Educational Game

Microbe Mogul

Be a bacterium. Catch glucose. Make ATP. Build glycolysis one real enzyme at a time, and learn why every step is there.

Buy Microbe Mogul Download with your key
A bacterium running all ten steps of glycolysis, its membrane lined with glucose transporters

Run a living cell

Food drifts past on the current. Transporters in your membrane pull glucose in, and the enzymes you place turn it into ATP, molecule by molecule.

Close-up of pyruvate kinase switched off by ATP, with an information panel explaining why

Watch every reaction

Zoom in to see each enzyme bind its substrates, and tap it to read what it does and its equation.

The tech tree showing the investment phase of glycolysis and cell upgrades

Evolve your pathway

Spend evolution points to research the next step of glycolysis, faster transporters, and a bigger cell.

Microbe Mogul title screen beside a young cell with one glucose transporter and one glucokinase

Start with one enzyme

Every game begins with a single transporter and glucokinase. The rest of glycolysis is yours to discover.

What you learn

  • All ten steps of glycolysis and the enzymes that run them
  • Why ATP is spent before it is made, and where the payoff comes from
  • How ATP, ADP, phosphate, NAD+ and NADH cycle through a cell
  • Reversible reactions, equilibrium, and how enzymes such as PFK-1 and pyruvate kinase are switched on and off
  • How to find a bottleneck: the Pathway panel shows where molecules pile up and what to fix
  • A built-in glossary for every molecule, enzyme, and mechanic

Who it is for

Students meeting cellular respiration for the first time, anyone revising for a biology exam, and teachers looking for something to show in class. The game simplifies real biochemistry where it has to and says so in the glossary.

System requirements

64-bit Windows 10 or 11 with Direct3D 11 graphics. Internet access is needed only to download the game and its updates; it plays offline. It is also on the Microsoft Store. An Android version is on its way to Google Play, and versions for macOS, iPhone, and iPad are planned.

Your privacy

No account, no ads, and no tracking. Your saves stay on your computer. Your license key is sent only when you download the game or an update. Details are in the Privacy Notice.

Single-Player License

Microbe Mogul

The full game for Windows.

$0.99 USD

One-time payment

  • Perpetual license for one player
  • License key delivered by email
  • Download and in-game updates with your key
  • Plays offline, no account needed
  • Secure Stripe-hosted checkout

Prefer the Microsoft Store? Get Microbe Mogul there. Store and website copies are bought separately.