Early game: grow without announcing yourself
- Weigh the payoff against the trip. Protozoa beat nutrients, and algae are worth 40 to 240. But algae on the far side of the pond only pay off if you get there in one piece.
- Use rookie protection to look around, not to fight. You get a 30-second shield (EVO 1 and 2, online). Attacking ends it. Eat, see who's nearby, then introduce yourself.
- Read levels before you touch anyone. Anyone with 10 more levels and double yours swallows you in one bite. Curiosity, in that case, is suicide.
- The edge is not an emergency exit. After 5 seconds outside, it's 10% of your points per second. Think of it as a quitting fee.
Growing fast without wasting time
Food is predictable; people aren't. Food caps at 8 points per second, so eating alone has a ceiling. Fighting is faster, but it draws a crowd. Before you make contact, ask yourself: can I finish this quickly? Do I have a way out?
Only farm where you can keep watch. Five bacteria, one new bacterium per minute, 100 points each. It's great if you come back to harvest and chase off anyone who parks on it for 20 seconds. Far from you, it's a gift to the first visitor.
Show up after the fight. Whoever dies leaves half their points behind. Sometimes the best attack is waiting for the end and collecting the bill. Pond ethics are simple: latecomers get hungry too.
A saved item is life insurance. A star is worth more in an escape or a fight for the crown than in a brawl you'd win without it. Don't burn it just because it's there.
When to run and when to fight
Run when:
- the other amoeba can swallow you;
- there are several bigger amoebas nearby;
- you're carrying a lot of points and the fight isn't worth the risk;
- running means heading for the edge;
- you're in the lead and need to protect it, not prove you're brave.
Fight when:
- you can swallow the target (both level rules);
- it's alone and you have somewhere to go afterwards;
- the fight has a purpose: taking the crown or keeping someone else from holding it;
- you have the right item and won't blow your whole stash on one bet.
Watch out for the third amoeba. A long fight is an invitation. If it's dragging on, rethink it: staying in because you've already invested time is the sunk cost fallacy, single-celled edition.
Movement
- Boost while boosting = jump. The jump clears other amoebas (but won't land you in a neutral zone or out of the pond). Use it to reposition, not just to go fast.
- A neutral zone is a timeout. 60 seconds, then 5 minutes before you can come back. Go in knowing what you'll do on the way out.
- Watch the radar. The arrows on the edge of the screen show who's coming from outside your view. They don't say whether they come in peace. Nobody does.
- At 50+, level isn't size. Titans count as level 50 for draining and devouring. Climbing to 99 gets you points, not body.
Three mistakes that look like strategy
- Chasing anything smaller. The target might be right next to something bigger, and the chase might end at the edge. Pick fights by context, not just by number.
- Sitting still because you're ahead. Points aren't a shield. From level 30 on you lose points every minute, and at 50 the bots come in groups.
- Spending everything on a small loss and having nothing left for the big one. Items matter because they change a situation. Used on reflex, they only change your inventory.
Wearing the crown
- Keep moving. A Queen standing still at 50 calls in more bots.
- Get out of the rain. The knives and stars falling around you are for other people to use on you. They're not a welcome basket.
- Save your energy for the Hunt. You get 3 extra boosts. Use them to actually escape, not to swim in circles.
- Avoid other titans. Titans drain each other. Even if you win, you come out smaller and surrounded by whoever waited for the fight to end.
Going after the Queen
- Wait for the Hunt. Attacks count double and 24 knives and 24 stars land nearby.
- The knife is your tool. Every hit takes 2% of her points and hands them to you.
- The final blow earns a 30-second star. Whoever shows up at the end takes the prize. Patience pays.
- Check your flanks. If everyone is chasing the Queen, someone is chasing the chasers.
Item details are in Power-ups; the full rules are in the Guide. Then go test your theories in the pond, where they'll be judged by people with far less patience than you.