# Cell to Singularity

Cell to Singularity (also known as Cell to Singularity: Evolution Never Ends), is an incremental game released by Computer Lunch in 2018. Utilizing idle game mechanics, this game teaches players about evolution, science and the humanities.

## Game mechanics

The beginning of the game starts in the main simulation and it features a character, an artificial intelligence called Semblance, as she requests the player to help her with an experiment which is the game.
The player then starts with a view of a tech tree, the player will use their mouse/keyboard (computer) or hands (mobile) to tap the screen, generating a currency called entropy, this currency is used to purchase generators, representing life forms or objects in the evolutionary pathway or upgrade nodes that represent other evolutionary adaptations. Generators generate currency, online or offline while nodes can do nothing or increase the efficiency of a generator. This keeps going until the player unlocks a new type of currency called ideas and unlocks a new part of the tree dedicated to human civilization. The player can view the unlocked generators and objects in a 3D “garden”.
After unlocking the Technological Singularity, the simulation prestiges in the form of a simulation crash, the player then unlocks the reality engine, where he or she will use a prestige currency called Metabits generated from the entropy and ideas on that run of the simulation to unlock node to increase speed, boost time or unlock and upgrade Nanobots, which can provide a sort of temporarily auto click function. The player then starts again but with much greater speed or with boosts and enhancements, he or she and reboot the simulation as much as he or she likes. The Main Simulation tree ends with the colonization and terraforming of Mars. Occasionally, speed boosts may become available, which allows the player to gain a slight increase of speed in the game, but it requires Darwinium or watching advertisements.
An update in November 9, 2020 added mammals to the game, they are in the form of glitches in the simulation with can be unlocked using Metabits. Other updates added the reptiles, added to the Main Simulation after ceratin progress was reached in the Mesozoic Valley. This game also has a premium currency, called Darwinium, named after Charles Darwin, and can be obtained via in-app purchase, various points throughout the game, via the news tab and completing various achievements. It can also be acquired via the Darwinium synthesizer.
Expansions (other simulations)
* Mesozoic Valley – Released in 2019, this expansion is presented as a large rock in the game, and players all around the world can tap on the rock to crack it open, after 7 days, the rock has revealed a fossil of a dinosaur and the Mesozoic Valley became available to play. This expansion is about mainly dinosaurs with some examples of animals that lived alongside the dinosaurs in the Mesozoic Era. The game mechanics there work similarly to the main simulation, except the generators are manually activated at first until trait cards are unlocked, there are two trait cards per generator, each containing a fact about the dinosaur featured in the generator, the first trait card automates the generator while the second one increases the payout.
* The Beyond – The first phase of this astronomy themed expansion was released in 2021, in the form of a nebula that players around the world have to tap to unlock it, after 4 days, a black hole is revealed and the expansion became available to play. The Beyond’s game mechanics is similar to the Mesozoic Valley with a few differences. Starting with the Sun, the player progresses through the various planets, moons and other bodies that make up our Solar System, ending with Alpha Centauri as the maximum rank. The second ongoing phase of this expansion was released episode-by episode in 2023, featured the various astronomical objects in the Milky Way Galaxy and beyond.

## Exploration Events

Cell to Singularity is still in active development to this day, with updates releasing regularly. Beginning in early 2022, the first exploration event has been added to the game. These "Exploration Events" are limited time events featuring miniature, simulations about specific topics in science, technology, and the humanities. A leaderboard/friend system (Science and the Neural Network respectively) has been added. Currently there are 17 exploration events and one in beta, they are:
| Name | Focus |
| Unfold the Universe | Development and launch of the James Webb Space Telescope |
| Fungus Among Us | Fungi (what it is, its role in nature, uses for humans, and diseases caused by it) |
| The Big Questions | Philosophy and its branches. |
| Life After Apocalypse | Five major mass extinctions over the history of the earth (and speculates what might happen if humans die out in a mass extinction) |
| The Price of Trust | The history and future of money |
| A Coevolution Love Story | The history of the symbiotic relationship between bees, flowering plants and humans |
| Lurking in the Dark | Various layers of the ocean |
| A Journey of Serenity | The history and future of tea |
| Good Vibrations | Evolution of music |
| Anatomy of Life | Human anatomy |
| The Power of Images | Evolution of visual art |
| Threat of Infection | Various pathogens and the diseases they cause, as well efforts by the human immune system and various prophylaxis or treatments to stop or eliminate them |
| A Feline Journey | Evolution of the cat family, and domestication of house cats |
| Set in Stone | Various igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock types, as well as various crystals and gems |
| Face Your Fears | Various cryptids and urban folklore around the world (being the first mini exploration event, which can be completed faster) |
| Beautiful Complexity | Various concepts and branches of mathematics and their history |
| Mind Machines | The development, uses and dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) |

## History

Cell to Singularity began development in 2017, inspired by Computer Lunch co-founder Andrew Garrahan’s love of nature documentaries. Wanting to create a game about science and history, Garrahan saw the emergent popularity of the incremental game genre as a good fit for the more relaxed pace of a documentary. Garrahan was also inspired by James Burke’s “Connections” series for the BBC.
The game was initially released in early access on Android in 2018. It was later also released in early access on iOS and Steam. The game was officially released on iOS in August 2019, and Android in April 2020. Finally, it left Steam Early Access in November 2021.

## Reception

Katherine Franklin of BigBossBattle.com called the game "a commendable delve into a fun representation of evolution on (and off) Earth."
Early reviews praised the game’s atmosphere, with one from BlueMoonGames.com declaring, "The visual presentation makes the game feel like an interactive animated educational tutorial through the [historical] periods described..."
Michael Zegar of GamePressure.com compared the game favorably to Spore, Cookie Clicker, and Plague Inc.
The Beyond expansion, released in November 2021, also received positive reviews. Catherine Ng Dellosa of PocketGamer.com called it, "...a refreshing change of pace from the numerous mobile titles out in the market today."
As of 2024, the game has a 4.5 rating on the Google Play Store, a 5.0 rating on the iOS App Store, and a very positive review rating on Steam based on over 22,176 reviews.