Map exploration and discovered need zones (feeding, drinking, and resting spots) carry over to your single-player world, which is a massive plus for solo progression.

Online play is designed for cooperative exploration rather than competitive leaderboards. You can either host your own session or join a public or private server.

Every time you start a multiplayer server, the animal herds are "fresh." You cannot prune low-fitness animals to improve the gene pool as you do in single-player.