Apoptosis
by Kate McKee (2010)

In this small game, you play as a short-lived creature with the evolutionary ability to steal traits from other creatures. You have lots of competition trying to get inside, but you can do this. Use your skills to get to the front of the line, get inside, and get seats for all your friends. And don't forget to keep up your strength; all this work is exhausting. (In case you're wondering, apoptosis is a form of controlled cell death.)

action: %
response: It can't be possible, after the evolutionary price your kind has already paid to get this far. There are thousands of them, jostling, vying for a few places inside. There's a lot more of them than you, but even in your very short life, you've already competed successfully for limited resources.

Fortunately, your genomic >TRAITS will serve you in achieving your goal. You might be able to steal traits from others, along the way.

So get rid of the competition in front of you, get inside, and save a spot for your friends. And be sure to keep your strength up along the way. This whole process is exhausting.

A long narrow space in which you all line up, jockeying for access Inside.

In front of you: The gently-waving, cream-colored cascade over her face and shoulders looks like so much fettucine. Delicate skin in a thin grey coat.

In front of you: A potato-shaped adolescent. Perhaps that's an uncharitable description. But honestly, he looks like a potato. Brown, bulgy, irregular, poorly-washed, and common.

In front of you: Presumably a full-grown adult, although it's hard to tell with the peaked red felt cap, antennaelike extensions, eyes on rods, and the enormous Pokemonesque bodysuit. You can't help but be impressed by the clawlike projections, however.

In front of you: A couple, joined at the hip and shoulder, matching in light blue.
action: Traits
response: You are the master of the following spells:
corripere: steal traits from a neighboring organism
action: Corripere lobster
response: You watch him CHOPPUS with his pincers, again and again. You absorb his trait, CHOPPUS, which will now allow you to cleave things in two.

Nutrients materialize out of the ether.
action: Choppus
response: You'll have to specify what you want to chop.
action: You look around
response: A long narrow space in which you all line up, jockeying for access Inside.

Deliciously appetizing: a fat cube, a carbohydrate cube and a protein cube.

In front of you: The gently-waving, cream-colored cascade over her face and shoulders looks like so much fettucine. Delicate skin in a thin grey coat.

In front of you: A potato-shaped adolescent. Perhaps that's an uncharitable description. But honestly, he looks like a potato. Brown, bulgy, irregular, poorly-washed, and common.

In front of you: Presumably a full-grown adult, although it's hard to tell with the peaked red felt cap, antennaelike extensions, eyes on rods, and the enormous Pokemonesque bodysuit. You can't help but be impressed by the clawlike projections, however.

In front of you: A couple, joined at the hip and shoulder, matching in light blue.
action: You eat the protein
response: Eat? Do you mean, PHAGUS?
action: Corripere potato
response: You watch him PHAGUS his food, again and again. You absorb his trait, PHAGUS, which will now allow you to phagocytose nutrients.

The potato-like youth spies the protein cube, extends a pseudopod, and greedily phagocytoses the protein cube. Gulp.
action: Phagus carbohydrate
response: You consume the carbohydrate cube and feel the surge of energy.
action: PHAGUS yourself
response: You consume yourself and feel the surge of energy.

Deliciously appetizing: a carbohydrate cube and a protein cube.
action: Look around
response: A long narrow space in which you all line up, jockeying for access Inside.

Deliciously appetizing: a fat cube.

In front of you: The gently-waving, cream-colored cascade over her face and shoulders looks like so much fettucine. Delicate skin in a thin grey coat.

In front of you: A potato-shaped adolescent. Perhaps that's an uncharitable description. But honestly, he looks like a potato. Brown, bulgy, irregular, poorly-washed, and common.

In front of you: Presumably a full-grown adult, although it's hard to tell with the peaked red felt cap, antennaelike extensions, eyes on rods, and the enormous Pokemonesque bodysuit. You can't help but be impressed by the clawlike projections, however.

In front of you: A couple, joined at the hip and shoulder, matching in light blue.
action: Phagus cube
response: You consume the fat cube and feel the surge of energy.
action: Traits
response: You are the master of the following spells:
phagus: consume a nutrient for energy
corripere: steal traits from a neighboring organism
choppus: to chop or cleave something into two pieces
action: Corripere
response: You'll have to specify whom you're stealing traits from.

Nutrients materialize out of the ether.
action: Phagus protein
response: You consume the protein cube and feel the surge of energy.

The potato-like youth spies the carbohydrate cube, extends a pseudopod, and greedily phagocytoses the carbohydrate cube. Gulp.
action: Corripere potato
response: You watch him PHAGUS his food, again and again. You absorb his trait, PHAGUS, which will now allow you to phagocytose nutrients.
action: Corripere couple
response: You watch him canoodle and attempt to reproduce. You absorb their trait, SCINDERE, which allows you to split yourself into two equal selves.
action: Corripere fettucine
response: You watch her TRUDERE her hair, back and forth, so many times. You absorb her trait, TRUDERE, which will now allow you to move stuff from in front of you to behind you.
action: Scindere
response: You successfully split yourself into multiple selves!
action: Trudere couple
response: You try to shove the pair behind you in line, but you're not able to move the duo. You'll have to find another way to get them behind you.

The potato-like youth spies the fat cube, extends a pseudopod, and greedily phagocytoses the fat cube. Gulp.
action: Choppus couple
response: You successfully divide the undivisible pair. They fall apart, distraught, and drift gradually behind you in line.
action: Trudere Potato
response: A moment's hesitation, then you mutter the words, trying to push Potato-Boy behind you in line.

A few heated moments where outcome is in doubt, then an actinic flash, as you successfully alter gravity, shoving Potato-Boy successfully backwards behind you in line. Potato-Boy, finding himself at the rear of the line, sulks.

Nutrients materialize out of the ether.

The potato-like youth spies the carbohydrate cube, extends a pseudopod, and greedily phagocytoses the carbohydrate cube. Gulp.
action: Phagus protein
response: You consume the protein cube and feel the surge of energy.
action: Trudere fettucine
response: A moment's hesitation, then you mutter the words, trying to push Fettucine-Woman behind you in line.

A few heated moments where outcome is in doubt, then an actinic flash, as you successfully alter gravity, shoving Fettucine-Woman successfully backwards behind you in line. Fettucine-Woman, finding herself at the rear of the line, sulks.
action: You go inside
response: The only way you want to go is in, and you still have some competition.

The potato-like youth spies the fat cube, extends a pseudopod, and greedily phagocytoses the fat cube. Gulp.
action: You look around
response: A long narrow space in which you all line up, jockeying for access Inside.

Behind you: The gently-waving, cream-colored cascade over her face and shoulders looks like so much fettucine. Delicate skin in a thin grey coat.

Behind you: A potato-shaped adolescent. Perhaps that's an uncharitable description. But honestly, he looks like a potato. Brown, bulgy, irregular, poorly-washed, and common.

In front of you: Presumably a full-grown adult, although it's hard to tell with the peaked red felt cap, antennaelike extensions, eyes on rods, and the enormous Pokemonesque bodysuit. You can't help but be impressed by the clawlike projections, however.

Behind you: A couple, joined at the hip and shoulder, matching in light blue.
action: Traits
response: You are the master of the following spells:
trudere: application of sagittal force to an object, forcing it to move behind you
phagus: consume a nutrient for energy
corripere: steal traits from a neighboring organism
choppus: to chop or cleave something into two pieces
scindere: splitting oneself into two equal selves
action: You examine the lobster
response: He keeps cleaving small objects between his powerful claws.
action: Trudere Lobster
response: A moment's hesitation, then you mutter the words, trying to push Lobster-Man behind you in line.

A few heated moments where outcome is in doubt, then an actinic flash, as you successfully alter gravity, shoving Lobster-Man successfully backwards behind you in line. Lobster-Man, finding himself at the rear of the line, sulks.
action: Go inside
response: Finally, you're inside! Now grab a seat for you and several for your friends.

Nutrients materialize out of the ether.
action: You sit
response: You and yourselves sit on all the chairs there are! You have overcome the cell wall and caused apoptosis!