How to play Cells Arena
You are a cell in a glowing petri dish with 149 other cells. Eat what is smaller than you, run from what is bigger, and grow until you are at the top of the board.
The goal
Grow as big as you can and climb the live top 10. Every dish holds 150 cells. Real players share it in real time, and computer-controlled cells take every empty seat. You play as a guest, with no sign-up, and you are in the dish within seconds.
Controls
On a desktop
- Move the mouse to steer.
- Press Space to split.
- Press W to eject mass.
- Press R to play again.
On a phone or tablet
- One thumb steers.
- Two buttons split and eject.
Grow, split and eject
- Graze on pellets and swallow smaller cells to grow.
- The bigger you get, the slower you crawl. Everybody is somebody's lunch.
- Split to lunge at prey that is getting away, then merge back together.
- Eject mass to feed a burr until it fires at whoever is in front of it.
Burrs
Burrs are spiked hazards. A burr bursts any cell big enough to swallow it. Small cells can shelter behind a burr, so give burrs room once you are big. Feeding a burr makes it fire.
The four cell types
You can come back as a different type after every life.
Amoeba, the ambusher
The longest lunge, quick to pull itself back together, and a slow cruise.
Ciliate, the grazer
Fast, with a wide mouth, but it bleeds mass.
Plasma, the gunner
Cheap, far-flying ejects, and a bad time on a burr.
Jelly, the tank
Holds its mass, shrugs off burrs, and lunges short.
The leaderboard and the death report
A live top 10 is on screen, and so is your own rank. When a life ends, you get a report: your best rank, your peak mass and who got you. Then you can play again.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cells Arena free?
- Yes. Cells Arena is free to play. It has no ads and no purchases.
- Do I need an account?
- No. You play as a guest and are in the dish within seconds. There is no sign-up.
- Which browsers work?
- Cells Arena needs a browser with WebGL 2 and WebTransport. That means current Chrome, Edge and Firefox, and Safari 26.4 or later.
- Is there a mobile app?
- Yes, on Android: Cells Arena is on Google Play. Versions for iPhone, iPad and Mac are coming to the App Store.
- How many players are in a dish?
- Every dish holds 150 cells. Real players share it in real time, and computer-controlled cells fill every empty seat.
- Are there bots?
- Yes. Computer-controlled cells take every empty seat in a dish, some timid and some hunting. There is always something to chase and something to run from.
- What are burrs?
- Burrs are spiked hazards. A burr bursts any cell big enough to swallow it. Small cells can shelter behind one. Feeding a burr makes it fire.
- How do I split?
- On a desktop, press Space. On a phone or tablet, tap the split button. Your cell lunges forward, and you can merge back together later.
Play
Cells Arena is also on Android.
