I liked it. But it needs more structure and better presentation to be truly engaging. But, I love the labor of love that it is and hope to re-visit the museum in the future.
satan crashed my game then another window opened that said something in latin i think 10/10 would get high and look at fossils again
A pretty nice museum game. However, I really despise Unreal Engine because it give lag to Mid-end PCs or lower. Goes hard anyway.
It's very admirable that this game isnot only currently free, but the dev intends to make it free all throughout development. I feel that the fossils should probably have a picture of what the creatures might actually look like, because i don't have any frame of reference when just staring at these rocks. Maybe I'm just not the target audience, but I feel the game would attract more attention, if it were easier to comprehend what the animals/dinosaurs actually are
This was so freaking neat! I love hunting for fossils and natural elements and I learned a great deal while visiting this museum. I can't wait to see where you take this- I really recommend this simulator as is because it's absolutely worth your time. I'm excited to learn more in the future. Excellent job, guys.
Audience
Estimated from the language of this game's reviews — a proxy for where players are, not official Steam demographics.
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