Niche Shift is a free online merge puzzle game where you build an ocean food chain by combining creatures from plankton all the way up to the legendary Leviathan. Swipe tiles to merge matching sea creatures, watching simple microorganisms evolve into massive predators across your game board. It looks like a 2048-style game at first glance, but the mechanics go much deeper than that.

What sets Niche Shift apart is the hunger system. Once your creatures reach Level 3 and above, they need to eat every time you make a move. Ignore them and they starve, leaving behind Bone tiles that clog your board and limit your options. This forces you to think two or three moves ahead, balancing new merges against keeping your high-level predators fed. It turns a relaxed puzzle into a genuine survival strategy challenge where board management matters as much as matching.

If you enjoy 2048 games, merge puzzles, idle ocean games, or hypercasual survival games with a strategic twist, Niche Shift hits a satisfying sweet spot. It works great for short sessions or longer runs when you push for higher chain evolutions. Players who love food chain games, ecosystem building games, or tile-merging browser games will find plenty to keep them coming back. Play free in your browser with zero downloads required.