Agar.io
| Agar.io | |
|---|---|
 Agar.io logo | |
| Publisher(s) | Miniclip (mobile) |
| Designer(s) | Matheus Valadares |
| Platform(s) | Browser, Android, iOS,Microsoft Windows, OS X,Linux |
| Release date(s) | Browser 28 April 2015[1] Android, iOS 8 July 2015 |
| Genre(s) | Strategy, action |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Agar.io[2] is a massively multiplayer action game created by Matheus Valadares.[3][4] Players control a cell in a map representing apetri dish; the goal is to gain as much mass as possible by swallowing smaller cells without being swallowed by bigger ones.[5] The name Agar.io comes from the substance agar, used to culture bacteria.[6]
Initially advertised on 28 April 2015 on 4chan as a browser game, Agar.io was a quick success; the agar.io website (for the browser version) was ranked by Alexa as one of the 1,000 most visited websites,[7] and the mobile versions were downloaded more than ten million times during its first week. Reception of the game was positive; it received particular praise for its simplicity, competition, and mechanics; while some disliked its repetitiveness. A downloadable Steam version was planned and announced on 3 May 2015, and the mobile version of Agar.io for iOS and Android was released on 8 July 2015 by Miniclip.
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 larger cells. It can be played in a deathmatch or between teams.[8] The goal of the game is to obtain the largest cell; players restart when all of their cells are swallowed. Players can change their cell's appearance with predefined words or phrases.[9]
Agar.io contains three entities: pellets, cells and viruses:
- Pellets, or food,[10] 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 (provided that they are less than 90% of the other cell's size),[11] or by splitting. Cells move slower with heavier mass[12] and gradually lose mass over time.[3]
- Viruses split cells larger than them into many pieces. Smaller cells can hide behind a virus for protection against larger cells. They can be fed to create another virus launched at a direction the player chooses.[3]
Players can split a part of their cell, flinging one of the divided cells 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.[8] Split cells eventually merge back into one cell. Players can also release a small fraction of their mass to grow other cells, to bait enemies so that they can be eaten, or to feed viruses, which splits them when done several times.[3]
Development
Agar.io was first announced on 4chan on 28 April 2015 by Matheus Valadares, a then-19-year-old Brazilian developer. Written inJavaScript and C++, the game was developed in a few days.[13] Valadares continued updating and adding new features to the game, such as an experience system and an "experimental" gamemode for testing experimental features.[10] One week later, Agar.io entered Steam Greenlight with Valadares announcing a future free-to-play version of the game for download. He planned to include features in the Steam version not available in the browser version, including additional gamemodes, custom styling, and an account system. It was approved for listing on Steam due to community interest.[14]
On 8 July 2015, a mobile version of Agar.io for iOS and Android was published by Miniclip. Sergio Varanda, head of mobile at Miniclip, explained that 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 planned to frequently update the game, with Varanda saying that new features often come from feedback from fans on social networks.[15]
Reception
Agar.io was released to a positive critical 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."[5] The Yorkshire Standard called it "extremely addicting", but criticized it for being somewhat repetitive and frustrating.[16] Brett Makedonski of Destructoid said that "it felt so good to eat a guy".[17]
The mobile versions received the same positive reception, but critics disliked their controls. Chris Carter of Toucharcade praised its simplicity, strategic element, and "personality", but criticized it for becoming hard to control at larger masses.[18] Glen Fox of Pocket Gamer praised it for its strategic element and called it "addictive", but criticized the controls as "floaty".[19] 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."[20]
Agar.io quickly became popular upon release, largely because it was frequently propagated through social media and broadcast on Twitch.tv[12] and YouTube.[21] Published byMiniclip, the mobile versions of the game became popular relatively quickly, garnering over ten million downloads in the first week since release.[22]
Use as a political soapbox
During the campaigns of the June 2015 Turkish elections, Agar.io was used in Turkey as a medium of political advocacy; many players were naming their cells after Turkish political parties and references, with alliances formed between players with similar political views, battling against other players with opposing views.[23] Some political parties have used Agar.io in campaign posters as a symbol of support.[9]
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