The U.S.S. Eukaryotic, an animal cell, has just experienced a total systems failure. It's your job to get the cell up and running again by returning proper functioning to each of the major organelles. This can be accomplished by successfully completing sets of content-infused micro-games associated with each cell component.
Cell saver has three modes: cut scene, cell hub, and micro-game. The cut scene mode serves to introduce the characters (organelles) and extend the narrative, while the cell hub mode indicates overall game performance, and is the launch pad into the micro-games.
Following the introductory cut scene, you will find yourself in cell hub mode. Roll the mouse over the cell structures to learn basic terminology and facts, or click on the nucleus to launch the Nucleus Challenge micro-game. When Cell Saver is more fully developed, the player that successfully completes Nucleus Challenge will witness another cut scene depicting the resurrection of the nucleus. The story from there will be non-linear as the player chooses which elements of the cell to restore.
Despite the limited functionality of this beta version, we believe that it is enough to communicate the feel we are aiming for, and we are optimistic that the Meta Game + Micro-Games approach will be valuable for many other content areas.