Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends News

Hello Universe Architects,

A few preparations and changes have been made to the simulation.

[h2]An Audio Refresh[/h2]
We’re all familiar with the sound you hear when you purchase a node. It’s been the same sound effect since Cells first launched, so we decided it was time to refresh the simulation a bit. We’d love to hear your thoughts on these new sound effects:

• First-time node and generator purchases.
  
• Generator selects and upgrades.
  
• Earning Logits and unlocking Augmentations.
  
• Completing Explore Events missions.
  
• Other miscellaneous sound effects.
  

[h2]Improvement to the Augmentation Store View [/h2]
For the past couple of months we have been updating the Augmentation Store. For this update we have done another visual update. We have also made it so that when you purchase an artifact in the augmentation store you will get a popup, allowing you to view your purchase in the tree view.



[h2]Additional Adjustments for Event Badges[/h2]
About a month ago we added diminishing returns on badge boosts after gaining 200%. We received some concerns about this change from players and are addressing those with this update. We have adjusted the badge boost diminishing return to be more gradual after the 200% cut-off. Players should see a higher boost for each badge gained as seen below.



[h2]Explore: Visual Art — The Power of Images[/h2]
The new Visual Art Explore Event is almost here! Get ready to unleash your creative side and discover why visual art is so compelling. Mark your calendars for its release on March 25, 2024 at 11AM EDT.



Keep your eyes peeled on our TikTok and YouTube next week for the Explore: Visual Art trailer. We’re excited to share what’s in store for this extra special event.

Until then, stay cellular!
- The Cells Team

Hello Universe Architects,

Recently there was a significant change to the boost power of Explore Event badges. We hear all feedback and concerns from players regarding this re-tune, so we're here to provide some extra information about what changes were made, why we made them and how this will affect the game moving forward.


[h2]What did we change?[/h2]

Once a player reaches 200% badge boost in an event, there's now a dimensioning boost that comes with each earned badge. Dimensioning in this case means that after reaching 200% in an event, a badge earning a 10% boost now earns 8%. Then the eventual power of the badges will reduce to less than 1% per badge over time.

Previously players had a total of 300%+ badge boost, which have caused balancing issues as the developers continue adding significant gameplay changes to Explore Events. This brings us to:

[h2]Why did we make this change?[/h2]

There are a couple major reasons why we went ahead with this change.

• We've been continuously working towards making the Research Race more fair for all players. We've received feedback that it isn't fun for new players to play against late game players, in addition to cheaters. This feedback has been in the forefront of our minds when we make important tuning changes that affect the Research Race.
  
  
• Speaking of cheaters— this recent change has, for the most part, mitigated cheaters in the Research Race. Explore Events are designed to take around 40 hours to complete, while cheaters are able to beat an event in less than 15 minutes due to their unusually high badge boosts. In addition to shadow banning and time flux caps, we were hopeful that this change would improve the quality of Research Race against cheaters. There has already been a significant drop in cheater complaints following the change. We are always open to player feedback and we want to continue hearing about your individual player experiences.
  
  
• Explore Events have changed a lot from what they originally were. What's now a core feature in the game was once a bare prototype that left us unsure about its potential success. They were also originally designed without any multiplayer mechanics in mind. As we continue to tune Explore Events with a focus on multiplayer mechanics, it means that other parts of the events will need to be re-tuned in order to accommodate for future changes.
  

[h2]What are our plans?[/h2]

We are currently looking into reducing the dimensioning curve a little for higher level gameplay among other solutions. We are also exploring new multiplayer modes that would be more collaborative and less competitive.

For more information about this, watch our latest livestream that’s now available on YouTube. There we first introduce the team’s thoughts behind the dimensioning badge boosts. We’ll also be sharing even more information about our plans for multiplayer mechanics in our upcoming dev diary.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our internal process regarding the dimensioning badge boosts. Please let us know your thoughts and we look forward to hearing more feedback from players as we continue multiplayer development and Explore Event tuning.

As always, stay cellular!
~ The Cells Team

Hello Universe Architects,

It’s been quite the galactic journey. We’ve seen the natural life cycle of stars, discovered nearly habitable exoplanets, and turned our eyes towards awe-inspiring nebulas.

Beyond E22: When Stars Die showed what happens when a small star fizzles out. But, what occurs when a massive star explodes? It’s time to discover in:

[h2]Beyond E23: Supernova Aftermath[/h2]



[h2]The Ultimate Way to Stargaze[/h2]
There’s no need to crack out that dusty, old telescope from the attic. Players can get up close and personal with dazzling generators you can now find in the Beyond Garden!

• Get lost in the mists of two originally modeled nebulas: Crab and Carina.
  
• Venture deep within to find their supernova cores: Crab Pulsar and Homunculus Nebula.
  
• Wait… what’s that out in the distance?
  

[h2]Charting a Map to the Universe[/h2]
A nebula is more than just a stunning cloud of gas. Learn fascinating information about supernova explosions (and how they’re different from massive star belches).

• Collect eight new Enhancement Trait Cards.
  
• Embark on a special Astronomy Mission to discover the dramatic Homunculus Nebula.
  
• Seek the source of the X-rays radiating from Beyond.
  

[h2]Connect the Dots[/h2]
The breadcrumbs have been placed. New in-game achievements and constellations are waiting to be found!

• Two unique constellations have come into sight: Carina and Cygnus.
  
• Unlock 10 brand new achievements in the Beyond.
  

[h2]Additional Features:[/h2]

• Small fixes in the Mesozoic Valley, including the Alpha Predator not appearing and fixes to the Archosaur and Archeopteryx audio.
  
• Fixed issue with tutorials replaying in the Beyond.
  
• Fixed issues with Asian fonts missing characters.
  
• Small text fixes for localizations throughout the game.
  

[h2]Beyond E23: Supernova Aftermath is available to play now on Steam and will be available to all Android and iOS players by Monday, 02/19/2024 at 11:59 PM EST.
[/h2]

Our team is incredibly grateful to hear so much positive feedback about this episode from our beta testers. Thank you for your continued playtesting that helps us make each release the best it can be.

Before we sign off, there’s a big ticket item that we want to share with everyone. This month’s livestream is coming up! Tune in on our Twitch channel next Friday, February 23rd at 1:00 PM EST to get a behind the scenes look at recently released content, the first 2024 roadmap, and more. Lots of fun is in the works, so don’t miss it!

We hope this new episode will make you want to shoot for the stars. Until the next simulation upgrade, stay cellular!

~The Cells Team

Hello Universe Architects,

The first Civilization update of the year has forged its way into the simulation. While there is still plenty of progress to be made, it’s finally the Bronze Age’s time to shine. Join Semblance on the historical journey of when humans traded stone for the beginnings of metal…



Along with the invention of bronze came many other historical milestones, including medicine, the first writing systems, developed warfare tactics, and more. Take a seat and let’s look at how the Bronze Age’s multiple components contributed to human evolution.

[h2]Branch out the Main Tree[/h2]
Did you know that trephination started in the Stone Age, but was further refined in the Bronze Age? Or that papyrus was also used to make sails, ropes and floor mats? From Cartography to Mummification to Timekeeping, there are plenty of fresh nodes to test your Bronze Age knowledge.

• Unlock nine new Research Nodes that connect to the Bronze Age generator.
  
• Fix the new Glitch Node for 5M Metabits to add Ziggurat of Ur to the simulation!
  

[h2]A Whole New (Bronze) World[/h2]
This once empty section of the Civilization Garden is bustling with activity! Now players can experience the opportunities that bronze provided firsthand.

• Join a busy potter in her outdoor workspace.
  
• Sail a boat around the glorious Hanging Gardens.
  
• Observe the process of papyrus production.
  
• And so much more!
  

[h2]New Augmentations to Discover[/h2]
Two new Artifacts in the Augmentation Store are ready for simulation!

• Use Logits to add the Hanging Gardens to the Main Tree and Civilization Garden.
  
• Unlock the Trojan Horse Augmentation with 75 Darwinium cubes.
  

[h2]A Fresh Perspective[/h2]
Classic camera mode is fun and all, but have you ever wanted to see the fruits of your labor from the skies above? Take advantage of Map Mode, a new way to view the Civilization Garden in a fixed isometric state.

• Unlock Map Mode through the Augmentation Store.
  
• Once unlocked, select the compass icon on the left-hand side to activate Map Mode viewing.
  

[h3]Other Features:[/h3]

• Discover two new secret achievements!
  
• Utilize Nanobots in the Mesozoic Valley!
  
• Re-tuning for the Bronze Age section of the Main Tree. Let us know your feedback!
  
• Whether too low or too high, impossible player times should no longer be part of the Research Race.
  
• Phone notifications can now be turned ON/OFF in the options menu.
  
• Once the Badge boost from Events rises above 200%, each new badge gives diminishing boosts.
  
• Badge boost now displays on player profile cards.
  
• Fixed: Changing game scenes would reset Nanobot cooldown.
  
• Fixed: iPhone 15 Pro Max Dynamic Island cuts into game text.
  

[h2]Civilization: Bronze Age is available to play now on Steam and will be available to all Android and iOS players by Monday, February 5th at 11:59 PM EST.[/h2]

As players can now set their sights on completing a new age, our team is gearing up for another important release: Beyond E23. We’ve received a lot of excitement about the next Beyond episode, and we look forward to sharing what we have in due time. We don’t want to spoil too much, but we’ll be embarking on another unforgettable journey further into space!

Our latest dev diary entry was also just recently released. If you haven’t caught up on it yet, check it out here: link

Thank you as always for your continued support! We’re excited to explore this next jam-packed year with you.

Stay cellular!
The Cells Team

Happy New Year, Universe Architects!

After an end-of-year break, the Cells team is back at work. Let's recap on what's been released since our last update, and take a peek at what we've been working on now. As always, we rely on your feedback, particularly the feedback of our players who test all the new features of the game before public release. Our beta players play test never before seen content and provide feedback on their experience. As a result, many of the features added in the game are requests from our testers.




We released the first recurring event of the New Year, Explore: Human Body — Anatomy of Life. Based on a topic long requested by players, the event was the first to feature a content warning due to sensitive medical material and trypophobia. While the event was well received overall, we wanted to give players the opportunity to skip the event if they did not feel comfortable. The Human Body event is also the first to strategically feature two interdependent currencies: Deoxygenated and Oxygenated blood, which work in tandem to unlock nodes and generators. Generators purchased with one type of currency can produce the other type, which gave rise to new strategies in this event.

In order to ensure scientific accuracy, we consulted a medical doctor for this event. They made certain that the smallest details were correct from the particulars of the hypodermis to the complex functioning of the lobes in the brain. The pineal gland maintains your circadian rhythm - your sleep cycle - by responding to cues from the presence and absence of blue light in the day and night. Did you know that the blue-ish, green, purple vein popping out of your hand carries deoxygenated blood? For many, this was new information to learn from this event.



The launch of Explore: Human Body — Anatomy of Life was accompanied by a Discord 'Let's Play' event. A big thank you to everyone who showed. Attendees played along with the team and received Darwinium in the chat. If you enjoyed this event, we always welcome feedback to help us improve in the future.




With Beyond E22: When Stars Die, the simulation sailed into strange new waters. Modeling massive nebulae in 3D at 360 degrees was a large and complex undertaking. Stephanie Davila, a consultant who worked on this project, is a talented artist from Pariah Interactive game studio - our neighbors in Brooklyn. Using references from deep space images and drawing on simulations designed by astronomers, she created these amazing nebula models. Combined with advanced real-time mathematical data, the result is a feat no game has accurately depicted: distant nebulae in all their three-dimensional glory.



We chose a sampling of the most interesting, diverse nebulae for this episode. The Helix Nebula is a planetary nebula sometimes referred to as the "Eye of God". The Cat's Eye Nebula was investigated by William Huggins, who demonstrated that planetary nebulae were gaseous and not stellar in nature. Episode 22 has other exciting new content which includes some very interesting stars…




The Civilization team began work on the Bronze Age by collecting powerful images of artifacts that survived from that time period.. The statues of rulers, gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt, Akkad and the Sea Peoples of Phoenicia are a wonder. The architecture of the Bronze Age was monumental: the Ziggurats of Ur, the palaces of Nineveh, and the Lion's Gate of Mycenae in Greece were overwhelming compared to what came before. In addition, new technological achievements inspired us to create immersive scenes in the garden, such as writing and paper, sailing ships, and the potter's wheel.

There is much to discover in the Bronze Age. A new addition to the Augmentation Store is the Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is said by an ancient writer that the trees and flowers of this monumental edifice were watered by the Euphrates river by means of an Archimedes screw. Some scholars believe the structure was built not in Babylon, but in Nineveh, as a palace for the Assyrian king Sennacherib. The truth may lie beneath the waters of the Euphrates. We will never know for sure as the Hanging Gardens did not survive antiquity.



Another addition to the Augmentation Store is the Trojan Horse. While it never existed in real life, the Trojan Horse made its own historical mark in Homer’s influential myth, The Odyssey. Also accompanying this age, new achievements are waiting to be discovered. Will you find it?

What’s more, coming soon to the Augmentation Store is a technology that can change the way the Civilization Garden can be viewed: Map Mode. With this tool, players can get a birds eye view of the terrain and more easily visualize the sweep of human history.

We released more content in 2023 than we have in previous years. Our team has grown to support the game as a live operations service. 2024 is jam packed with exciting new content in store. New Beyond episodes are currently in development, as well as future Explore Events. Keep a look out for the Bronze Age, coming out very soon.

At the end of 2023, Cell to Singularity celebrated its fifth birthday. We couldn't have made it this far without the greatest community of players we could imagine. Our game will continue to grow and improve with your continued interest and support.

Stay cellular!
- The Cells Team