View source for Agar.io

{{Short description|2015 multiplayer video game}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Agar.io
| image = Agar.io Logo.png
| caption = Logo
| publisher = [[Miniclip]]
| platforms = [[Browser game|Browser]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[iOS]], [[iPadOS]]
| released = '''Browser'''<br />28 April 2015<ref>{{cite web|last1=Irmak|first1=Şafak|title=İnternetin Yeni Çılgınlığı: Agar.io|url=http://www.webtekno.com/oyun/internetin-yeni-cilginligi-agar-io-h7483.html|website=Webtekno|date=14 May 2015|language=tr|trans-title=The Internet's new craze: Agar.io|access-date=7 August 2015|archive-date=11 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011073809/http://www.webtekno.com/oyun/internetin-yeni-cilginligi-agar-io-h7483.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />'''Android'''<br />7 July 2015<br />'''iOS, iPadOS'''<br/>8 July 2015<br/>
| genre = [[Casual game|Casual]]
| modes = [[Multiplayer]]
| designer = Matheus Valadares<ref>{{cite web|title=Agar.io, le nouveau jeu phénomène sur iPhone/iPad et Android|url=http://www.pockett.net/n27164_iPhone_Agar_io_le_nouveau_jeu_phenomene_sur_iPhone_iPad_et_Android|website=Pockett.net|language=fr|access-date=7 August 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917151840/http://www.pockett.net/n27164_iPhone_Agar_io_le_nouveau_jeu_phenomene_sur_iPhone_iPad_et_Android|archive-date=17 September 2016}}</ref>
}}
'''''Agar.io'''''{{efn|Sometimes called or pronounced "agario" ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|eɪ|ɡ|ɑːr|iː|oʊ|,_|ˈ|ɑː|-}})}} is a [[Massive multiplayer online game|massive multiplayer online]] [[action game]] created by Brazilian developer Matheus Valadares. Players control one or more circular [[Cell (biology)|cells]] in a map representing a [[Petri dish]]. The goal is to gain as much mass as possible by eating cells and player cells smaller than the player's cell while avoiding larger ones which can eat the player's cells. Each player starts with one cell, but players can split a cell into two once it reaches a sufficient mass, allowing them to control multiple cells. The name comes from the substance [[agar]], used to culture bacteria.<ref name="Takahashi" />
The game was released to positive critical reception; critics particularly praised its simplicity, competition, and mechanics, while criticism targeted its repetitive gameplay. Largely due to [[word of mouth]] on social networks, it was a quick success, becoming one of the most popular [[browser game|browser]] and [[mobile game]]s in its first year. The mobile version of ''Agar.io'' for [[iOS]] was released on 8 July 2015 and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] on 7 July 2015 by [[Miniclip]]. The browser version was released in June 2015 by [[CrazyGames]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Agar.io 🕹️ Play on CrazyGames |url=https://www.crazygames.com/game/agario |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=www.crazygames.com |language=en}}</ref> ''Agar.io'' has inspired similar web games called "[[.io games]]", including games with a similar objective but different characters, and games that incorporate elements of other genres like [[shooter game]]s.<ref name="Takahashi">{{cite web |last1=Takahashi |first1=Dean |date=11 February 2017 |title=The surprising momentum behind games like Agar.io |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/02/11/the-surprising-momentum-behind-io-games-like-agar-io/ |access-date=5 May 2018 |work=[[VentureBeat]] |archive-date=11 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211172633/https://venturebeat.com/2017/02/11/the-surprising-momentum-behind-io-games-like-agar-io/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Gameplay==
[[File:Agario-gameplay.jpg|thumb|''Agar.io'' gameplay; this image shows only a small fraction of an ''Agar.io'' map. There are four cells on this screenshot. One cell is partially consuming another one. Another one of the cells is a drawing of [[Doge (meme)|Doge]], an [[Internet meme]].]]
The objective of ''Agar.io'' is to grow a cell on a [[Petri dish]] by swallowing both randomly generated cells, known as "[[agar]]", which slightly increases a cell's mass, and other smaller cells (players), without being swallowed by even larger cells.<ref name=":2" /> The browser version currently holds five game modes: FFA (Free-For-All), [[Battle royale game|Battle Royale]], Teams, Experimental, and Party. The mobile version of the game includes Classic (like FFA), Rush Mode, Burst, and Battle Royale. The goal of the game is to obtain the largest cell; players must restart from a small cell when all their cells are eaten by larger players or fountain viruses. Players can change their cell's appearance with predefined words, phrases, symbols, or skins.<ref name="turkeypolitics">{{cite web |last1=Grayson |first1=Nathan |date=May 26, 2015 |title=A Game That's Become A Political Battleground |url=http://kotaku.com/a-game-thats-become-a-political-battleground-1707084641 |access-date=13 July 2015 |website=[[Kotaku]] |archive-date=29 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529220521/http://kotaku.com/a-game-thats-become-a-political-battleground-1707084641 |url-status=live }}</ref> The more mass a cell has, the more slowly it will move.<ref name="pcgamer">{{cite web |last1=Livingston |first1=Christopher |date=27 May 2015 |title=Agario: the dot-gobbling browser game that's a hit on Twitch |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/agario-the-dot-gobbling-browser-game-thats-a-hit-on-twitch/ |access-date=6 August 2015 |website=[[PC Gamer]] |archive-date=29 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529182044/http://www.pcgamer.com/agario-the-dot-gobbling-browser-game-thats-a-hit-on-twitch/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Cells will gradually lose a small amount of mass over time.<ref name="lemonde1">{{cite news |date=3 August 2015 |title=Comment battre vos collègues au jeu en ligne Agar.io |trans-title=How to beat your colleagues in the online game Agar.io |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2015/08/03/comment-battre-vos-collegues-au-jeu-en-ligne-agar-io_4709759_4408996.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117031306/http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2015/08/03/comment-battre-vos-collegues-au-jeu-en-ligne-agar-io_4709759_4408996.html |archive-date=17 November 2015 |access-date=May 5, 2023 |newspaper=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr}}</ref>
Viruses are green, spiky circles that split cells that consume them into many smaller cells, rendering them vulnerable and attractive targets to other players. Players can hide under viruses if their cell is small enough and their name short enough. Viruses are normally randomly generated, but players can also cause viruses to split in two by "feeding" them mass—typically in the direction of another nearby cell which the player wants to consume. Consuming a virus will change your mass by +100 and red viruses change your mass by +200.<ref name="lemonde1" />
Red viruses look similar to regular ones, except for their color. They will consume/eat cells that have less than 200 mass, spitting out their mass equivalent in food/dots. When a green virus is fed to a red one, the red virus will consume it, spitting out the equivalent mass. Cells with mass greater than 200 can swallow the red virus, which achieves the same effect as a regular virus, but the player will be rewarded with 200 mass instead of the regular 100, red viruses only spawn in Experimental and Battle Royale mode.
In the experimental mode, feeding a virus will push it instead of englarging it, making it easier to split other players.
Players can split their cell evenly into two (if the starting mass is odd, the cells’ masses will differ slightly), to a limit of 16 cells at once. One of the two evenly divided cells will be shot in the direction of the cursor when the space bar was pressed. This can be used as a ranged attack to shoot a cell in order to swallow other smaller cells or to escape an attack and move quickly around the map.<ref name="theweek">{{cite web |date=20 July 2015 |title=Agar.io: a guide to the hit game – and the best tips to win |url=https://www.theweek.co.uk/64437/agario-what-is-the-hit-game-and-what-are-the-best-tips-to-win |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721004336/http://www.theweek.co.uk/64437/agario-what-is-the-hit-game-and-what-are-the-best-tips-to-win |archive-date=21 July 2015 |access-date=5 August 2015 |website=[[The Week]]}}</ref> Split cells merge back into one cell if a bigger cell of the same player consumes it. Aside from feeding viruses, players can release a small fraction of their mass to feed other cells, an action commonly recognized as an intention to team with another player.<ref name="lemonde1" />
==History==
=== Development ===
''Agar.io'' was created by nineteen-year-old Brazilian developer Matheus Valadares, written in [[JavaScript]] and [[C++]]. Valadares shared an [[IP address]] to the game for [[Playtest|playtesting]] on the [[4chan]] video game board /v/ and game development forums, before releasing it on the domain ''agar.io'' on 28 April 2015. It is named after [[agar]], a substance used to grow [[Cell culture|cell cultures]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Lindsey |first=Cameron |date=March 2019 |title=Agar.io: The Game's in the Name |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1555412018821483?journalCode=gaca |journal=[[Games and Culture]] |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=154–169 |doi=10.1177/1555412018821483 |s2cid=150281404 |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 May 2023 |archive-date=5 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505130241/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1555412018821483?journalCode=gaca |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Castello |first=Jay |last2= |first2= |date=2018-02-22 |title=The rise and rise of .io games |language=en |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]] |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rise-and-rise-of-io-games |access-date=2023-05-06 |archive-date=6 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506131433/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rise-and-rise-of-io-games |url-status=live }}</ref> Valadares continued to experiment with adding new features{{Emdash}}experimental mode was created specifically for this purpose.<ref>{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Sam |date=3 October 2015 |title=The new Agar.io mobile update – what's new? |url=http://blog.miniclip.com/2015/10/03/the-new-agar-io-mobile-update-whats-new/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102045359/http://blog.miniclip.com/2015/10/03/the-new-agar-io-mobile-update-whats-new/ |archive-date=2 January 2016 |access-date=17 December 2015 |work=[[Miniclip]]}}</ref> He thought about adding more complex biological features like [[photosynthesis]] and [[Mitochondrion|mitochondria]], but ultimately decided to strip the game down to its current simple mechanics. In-game advertisements covered server costs.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Christian |first=Jon |date=January 5, 2016 |title=A Browser Game Called Agar.io Got Googled More In 2015 Than 'Fallout 4' |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/jpgq9y/a-browser-game-called-agario-got-googled-more-in-2015-than-fallout-4 |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |language=en |archive-date=7 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507095041/https://www.vice.com/en/article/jpgq9y/a-browser-game-called-agario-got-googled-more-in-2015-than-fallout-4 |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Popularity ===
Valadares never marketed ''Agar.io'' outside of his single post on 4chan, where he received feedback and users formed "cartels" to get on the in-game leaderboard.<ref name=":4" /> Its initial success is instead attributed to its popularity among online content creators such as [[YouTuber|YouTubers]] and [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] streamers. Only a week later, the YouTube channel [[Vinesauce]] uploaded a gameplay video of ''Agar.io''. On 30 May, [[PewDiePie]], a YouTuber who then had over 42 million subscribers, uploaded the first of nine ''Agar.io'' videos and called it his "new favourite game". However, he stated in the video that his fans had been requesting an ''Agar.io'' video for a long period of time{{Emdash}}it had already become popular via [[Word of mouth|word-of-mouth]] across social media.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine |last=Burgess |first=Matt |date=April 12, 2016 |title=How addictive simplicity made Agar.io a global hit |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/agario-miniclip-game-viral-success-pewdiepie-youtube |url-access=limited |access-date=May 5, 2023 |magazine=[[Wired UK]]}}</ref>{{Efn|Valadares had submitted the game through [[Steam Greenlight]] on May 3. Despite quickly receiving approval, ''Agar.io'' was never released on the [[Steam (service)|Steam]] platform. Cameron Lindsey, writing in the journal ''[[Games and Culture]]'', supposed this was because of its existing popularity as a browser game.<ref name=":0" />}} Dedicated ''Agar.io'' YouTubers saw their subscriber counts quickly rise.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=2016-03-03 |title=Darwinian bacteria survival game Agar.io has bagged 2B views on YouTube |url=https://venturebeat.com/business/agar-io-bacteria-game-gets-2b-views-on-youtube/ |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}</ref>
Commentators also suggested ''Agar.io''<nowiki/>'s accessibility as a free [[browser game]], as well as the addictiveness of its simple and intuitive mechanics, as reasons for its unexpected success.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" />
In March 2016, ''Agar.io'' videos reached two billion views on YouTube.<ref name=":5" /> ''[[Digital Trends]]'' said in 2021 that ''Agar.io'' still maintained an active core fanbase.<ref name=":2" />
=== Mobile game ===
After meeting with him in [[Lisbon]], mobile game publisher [[Miniclip]] began working with Valadares at the end of April 2015. They were attracted by ''Agar.io''<nowiki/>'s wide appeal; the game already had five million daily players and Miniclip executive producer Jamie Cason stated that their staff were all playing it within a week.<ref name="Takahashi" /><ref name=":1" /> Miniclip released mobile ports of ''Agar.io'' on the [[App store|App Store]] and [[Google Play]] on July 8.<ref name=":0" /> It became the number one app on the App Store in the United States, United Kingdom and 32 other countries.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gordon |first1=Scott Adam |date=July 30, 2015 |title=Agar.io: can the Play Store's top game continue to grow? |url=https://www.androidpit.com/agario-interview-will-the-play-store-s-top-game-eat-the-world |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907220650/https://www.androidpit.com/agario-interview-will-the-play-store-s-top-game-eat-the-world |archive-date=7 September 2015 |access-date=26 August 2015 |website=AndroidPit}}</ref>
==Reception==
''Agar.io'' was praised for the addictive nature of its simple gameplay and graphics. ''[[PC Gamer]]'' included it on its list of the best browser games.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hadley |first1=Jupiter |last2=Palmer |first2=Philip |last3=Macgregor |first3=Jody |last4=Morton |first4=Lauren |title=The best browser games |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/best-browser-games/ |access-date=May 12, 2023 |website=[[PC Gamer]] |date=9 May 2022 |archive-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410221530/https://www.pcgamer.com/best-browser-games/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
''[[Engadget]]'' described the game as "a good abstraction of the fierce survival-of-the-fittest competition that you sometimes see on the microscopic level."<ref name="engadget">{{cite web |last1=Fingas |first1=Jon |title=Agar.io brings massively multiplayer games to the Petri dish |url=https://www.engadget.com/2015/06/01/agar-io/ |access-date=16 June 2015 |website=Engadget |date=June 2015 |archive-date=18 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618082917/http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/01/agar-io/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[TouchArcade]]'' praised its simplicity, strategic element, and "personality".<ref name=":7">{{cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Chris |date=July 28, 2015 |title='Agar.io' Review – The Amoeba Boys (and Girls) |url=https://toucharcade.com/2015/07/28/agario-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150729154850/http://toucharcade.com/2015/07/28/agario-review/ |archive-date=29 July 2015 |access-date=10 August 2015 |website=[[TouchArcade]]}}</ref> It was chosen by ''SFGATE'' as App of the Week in August 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaul |first=Greta |date=2015-08-14 |title=App of the week: Agar.io |url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/App-of-the-week-Agar-io-6445526.php |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=[[SFGATE]] |language=en-US |archive-date=5 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505141330/https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/App-of-the-week-Agar-io-6445526.php |url-status=live }}</ref> Criticism was mainly targeted towards its repetitiveness and the controls of the mobile version. Tom Christiansen of ''[[Gamezebo]]'' was mixed on the game, saying that there was "nothing to hold my attention" and that it was "highly repetitive, overall".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Christiansen |first1=Tom |title=Agar.io Review: Bursting Your Bubble |url=https://www.gamezebo.com/reviews/agar-io-review-bursting-your-bubble/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716001427/http://www.gamezebo.com/2015/07/14/agar-io-review-bursting-bubble/ |archive-date=16 July 2015 |access-date=17 December 2015 |website=Gamezebo|date=14 July 2015 }}</ref> ''[[Pocket Gamer]]'', reviewing the mobile version, described its controls as "floaty".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fox |first1=Glen |title=Agar.io review |url=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Android/Agario/review.asp?c=66459 |website=[[Pocket Gamer]] |date=14 July 2015 |publisher=Steel Media |access-date=12 August 2015 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175231/http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Android/Agario/review.asp?c=66459 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Pocket Gamer |url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/agar-io/ludicrously-popular-browser-game-agar-io-is-now-available-on-ios-and-android/ |url-status=live |title=Ludicrously popular browser game agar.io is now available on iOS and Android |date=10 July 2015 |access-date=26 July 2023 |archive-date=23 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723074448/https://www.pocketgamer.com/agar-io/ludicrously-popular-browser-game-agar-io-is-now-available-on-ios-and-android/ }}</ref>
Game journalists also noticed that the ability to choose usernames and skins enabled players to declare their support for [[Geopolitics|geopolitical]] causes and figures in-game. Some even formed alliances with players supporting the same causes. Others adopted [[internet memes]] and online platforms as their skins, as well as offensive usernames.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandom |first=Russell |date=2015-08-16 |title=This online blob game has reduced me to a shell of a man |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/8/16/9155133/agario-multiplayer-game-blob-strategy |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en-US |archive-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816153505/https://www.theverge.com/2015/8/16/9155133/agario-multiplayer-game-blob-strategy |url-status=live }}</ref> One reviewer jokingly recounted: "I've ... seen the Earth be swallowed by Pubes, Steam absorb EA, and France split in two and flee from Mars before being eaten by Your Mom's Ass (which was, quite frankly, enormous)."<ref name="pcgamer" />
In the weeks leading up to the [[June 2015 Turkish general election]], ''[[Kotaku]]'' noticed that players using names related to Turkish politics were prevalent and often cooperated against other political parties.<ref name="turkeypolitics" /><ref>{{cite web |date=27 May 2015 |title=Web game becomes latest battlefield in Turkish politics |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/web-game-becomes-latest-battlefield-in-turkish-politics.aspx?pageID=238&nID=83041&NewsCatID=338 |access-date=10 August 2015 |website=[[Hürriyet Daily News]] |archive-date=12 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112012216/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/web-game-becomes-latest-battlefield-in-turkish-politics.aspx?pageID=238&nID=83041&NewsCatID=338 |url-status=live }}</ref> An article in the journal ''[[Games and Culture]]'' argued that the feature was the main reason for ''Agar.io''<nowiki/>'s success. It noted that ''Agar.io'' provided a platform for competing ideologies in a "survival of the fittest" simulation when they would instead be shut down on social media. In an effort to make the game more commercial, Miniclip improved moderation and removed the [[Swastika]] and [[Islamic State|ISIS]] skins, a move which was described as furthering the game from its original 4chan audience{{Emdash}}Valadares himself had refused to remove the Nazi skin on [[Reddit]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />
Because it was frequently propagated through social media and broadcast on [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]]<ref name="pcgamer" /> and [[YouTube]],<ref name="unocero">{{cite web|last1 = Matuk|first1 = Pablo|title = Agar.io, el nuevo y sencillo juego de moda|trans-title = Agar.io, the new and simple game in fashion|url = https://www.unocero.com/2015/07/31/agar-io-el-nuevo-y-sencillo-juego-de-moda/|website = Unocero|access-date = 7 August 2015|language = es|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150801093900/https://www.unocero.com/2015/07/31/agar-io-el-nuevo-y-sencillo-juego-de-moda/|archive-date = 1 August 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref> ''Agar.io'' was a quick success. The agar.io website (for the browser version) was ranked by [[Alexa Internet|Alexa]] as one of the 1,000 most visited websites<ref>{{cite web|title=agar.io Site Overview |url=http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/agar.io |website=Alexa Internet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150901055653/http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/agar.io |archive-date=1 September 2015 |url-status=live  }}</ref> and the mobile versions were downloaded more than ten million times during their first week,<ref name="conquer">{{cite web|title = How Agari.io conquered the App Store, without spending a penny|url = http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/Agario/news.asp?c=66717|website = [[Pocket Gamer]]|date = 28 July 2015|access-date = 6 August 2015|archive-date = 1 August 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150801212645/http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/Agario/news.asp?c=66717|url-status = live}}</ref> and 113 million times as of December 2016.<ref name="113mil">{{cite news|url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/64583/agario-113-million-downloads/|title=Agar.io amasses 113 million mobile downloads in 20 months|work=[[Pocket Gamer]]|date=6 December 2016|access-date=2 September 2020|archive-date=22 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922092335/https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/64583/agario-113-million-downloads/|url-status=live}}</ref> During 2015, ''Agar.io'' was [[Google Search|Google]]'s most searched video game.<ref>{{cite web |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |date=16 December 2015 |title=2015's Top Trending US Games on Google Revealed, Number 1 May Surprise You |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/2015s-top-trending-us-games-on-google-revealed-num/1100-6433168/ |access-date=May 6, 2023 |work=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=28 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128165721/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/2015s-top-trending-us-games-on-google-revealed-num/1100-6433168/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was Google's second-most searched game in the United States in 2016.<ref name="MostGoogled2016">{{Cite magazine |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Alex |date=13 December 2016 |title=These Were the Most-Googled Video Games of 2016 |url=https://time.com/4599919/these-were-the-most-googled-video-games-of-2016/ |access-date=9 August 2017 |magazine=Time}}</ref> A 2015 press release by ''Miniclip'' stated that ''Agar.io'' was listed as the fifth top game on YouTube's list of top games.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://corporate.miniclip.com/press_release/agar-io-is-5-on-youtube-list-of-top-games/|title=Agar.io is #5 on YouTube's list of top games|website=corporate.miniclip.com|date=22 December 2015|access-date=3 April 2018|archive-date=23 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823214208/https://corporate.miniclip.com/press_release/agar-io-is-5-on-youtube-list-of-top-games/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Similar ".io" games ==
{{See also|.io}}
Inspired by ''Agar.io''<nowiki/>'s success, Steven Howse released the snake-themed ''[[Slither.io]]'' in March 2016. The game soon reached the top 10 most downloaded apps on iOS and Android, buoyed by the similar word-of-mouth and attention from YouTubers that had propelled ''Agar.io''. By June, ''Slither.io'' had hit over sixty million daily players.<ref name=":6">{{cite news |last=Needleman |first=Sarah E. |date=June 17, 2016 |title=As 'Slither.io' Goes Viral, Game's Creator Scrambles to Keep Up |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-slither-io-goes-viral-games-creator-scrambles-to-keep-up-1466195058 |url-access=limited |access-date=March 14, 2017 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=14 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214071132/https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-slither-io-goes-viral-games-creator-scrambles-to-keep-up-1466195058 |url-status=live }}</ref> It eclipsed ''Agar.io''<nowiki/>'s popularity,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last1=Nicol |first1=Will |last2=Hicks |first2=Michael |date=2021-03-28 |title=Eat and Be Eaten: How to Survive and Thrive in Agar.io |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/agario-game-guide/ |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=[[Digital Trends]] |language=en |archive-date=2 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602183022/https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/agario-game-guide/ |url-status=live }}</ref> pushing it to second place to become the most Googled game of 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cowley |first=Ric |date=December 14, 2016 |title=Slither.io beats Agar.io to be the most Googled game of 2016 |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/64647/slitherio-most-googled-game-of-2016/ |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=PocketGamer.biz |archive-date=5 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505130242/https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/64647/slitherio-most-googled-game-of-2016/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The rapid rise of ''Agar.io'' and ''Slither.io'' led to the beginning of a new genre of browser games, dubbed "[[.io games]]" for the [[.io|domain name]] they use. Characterized by simple graphics and gameplay in a free for all multiplayer arena, .io games received around 192 million visits in 2017.<ref name="Takahashi" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /> Many .io [[Shooter game|shooters]] launched after ''Slither.io''{{Emdash}}Valadares released ''[[Diep.io]]'' in July 2016. Miniclip also began developing new .io games.<ref name="Takahashi" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hodapp |first=Eli |date=21 July 2016 |title='Diep.io' Hits the App Store From the Creator of 'Agar.io' |url=https://toucharcade.com/2016/07/21/diep-io-hits-the-app-store-by-the-creator-of-agar-io/ |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=[[TouchArcade]] |language=en-US |archive-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816153517/https://toucharcade.com/2016/07/21/diep-io-hits-the-app-store-by-the-creator-of-agar-io/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==In popular culture==
* In the fourth season of the television series ''[[House of Cards (American TV series)|House of Cards]]'', the character Frank Underwood is briefly shown playing ''Agar.io''. Underwood compares its objective of eating smaller cells to get bigger to a [[Political campaign|presidential campaign]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schreier |first=Jason |author-link=Jason Schreier |date=2016-03-07 |title=House of Cards' Newest Video Game Cameo: Agario |url=https://kotaku.com/house-of-cards-newest-video-game-cameo-agario-1763364829 |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=11 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511102553/https://kotaku.com/house-of-cards-newest-video-game-cameo-agario-1763364829 |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==Further reading==
* {{Cite web |last=Valadares |first=Matheus |date=May 13, 2015 |title=Efsane oyunun geli̇şti̇ri̇ci̇si̇ i̇le kisa bi̇r söyleşi̇ yaptik |trans-title=We had a short interview with the developer of the legendary game |url=http://kafakutu.com/2015/05/13/efsane-oyunun-gelistiricisi-ile-kisa-bir-soylesi-yaptik/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150515112428/http://kafakutu.com/2015/05/13/efsane-oyunun-gelistiricisi-ile-kisa-bir-soylesi-yaptik/ |archive-date=May 15, 2015 |website=Kafakutu}}
==External links==
* {{Official website|https://agar.io/}}
{{Portal bar|2010s|Video games|Brazil}}
[[Category:2015 video games]]
[[Category:Action games]]
[[Category:Android (operating system) games]]
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[[Category:.io video games]]
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[[Category:Video games about microbes]]
[[Category:Miniclip games]]