Biomass: 0
Tier 1: Ciliate
Integrity
Wave 1 (30s)
Rotate Device

Please rotate your device to landscape mode.

About Trophic Frenzy

Guide plankton up the food web without becoming lunch in this free online ecology game about trophic levels.

Trophic Frenzy models the pelagic food web dynamics and the microbial loop of freshwater ecosystems. In aquatic environments, cellular size dictates feeding relationships. Picoplanktonic cyanobacteria and microalgae harvest sunlight to build biological mass, which is consumed by unicellular ciliates and flagellates before ascending to multicellular rotifers, crustacean nauplii and keystone filter feeders like Daphnia.

The game illustrates cellular volume scaling and trophic cascades. As an organism ingests cellular mass, its volumetric capacity and surface area shift, enabling it to swallow previously intimidating prey. However, synthetic microplastic beads illustrate bioaccumulation: non-biodegradable particles mimic natural phytoplankton buoyancy, obstructing digestive tracts and transferring toxic burdens across aquatic food chains.

Sessile predators like Hydra utilize specialized stinging cnidocyte cells called nematocysts that fire venomous microscopic harpoons on physical contact, proving that mechanical size alone does not grant total immunity in complex ecosystems.

Key Science Concepts

What You'll Learn

Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College

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How to play

  1. Eat Anything Smaller You can swallow any biological organism smaller than your body. Green circles highlight safe edible prey.
  2. Flee Larger Hunters Red circles mark organisms larger than you. They bite and drain integrity until you outgrow them.
  3. 3 Swimmer Stages Start as a Ciliate, evolve into a Rotifer at 140 biomass and become a giant Daphnia at 500 biomass as you grow.
  4. Trophic Frenzy Rush Eat rapidly to fill your combo meter. Hit x15 combo to unleash Frenzy Rush with 4x multipliers and speed surge.
  5. Suction & Dash Hold Space or Right-Click to suck in prey. Press Shift or Double Tap to dash forward across the pond.
  6. Dodge Obstacles & Purge Avoid stinging Hydras and toxic clouds. Tap Purge to expel swallowed microplastics and restore full speed.

Frequently asked questions

Is Trophic Frenzy free to play?
Yes. Trophic Frenzy is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, install or account needed.
What grade level is Trophic Frenzy for?
Trophic Frenzy is designed for Middle School, High School, College students and works well as a classroom activity or homework.
Does Trophic Frenzy work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Trophic Frenzy runs in any modern browser on desktop computers, Chromebooks, tablets and phones in landscape mode.

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