At the back of a garden shed on a row of old shelves lies an assortment of forgotten paint tins. The owner left them there many years ago, and, as so often happens, never came back for them. In this particular shed there’s a hole in the roof which lets in a small amount of light and rain. This combination of light, water and freedom from disturbance has resulted in something wonderful. New life has evolved, but nothing like the spiders and wood lice of other sheds. These new creatures are much smarter, spending their days inventing games to play. The most popular game on the shelf world this season is called Ploo after the sounds made by the contestants while playing it.

Ploo is a game for two players. The playing surface is rectangular, much like a tennis court, but made of algae. This is called the Matt. The Matt is divided in half by a shallow trench called the Voc. Certain creatures called Voc Squabblers inhabit the Voc, their spines creating a living barrier. Like tennis, the two teams or individuals each take a side of the Matt. Behind the Matt, next to the Voc, stands a tall plant called a Primer. When stimulated by the Smoo Wobbler, the Primer releases a seed or Smoo, which moves randomly towards one side of the Matt or the other. The team on that side must catch the Smoo in their mouths, and blow, or ploo, the Smoo across the Voc before it touches the Matt. The Smoo can hit a player, the Voc Squabblers, or the side of the play area as often as required, but once it touches the Matt it will split open. When this happens, points will be awarded to the player on the opposite side to where the Smoo landed. Once the Smoo is out of play, another is launched and the game continues.

The Emulio, as they call themselves, use Base Seven instead of the decimal system. So each time a Smoo touches the Matt, seven points are awarded, and the game ends when one of the players reaches forty nine points.