One thing I thought would be cool was gendered or age related traits. A gene or setting to have antlers/horns develop in adulthood or adolescence. Maybe a setting for gendered traits in sandbox mode, for example, only a male creature could have antlers/certain colours or any trait really. I just think that would be a cool addition and add more dynamics to the game.
It’s a totally cool game as is, but a Niche 2 sounds awesome as well because there’s so many ideas to work with! (Sorry if this is a really late reply)