Aslos are little organisms that try to survive by eating food, drinking, avoiding predators (called Opees), and reproducing. As a player, you define traits of your Aslo species that will help or hinder them. Over time, an Aslo species may mutate into other species which will create new traits. To "score", create an Aslo species that will survive as many days as possible. Aslos appear at first as blue spheres on the map, but may change color if they mutate. When there is more than one Aslo in a sector, a plus sign (+) will appear in the corner of the sector.
Aslos see a certain radius, but can't see around rock. They take note of what they see, and choose which item of interest to take action on based on their preset traits.
They try to move to their goal, finding simple paths. They can move around some obstacles, but certain terrain features my fool them. If they get too confused they'll move randomly. Also, they have a concept of "IQ". If their IQ fails on a day, they will move randomly. If they can't see something they want, they will try to explore.
Aslos eat "food crystals". The crystals range in maturity from green-youngest to red-oldest. A red food crystal can survive being eaten, but becomes green. Any other color is destroyed when eaten. Food crystals may mature every day, and red food crystals may grow in a random direction each day, producing a new green crystal. Every 5th day, a randomly-located green crystal may be created somewhere on the map.
When aslos die for any natural cause (were not eaten by an Opee), they may leave behind a new green food crystal.
Opees, the predators, can move in water. Aslos cannot. Neither can move on rock. Opee stands for "Opposing Predatory Eradication Entity". Opees appear star-shaped and do not mutate. Opees obey many of the same rules as Aslos, but are periodically seeded into the game if they go extinct.
Male aslos move faster, females live longer. No aslo can mate until it reaches the age of maturity. Aslos can die of old age.
Some of the traits/properties of Aslos are: