Pro Tips and Strategies to Dominate IO Games

General tips that work in every .io game

1. Survive first, score second. Your score only counts while you are alive. Early on, avoid fights and grow on the free food, shapes or resources around the map.
2. Watch the edges of the screen. Most deaths come from a player you didn’t see. Keep checking around you, not just in front.
3. Use the minimap and leaderboard. They tell you where the big players are and which parts of the map are crowded or empty.
4. Pick your fights. Attack players who are smaller, distracted or already fighting someone else. Leave equal or bigger players alone unless you have a clear advantage.
5. Don’t chase too long. A long chase leaves you open to a third player. If you can’t catch someone in a few seconds, let them go.
6. Learn from every death. A round is only a few minutes long. Think about what killed you and try a different approach next round.

Snake games (Slither.io and similar)

In Slither.io and other snake .io games, size is everything — and so is position.

• Use your boost to cut in front of another snake’s head — when it hits your body, you get its mass.
• Boosting costs length, so only boost when it wins a fight or saves your life.
• When you are long, circle smaller snakes to trap them, then tighten the circle.
• Follow the action from a distance: when two big snakes crash, collect what they leave behind.

Cell games (Agar.io and similar)

In Agar.io, you grow by eating anything smaller than you and run from anything bigger.

• Split to catch a smaller cell, but only when you are sure to land on it — after splitting, each half is an easy target.
• While you are small, hide near viruses: big cells that touch them burst into pieces.
• Large cells move slowly. Grow steadily rather than risking everything on one split.
• In team modes, feed mass to a teammate so one of you gets big enough to take over the map.

Shooter and tank games (Diep.io and similar)

In Diep.io and other shooter .io games, your build matters as much as your aim.

• Farm shapes or bots to level up before you go after other players.
• Plan your upgrades. Reload, bullet damage and bullet speed help you win fights; movement speed and health help you escape.
• Keep moving while you shoot. Standing still makes you an easy target.
• Read your opponent’s build: fight slow, heavy tanks from long range and outrun fast glass-cannon builds.

Survival, building and territory games

Browse survival and strategy .io games to try these.

• In survival games, gather resources and build basic defences early, before other players find you.
• Upgrade tools and weapons as soon as you can — it speeds up everything you do.
• In territory games like Paper.io, take land in small, quick loops. Your trail is your weak spot while you are outside your own area.
• Cut through an opponent’s trail whenever they wander too far from home.

How to reduce lag in .io games

• Choose the server region closest to you. Lower ping means your moves land when you make them.
• Close other tabs and apps that use your internet connection or CPU.
• Play in full screen and lower the graphics quality if the game has that option.
• Keep your browser up to date and turn on hardware acceleration in its settings.
• On Wi-Fi, sit closer to the router or use a cable for the steadiest connection.

Playing .io games with friends

Many .io games have a party, team or private room mode: one player creates a room and shares a link or code. In games without one, all of you can pick the same server region and game mode to end up in the same arena. Agree on a team colour or name tag so you know who is on your side. See the FAQ for more.

Put the tips into practice

Pick a category and try them out — every game is free and runs in your browser, no download needed.