Ancestors is ambitious and educational in a way few games attempt—you're literally playing through millions of years of human evolution, making discoveries, protecting your clan, and advancing the species. That's cool.

But let's be real: it's also obtuse, punishing, and often frustrating. The game doesn't hold your hand, tutorials are minimal, and many players (even adults) bounce off it hard. The violence is realistic—predators attack, clan members die bloodily, and the constant threat creates genuine tension. It's not gratuitous, but it's not sanitized either.

For the right teen—someone fascinated by prehistory, patient with trial-and-error gameplay, and not easily spooked by realistic survival brutality—this can be genuinely enriching. It sparks real questions about adaptation, cooperation, and what it took for humanity to survive. But for casual gamers or younger kids? This is likely to be more confusing and stressful than fun.

The IGDB rating of 70 tells you what you need to know: it's interesting and original, but flawed in execution. If your teen is into the concept and willing to push through the learning curve, go for it. Otherwise, there are more accessible ways to learn about evolution.