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 | Browser 28 April 2015[1] Mobile 8 July 2015 (iOS, Android) |
| 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.[6] On May 3, 2015, Agar.io entered Steam Greenlight with Valadares planning to add features unavailable in the browser version.[7] It was approved by the community for listing on Steam.[8] Miniclip published an Android and iOS version on July 8, 2015.[9][10]
Among game critics, Agar.io received positive critical reception. Many praised the game's browser and mobile versions for its simplicity, competition, and mechanics; some critics disliked its repetitiveness. The mobile versions received criticism for its controls, which were described as unwieldy. It was compared to Osmos and the cell stage of Spore.
Agar.io was quickly successful upon release; the agar.io website (for the browser version) was ranked by Alexa as one of the 1,000 most visited websites,[11] and the mobile versions were downloaded over ten million times in its first week.
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.[12] There is no set goal; players restart when all of their cells are swallowed. There are certain usernames that stylize players' cells.[13]
Agar.io contains three entities: pellets, cells and viruses:
- Pellets (sometimes called food [original research?]) 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[14] 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.[12] 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]
Development
Agar.io was first announced on 4chan on April 28, 2015 by Matheus Valadares, a Brazilian developer who was 19 years old at the time. According to an interview conducted by Kafakutu,[15] Valadares said that he was a player of the game Spore, which he cites as an unclear inspiration for Agar.io. The initial development was simple; it only spanned a few days. The game client was written in JavaScript and the game server was written in C++.
Valadares continued to develop the game, adding features such as a experience system and an "experimental" gamemode for testing experimental features.[16]
On May 3, 2015, Agar.io entered Steam Greenlight with Valadares planning to release a free-to-play version of the game for download. He planned to add more features to the game, including additional gamemodes, custom styling, and an account system. It was quickly approved by the community for listing on Steam.
On July 8, 2015, a mobile version of Agar.io for iOS and Android was published by Miniclip. In an interview with Sergio Varanda, head of mobile at Miniclip, the main goal of the mobile version was to "recreate the gaming experience players already knew and loved on web", citing the challenges with recreating the experience with touchscreen controls. Miniclip also planned to frequently update the game, with Varanda saying that new features often come from feedback from fans on social networks.[17]
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.[18] Brett Makedonski of Destructoid said that "it felt so good to eat a guy".[19]
The mobile versions also received the same 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.[20] Glen Fox of Pocket Gamer praised it for its strategic element and called it "addictive", but criticized the controls as "floaty".[21] Steve Wollaston of the Sunday Mercury praised the graphics as "wonderfully weird", saying it "looks like it has just been thrown together by a seven-year-old in their bedroom with an iPad and some crayons."[22]
Agar.io quickly became popular upon release as the game was frequently broadcast on Twitch.tv[14] and YouTube.[6] Published by Miniclip, the mobile versions of the game became popular relatively quickly, garnering over ten million downloads in the first week since release.[9]
Politics
During the campaigns of the June 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.[23] Some political parties have used Agar.io in campaign posters as a symbol of support.[13]
References
- ^ Irmak, Şafak. "İnternetin Yeni Çılgınlığı: Agar.io". Webtekno (in Turkish).
- ^ 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. 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.
- ^ a b Matuk, Pablo. "Agar.io, el nuevo y sencillo juego de moda". Unocero (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 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.
- ^ "agar.io Site Overview". Alexa Internet.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Efsane oyunun geliştiricisi ile kısa bir söyleşi yaptık". Kafakutu (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ "Changelog". agar.io. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ Gordon, Scott. "Agar.io: can the Play Store's top game continue to grow?". AndroidPit. Retrieved 26 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.
- ^ Wollaston, Steve. "Games". Sunday Mercury. Retrieved 23 August 2015 – via HighBeam.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|subscription=ignored (|url-access=suggested) (help) - ^ "Web game becomes latest battlefield in Turkish politics". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 10 August 2015.