How to Play Agar io
In Agar.io, you begin as a tiny cell in a massive arena filled with pellets and other players. At the start, your best move is to quietly gather pellets scattered around the map. This lets you grow without drawing too much attention from larger predators. Avoid chasing other small players right away—most beginners get eaten this way. Patience pays off: focus on steady growth until you’re big enough to hunt.
The game has 2 simple rules to follow:
You can only consume targets that are smaller than you to evolve
Larger agar will eat you
Slide around the Agario battleground, trying to exist as a single cell looking to evolve. Think like a survivor - don’t just avoid bigger agar, go in for the kill and eat as much as you can!
Pick up all the smaller blobs and eat the other players to grow larger in size. Avoid blobs bigger than you as they will consume you, which means game over! But you can always start the game over and go for your next best record.
Once you reach medium size, movement slows, so you’ll need to be more tactical. Use your ability to split (Space key or split button) to lunge at smaller cells just out of reach. A successful split doubles your number of cells but halves their size, so choose your targets wisely. Always make sure the prey is small enough that even your split cell can absorb them; otherwise, you’ll just leave yourself vulnerable.
To climb higher, learn to use viruses to your advantage. As a small cell, viruses act as safe zones where big predators won’t dare follow. As a larger cell, you can eject mass into a virus to fire it toward enemies, popping them into pieces and giving you a chance to swallow their fragments. This is one of the most effective ways to topple giants on the leaderboard.
Winning in Agar.io isn’t about brute force; it’s about survival, timing, and positioning. Hug the edges of the map when you’re small, move toward the center once you’re stronger, and always look for opportunities to trap opponents against the map’s borders. The ultimate goal is to balance risk and reward: grow big enough to dominate, but not so reckless that a single virus or split leaves you scattered and eaten.
About Agar.ioInitially, Agar.io user feedback was mixed. According to Engagdet.com, it was seen as "a good abstraction of the fierce survival-of-the-fittest competition that you sometimes see on the microscopic level." However, there was also some criticism of the simplicity of the gameplay. This was mainly targeted towards the repetitiveness and the controls of the mobile version. Tom Christiansen of Gamezebo said, "Personally, I found nothing to hold my attention in Agar.io but that shouldn’t stop you from giving it a shot if it looks even remotely interesting to you."
Nevertheless, Agar.io quickly became a success, likely due in part to its frequent discussion on social media platforms, particularly Twitch and YouTube. The mobile version of the game was downloaded more than ten million times during its first week, and in 2015, Agar.io was Google's most-searched video game. In the same year, it was even listed as the fifth top game on YouTube’s list of top games.
So, it's safe to say it's got some appeal!
Did you know?
Agar.io was also featured in the Netflix TV series House of Cards! It made its appearance in Season 4, Episode 9 (Chapter 48) with Frank Underwood shown playing the game while meeting with Will Conway.
Game ModesThere are four game modes in Agar.io. These are:
FFA (Free For All) - everyone fights for themselves
Battle Royale - Everyone fights for themselves in a shrinking arena
Teams - Two teams fight against each other
Experimental - Every player for themselves. Donate your mass to the pellets to get more bits in return!
More Games Like ThisIf you like Agario, you should definitely try out our other .io games like Paper.io, a real-time multiplayer game where you capture as much territory as possible by painting it, or Krunker, a fast-paced game where you fight against rivals from across the world.
Other games with a similar idle vibe include Idle Breakout or casual games like Word Search, 2048, or Bubble Shooter.
FeaturesEat smaller cells to become bigger
Fast-paced online gameplay
Four game modes to enjoy
Play with your friends
Agar.io DeveloperMatheus Valadares announced Agar.io on 4chan on 28 April 2015. Matheus, a 19-year-old Brazilian developer, wrote the game in a few days using JavaScript and C++. The game was announced without a name, and users had to connect to Valadares' IP address to play.
It was only later that the name "Agar.io" was suggested by an anonymous user on 4chan. Matheus continued adding new features to the game. One week later, Agar.io entered Steam Greenlight.
Release Date
April 2015
Platforms
Web browser
iOS app
Android app
Last UpdatedJul 19, 2023
ControlsMove mouse = move
W = eject mass
Space = split
âť“ Frequently Asked Questions
How do you split in Agar.io?Press the spacebar to split the cells.
Can you play Agar.io on mobile?You can play Agar.io on Android and iOS if you download the official app.
What is the oldest IO game?Launched on 4chan on 28 April 2015 by Matheus, a 19-year-old Brazilian developer Matheus Valadares, Agario is considered the oldest IO game.
How to play Agar.io?In Agar.io, you control a cell that grows by eating pellets and smaller players while avoiding larger ones. This io grow game focuses on growing bigger to dominate the leaderboard of fellow players' scores.
How to merge in Agar.io?In Agar.io, your split cells automatically merge back into a single larger cell. The amount of time it takes is proportionate to how big your cells are. The only risk is if the pieces long as the pieces are eaten by other players.
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