What to play this weekend: Agar.io

Recently I was hanging out with some friends when someone showed me Agar.io for iPhone (free, universal). “You’re a cell who eats other cells while trying to avoid getting eaten yourself,” he said.

“That’s it?” I said.

“That’s it.”

Agar.io comes to iOS after a successful run on PC and browser-based play. This mobile version preserves the low-end, no-frills graphics of its siblings and is somehow just as compelling. I’ve pretty much explained everything there is to know, but here are a few more details.

Game play

Agar.io is a world-wide competition. You’ll start with a tiny circle that you can name. The game begins right away and your “cell” appears on what looks like a field of grid paper, along with other cells of various sizes. The point is to grow larger, which you do by running into, or “eating,” cells smaller than yourself. At the same time, you must avoid larger cells that would like to eat you.

As I said, that’s pretty much it.

Agar.io is an entry pick-up-and-play, just-one-more-try genre that is so compelling. You’re playing this silly game, and you know it’s silly, but you also know you can do better if you try just one more time. There’s no huge investment since you immediately start over after dying, so be reckless and give it a go.

Skins

As you play, you’ll see some players whose cells resemble flags, the moon, an alien face and so on. These skins are determined by the nickname you choose just prior to playing. For example, use “USA” as your nickname and your cell will resemble the American flag. Enter “ayy lmao” to get a grey alien face. Really, it’s just another layer to the silliness.

Conclusion

Agar.io won’t appeal to everyone. It’s goofy, the graphics are rudimentary, there’s no sound at all. But that’s also what makes it so fun, in a “the is the dumbest game I’ve ever played” kind of way. It’s the same feeling that makes Manos: Hands of Fate a great movie. That’s why Agar.io is the iOS game you should play this weekend.