We love the smell of nucleoplasm in the morning. Phage Wars 2 is the latest mutation of a pretty ferocious strain of strategy sim, in which players do battle at the cellular level.

As an employee of Betz Biosystems, you're tasked with creating and nurturing a powerful virus.

You can customise the bug by plugging genomes into its genetic code, making it stronger, faster or more resistant to invasion, but to unlock those genomes you need to annihilate other bugs in top-down 2D conflict.

Each viral colony begins the battle with just one cell to their name. Click on this cell and drag to another - whether vacant or occupied by another virus - to send a taskforce of microscopic roughnecks to conquer it. You can also drag select several of your own cells before releasing over the target.

The viral cells within each infected cell reproduce at a certain rate, as determined by your virus's genetic structure and that of the infected cell itself - red blood cells, for instance, foster rapid reproduction.

Other breeds of host cell endow the virus with different attributes. White blood cells are nigh impenetrable once conquered, while bacteria give you a strength boost.

It's all a little too easy, providing you keep upgrading the virus, but satisfying to behold. Catch the original here.

Play Phage Wars 2