The Powder Toy
Version: snapshot-187 Web: https://github.com/ The-powder-toy/the-powder-toy
In LXF247 we threw palms of sand and poured water in Sandspiel, a super-fun particle simulation game. This time we came across another game of the same kind and it seems like The Powder Toy is way more pow(d)erful than its rivals. Hidden behind the retro-style pixellish interface is a very capable Sdl2-based physics simulator with dozens of elements and materials – we won’t dare to count the number of possible combinations you can create with it.
Without any doubt the toolset in The Powder Toy is mind-blowing. We’ve got liquids, gases, solids, explosives, electronics, powders, radioactive elements, sensors, forces and a few more categories that you can explore using the icons in the vertical bar along the right side of the application’s window. Each category normally hosts a selection of various elements within it. Choose one and draw something on the canvas, just like you do with a brush in a Paint-like software. Left clicks draw, right clicks erase (regardless of selected material). It’s easy to get lost in the world of The Powder
Toy if you start experimenting from scratch, but if you click the Open button (lower-left corner) you’ll see a catalogue of community-created saves with a plethora of smart and inventive ideas already realised. How about a one-pixel hydrogen bomb, a working grenade or a napalm gun? Popular scenes contain text captions with brief explanations and how-tos. In many cases you can trigger a mechanism by pressing the Pause button (lower-right corner) and sparking the designated trigger. Use the Search button to locate the SPRK or any other tool required for starting the chain reaction.
The Powder Toy has some optional settings like water equalisation that enable more true-to-life physics, although things like the Pythagorean cup still work only partially – the application works in 2D mode and cannot emulate a vacuum. However, it is very close to real life in many other regards!