Agar.io
| Agar.io | |
|---|---|
| File:Agar.io logo.png Official logo of the game | |
| Developer(s) | Matheus Valadares (Zeach) |
| Publisher(s) | Miniclip (mobile) |
| Platform(s) | Browser, client (planned), mobile |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Top-down strategy action game |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Agar.io is a massively multiplayer action game developed by Matheus Valadares.[2][3] In the game, the player controls a cell in a map representing a petri dish; the goal is to gain as much mass as possible by swallowing smaller cells without being swallowed by bigger ones.[4] The name Agar.io comes from the substance agar, used to culture bacteria.[5]
The game was initially advertised on 4chan on April 28, 2015 as a browser game. It quickly became popular largely due to word of mouth on social media, most notably YouTube and Twitch.tv. On May 3, 2015, Agar.io entered Steam Greenlight with the developers planning to add features unavailable in the browser version.[6] It was approved by the community for listing on Steam.[7] Miniclip published an Android and iOS version on July 8, 2015.[8][9]
Agar.io has generally received positive reception, with critics praising the game's simplicity, competition, and mechanics. Some critics[who?] criticized it for its difficulty and repetitiveness. The mobile version was subject to the same praise, but its controls were criticized[by whom?] for being unwieldy.
Gameplay
The objective of Agar.io is to grow a cell, a circular player-controlled object, by swallowing both pellets and smaller cells without being swallowed by bigger cells. It can be played in a deathmatch or between teams.[10] There is no set goal; players restart when all of their cells are swallowed. There are certain usernames that stylize players' cells.[11]
Agar.io contains three entities: pellets, cells and viruses:
- Pellets are randomly scattered among the map. When swallowed, they slightly increase a cell's mass.
- Cells are controlled by every player. Only opponent cells that are smaller can be swallowed; they can be swallowed directly, or by splitting, as described below. Cells move slower with heavier mass[12] and gradually lose mass over time.[2]
- Viruses split larger cells into many pieces. Smaller cells can hide behind them for protection against larger cells. They can be fed to create another virus launched at a direction the player chooses.[2]
Cells can be split with the split cell launched at the direction of the cursor. This can be used as a ranged attack to swallow other cells, to escape from a difficult situation, or to move more quickly around the map.[10] Split cells eventually merge into one. Players can also release a small fraction of their mass to grow other cells or to feed viruses, which splits them when done several times.[2]
Reception
Agar.io has generally received positive reception. Jon Fingas of Engadget described the game as "a good abstraction of the fierce survival-of-the-fittest competition that you sometimes see on the microscopic level."[4] The Yorkshire Standard calls it "extremely addicting", but criticized it for being somewhat repetitive and frustrating.[13] Brett Makedonski of Destructoid said that "it felt so good to eat a guy".[14]
The mobile version has also received positive reception, but was criticized for unwieldiness. Chris Carter of Toucharcade praised it simplicity, strategic element, and "personality", but criticized it for becoming hard to control at larger masses.[15] Glen Fox of Pocket Gamer praised it for its strategic element and called it "addictive", but criticized the controls as "floaty".[16]
Games of Agar.io were frequently broadcast on Twitch.tv[12] and YouTube.[17] Published by Miniclip, the mobile versions of Agar.io on iOS and Android were popular, garnering over ten million downloads in the first week since release.[8]
Politics
During the campaigns of the 2015 Turkish elections, Agar.io was used in Turkey for political reasons; many players were naming their cells after Turkish political parties and references, with alliances formed between players with similar political views, fighting against other players with opposing views.[18] Some political parties have used Agar.io in campaign posters as a symbol of support.[11]
References
- ^ Irmak, Şafak. "İnternetin Yeni Çılgınlığı: Agar.io". Webtekno.
- ^ a b c d "Comment battre vos collègues au jeu en ligne Agar.io". Le Monde (in French).
- ^ "Agar.io, le nouveau jeu phénomène sur iPhone/iPad et Android". Pockett.net (in French). Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ^ a b Fingas, Jon. "Agar.io brings massively multiplayer games to the petri dish". Engadget (in Turkish). Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- ^ Eordogh, Fruzsina. "Agar.io' is your new favorite bored-at-work game: Hardcore Casual game reviews". TouchVision. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "Agar.io: a guide to the hit game – and the best tips to win". The Week. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ "Steam Greenlight: Agar.io". Steam Community. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- ^ a b "How Agari.io conquered the App Store, without spending a penny". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "About Agar.io". IGN. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Agar.io: a guide to the hit game – and the best tips to win". The Week. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ^ a b Grayson, Nathan. "A Game That's Become A Political Battleground". Kotaku (America). Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- ^ a b Livingston, Christopher. "Agario: the dot-gobbling browser game that's a hit on Twitch". PC Gamer. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "Agar.io: The game where eating balls is fun". The Yorkshire Standard. June 1, 2015.
- ^ Devore, Jordan (April 29, 2015). "We can't stop playing the hilarious multiplayer web game Agar.io". Destructoid.
- ^ Carter, Chris. "'Agar.io' Review - The Amoeba Boys (and Girls)". Toucharcade. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ Fox, Glen. "Agar.io review". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media.
- ^ Matuk, Pablo. "Agar.io, el nuevo y sencillo juego de moda". Unocero (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ^ "Web game becomes latest battlefield in Turkish politics". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 10 August 2015.