Bacteria

Multiplayer game

Two players, one board. Spread your bacteria and take over the other player’s.

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Where to find it

  • The Bacteria Arena: stand on the green or the red podium.
  • Pros: past the pink arch on the Way to Mushlight Cave (from 10 wins).
  • Nobody on the other podium? Play the computer.
  • Or challenge someone: open their menu, press Play, then Bacteria.
  • Or press Look for a game on the board in the Bacteria Arena, and go where you like.
WinMultiplayer Surprise BoxBacteria Galaxy HelmetBacteria Rainbow HelmetBacteria Cherry Blossom HelmetBacteria Champion Badge
  • Be top of the week: 50 credits and a surprise box. A winner every week.
  • Win a game: 200 XP for your first win of the day, 100 for the second, then 50. Up to 15 times a day.
  • Play to the end without winning: 50 XP the first time of the day, then 30. Up to 15 times a day.
  • Your first finished game of the day: 100 XP more.
  • Win a game: 25 gems, for your first 3 wins of the day.
  • Do today’s challenge: 10 gems, once a day.
  • Solve today’s puzzle: 10 gems, once a day.
  • Earn a medal: 5, 10 or 15 gems, once each. A feat: 10 gems.
  • Beat each computer player for the first time: 5, 10, 20 and 30 gems.
  • Every 2nd win: a surprise item from the Bacteria collections. You get one you don’t have yet, if there is one.

The Galaxy, Rainbow and Cherry Blossom helmets are yours for as long as you hold your place on the Rating board. Lose your place and its helmet goes at the end of the day, not before. The Red Bacteria Helmet goes to whoever has finished the most counted games, and changes heads at the end of a day. The Gold, Silver and Bronze are given when a week ends, to its top 3, and go back when the next week ends.

  1. Stand on the green or the red podium. That is your colour.
  2. When another player takes the other podium, the game starts.
  3. On your turn, tap one of your pieces. Then tap where it goes.
  4. Enemy pieces next to where you land turn to your colour.
  5. Be quick: you have 20 seconds a turn (or 30, or 10: the first player on a podium picks).
  6. The player with the most squares at the end wins.

Scoring

  • This week: 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw. Everyone is back at 0 every Monday.
  • Rating: everyone starts at 1000. A win moves it up, a loss down - more when the other player is stronger. You are on its board after 5 counted games. This is the board the helmets follow.
  • The sign in the Bacteria Arena shows this week’s top 5. Click or tap it to see every board.

Green is you. Red is the other player. The light squares show where your piece can go.

  • CopyYou growGo to a square right next to your piece. Your piece stays, and a new one appears.
  • JumpYou moveGo 2 squares in a straight line. Your piece leaves its old square, so you don’t grow. Good for reaching far.
  • Take overThe trickEnemy pieces touching the square you land on turn to your colour. Before you move, each spot shows how many it will turn (+3).
  • A player can’t move: the other player takes all the free squares.
  • Or the board is full.
  • Or 4 turns in a row are skipped.
  • Then the squares are counted. Most squares wins. The same number is a draw.
  • The podiumsStand on the green or the red one. The first player there picks how long a turn is: Relaxed (30 seconds), Normal (20) or Quick (10).
  • Look for a gameFrom anywherePress it on the board in the Bacteria Arena, then go where you like. When another player wants a game, you are asked: press Play within 15 seconds.
  • ChallengeOpen a player’s menu, press Play, then Bacteria. They get a card to accept or decline.
  • FriendsWhen a friend waits for a game, you are told. Press Join and the game starts.

Play the computer: King Bac. Pick how strong King Bac plays - there are four strengths. Beat each one for the first time and you get gems - but only without help.

  • King Bac, Easy5 gemsPlays anywhere. Good for learning.
  • King Bac, Medium10 gemsAlways takes the most it can.
  • King Bac, Hard20 gemsThinks 3 moves ahead.
  • King Bac, Mega30 gemsThinks 5 moves ahead.
  • Stuck? Press More, then Show me a good move. Made a mistake? Take back. A win with either gives no gems.
  • Your first game against the computer shows you how to play, step by step.
  • Games against the computer don’t count: no points, no XP, no prizes.
  • The bar at the topBoth names, how many squares each of you has, whose turn it is and the seconds left.
  • Rings on the boardWhite ring: the piece you picked. Gold ring: the last move.
  • FacesA piece looks worried when an enemy can turn it. It looks dizzy just after it was turned.
  • Danger marksOn or offSwitch it on under More: your pieces an enemy can turn next get a red rim.
  • The last 5 secondsThe clock ticks. A turn you don’t play in time is skipped.
  • Connection lostIf a player’s connection drops, the clock waits for them, up to 30 seconds. Once a game.
  • RematchPlay againAfter the game, press Rematch. If the other player presses it too, a new game starts and you swap colours.
  • Give upYou loseStops the game. The other player wins.
  • To watch a game, click or tap the sign in the Bacteria Arena and open the Watch tab. It lists every game being played: pick one to follow it.
  • Replay my last game (the Play tab) shows it again, move by move, with a line of how the squares went.
  • Rematches are a best of 3: win two and the series is yours.
  • If you leave or give up, you lose and the other player wins.
  • Stay to the end and you get 10 XP, even if you lose.
  • A game that stops very early (before 6 moves each) doesn’t count for anyone.

Every day there is one small goal. Do it and you get 10 gems. Tomorrow there is a new one. It is one of these:

  • Win a game.
  • Turn 5 pieces or more with one move.
  • Finish a game without a skipped turn.
  • Finish 2 games.
  • Finish a game with 35 squares or more.

Every day there is one puzzle: a position near the end of a game. Find the move that wins - in 1 move, or in 2. It is the same for everyone. Open the board in the Bacteria Arena and press Puzzle. Solve it for 10 gems.

Each one gives its gems once.

  • Bronze5 gems5 wins.
  • Silver10 gems25 wins.
  • Gold15 gems100 wins.
  • Wipe-out10 gemsWin a game and leave the other player with no squares.
  • Comeback10 gemsWin a game after being 10 squares behind.
  • Your first 3 games a day against the same player count: points, rating, medals.
  • After that, games against that player are friendlies. They give XP only.
  • It is the same in Chess and Four Clovers.
  • Put an At Home NPC in your home and make it a Bacteria Host.
  • Visitors press Play Bacteria: they can look for a game or play the computer.
  • After the game, everyone is back in your home.

For players who want it harder. It is past the pink arch on the Way to Mushlight Cave.

  • Win 10 games and the pros’ podiums open for you.
  • You get 12 seconds a turn, not 20.
  • Everyone plays the Map of the Week: a harder map with more walls. A new one every Monday.
  • Pro wins have their own board. They count for the week and for all time too.
  • Not at 10 wins yet? You can still go in and play the computer on the week’s map.
  • Each game is on one of 12 maps, picked at random. Both players always start the same way.
  • Some squares are blocked (they look like sand mounds). Nobody can stand there, but you can jump over them.
  • When a game is found, you have 45 seconds to be ready.
  • A week runs from Monday to Sunday. The weekly prize arrives by itself when the week ends.
  • After the game you go back to the map within 2 minutes.
  • A game started from somewhere else (a challenge, Look for a game) takes you back there through its gate.