What ever you guys do, DO NOT PLAY agar.io (both web address and the name of the game) It is RIDICULOUSLY addictive. Think Pac-Man with no walls and no ghosts. As you consume dots your mass increases but the bigger you get, the slower you travel. The catch is that the field you play on is a grid with MANY other players who, if they are bigger than you, can consume you. There is no game communication between players, but you can 'feed' others from the mass you have accumulated to make friends who will help but trusting them not to eat you can be difficult. You can also split yourself to shoot out and grab someone who is less than half your size or to save yourself from being eaten by another (at the least you save half of yourself at most you escape because you're smaller pieces move faster).

Game controls:

• Mouse or touchscreen for movement
• w key to feed ~10 mass to another player (can be pressed repeatedly in succession for large gifting)
• spacebar to split yourself (this can be done multiple times to make many smaller yous if you REALLY need to get away but smaller yous, though fast, are very vulnerable)

My children showed me the game and I am soooooo happy that they did.

P.S. It's great for while you are waiting for others to submit their turns here

Great game.
I like the desktop version better than the mobile one.

Someone could write a thesis for their psychology Phd on the behavior exhibited: the names that people choose; the unspoken/unwritten language for communication that is both spontaneous and intuitive; the variations in playing style as they relate to individuals general demeanor; player deviations from normal play style in response to other players names; etc.

Beyond the fun of playing, the game is a simplistic window into the soul of humanity.

My kids introduced me also - maybe it was April or May? My high addiction phase was June,July and August. The reading of body language reminds me a little of reading an opponent in a no NAP game.

It has also been really interesting how community conduct has changed over time. At first it was a singles game, then any sharing with others got rewarded and someone was rude if they didn't, then teaming began to come on strong and now it feels much more heartless. Teaming is required to get anywhere and people will often lure you in with a W (sharing) where before that would have been really rude and resulted in nobody friending you.

These changes in group culture overtime I think is the most interesting feature.

I've learned that NOT making a friend is the best way to live the longest. Yes it can allow you to get big very quickly, but having a friend and getting big makes you a target for everyone else on the map. A constant avoidance strategy coupled with never actively pursuing anyone (i.e. only eat those who present themselves as easy food) seems to work the best. Also, the Experimental boards with the bushes that vent dots seem to attract players who are generally not as cut-throat in their playing styles as the FFA boards. I like the feature of those games that allows for one to move the green bushes. I can set up a "field" were I create the best defensive position, then just hang out picking up dots, eating the players who present themselves for eating and popping those who try to come for me by pushing a bush into them.

Look for these names and perhaps it will be me: Alone; Name Police; I 8 U : ) & Be Nice

The boards appear to have flip-flopped. Now the FFA boards are generally less cut-throat than the Experimental boards. I'm now an FFA man again.