1. Goal of the Game
Keep your cells alive by managing resources, building organelles, cleaning waste, defending against viruses, and dividing when stable.
2. First Five Minutes
Start by stabilizing one cell. Build resource transporters, keep oxygen available, add mitochondria for ATP, and add lysosomes before waste becomes dangerous.
3. Resources
ATP powers actions. Glucose feeds energy systems. Amino acids support protein production. Lipids and phospholipids support membranes. Oxygen keeps mitochondria producing ATP. Waste must be cleaned before it becomes lethal.
4. Transporters
Blue transporters move glucose. Red transporters move amino acids. Yellow skinny transporters move lipids. Build the right entry points for the materials your cell needs.
5. Organelles
Mitochondria produce ATP with oxygen. Lysosomes clean waste and destroy viral genetic material. Ribosomes help build proteins. ER helps production. Golgi packages resources into vesicles and sends them to nearby cells. The nucleus stores protected genetic information.
6. Viruses and Defense
Bright green viruses can dock on receptors and release DNA or RNA. Use lysosomes to intercept viral material before it reaches the nucleus. B cells are large purple immune cells that can launch antibodies at viruses.
7. Division
Divide only when the cell is stable. More cells can increase score and survivability, but every new cell needs oxygen, nutrients, cleanup, and defense.
8. Lysis and Failure
If waste, infection, oxygen shortage, or system failure overwhelms the cell, it can lyse and die. Treat failure as a diagnostic: which system broke first?
9. Quick Strategy Tips
Build transporters early. Add mitochondria only when you can support oxygen and cleanup. Do not neglect lysosomes. Protect the path between receptors and the nucleus. Use Golgi logistics to support nearby cells. Divide after stability, not before.
Download the Free Guide
For the biology explanation behind the mechanics, download the free illustrated guide or read it online.