History of WolfQuest

2005-2011

A grant-funded game about wolf ecology

From its first incarnation, WolfQuest was designed to combine the fast-paced action of videogames with accurate, real-world wolf biology and ecology. The game was originally developed by the Minnesota Zoo and Eduweb, an educational game developer, with funding from the National Science Foundation, Best Buy, and other foundations and donors.

Watch the WolfQuest: 2006 Preview Video (below). The video that started it all! We created it in 2006 as a fundraising aid for the WolfQuest project.

First released in December 2007 as a free download for Mac and Windows computers, the game was accompanied by a lively community forum for discussions about wolf ecology, conservation, and related topics, as well as the game itself. In subsequent years, the Minnesota Zoo and Eduweb developed several game expansions, concluding with WolfQuest 2.5, released in October 2011, before active development ceased due to lack of funding. Despite that, forum participation continued and kept the WolfQuest community alive.

2014-2016

Eduweb develops WolfQuest 2.7

Even after funding ran out in 2011, people continued to download and play WolfQuest, and the community forum remained active. So in 2014, Eduweb took up game development again and, in November 2015 released WolfQuest 2.7, an improved and expanded version of the game for purchase. In 2016, WolfQuest 2.7 was released on Steam and, later that year, for iOS, Android and Kindle devices. A series of game updates added new animals, improved graphics and enhanced environments.

Watch the WolfQuest 2.7 Preview Video (below)

Watch: Wildest Dreams: The Story of WolfQuest (Chapter 1)

2017-present

WolfQuest 3: Anniversary Edition

In 2017, Eduweb announced that development of WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition was underway. This new version, a complete remake and expansion of the original game, is a much more sophisticated and realistic wildlife simulation with broad appeal.

Eduweb released the first episode, Amethyst Mountain for PC/Mac on Steam and itch.io, as Early Access on July 25, 2019, followed by:

  • Slough Creek (2020)
  • Lost River Classic map
  • Slough Creek multiplayer (2021)
  • Yellowstone Wolf Coat DLC (2021)
  • Building Character DLC (2022)
  • Lost River DLC (2022)

While in Early Access, we are updating the game frequently with more features.

What's Still to Come?

The saga continues...

On December 30, 2021, we announced the WolfQuest Saga, an upcoming expansion (free to anyone who owns the game), will continue life with your pups as you raise a new generation of skilled hunters.

We are also working on a new DLC map for WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition, centered around Hellroaring Mountain in north-central Yellowstone.

We are currently focusing on PC/Mac development and will not turn our attention to considering other platforms until WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition is out of Early Access.