Physics Simulation
Ongoing coverage on Physics Simulation.
Latest coverage
I attempted to become a professional driver in a GTA 5 where every car had no friction
An experiment was conducted in Grand Theft Auto V where all NPC cars had their friction deactivated and were set to perpetual motion, leading to chaotic and explosive results. The author attempted to become a professional driver in this modified world, using a mod to initiate missions and a car gun to spawn vehicles into walls to overcome the physics-defying traffic.
I turned car friction off in GTA 5. Help
An experiment in Grand Theft Auto 5 involved disabling car friction and setting a constant momentum for all NPC vehicles, leading to unpredictable and chaotic movement across Los Santos. While initially set to maximum speed, the setting was adjusted to a lower value to maintain some level of playability, resulting in a carnival of airborne vehicles.
Spaceship bullet heaven Seven Suns of Orion has what Vampire Survivors lacks: semi-Newtonian physics and railguns
Seven Suns of Orion is a spaceship bullet heaven game that distinguishes itself from Vampire Survivors with semi-Newtonian physics and railguns. Players must survive seven minutes against an invading drone army, culminating in a boss battle. The game features distinct ship handling and control schemes, encouraging strategic movement and use of environmental gravity wells.
BeamNG.drive, Steam's finest car pancake maker, gets its biggest update yet with overhauled graphics, fresh rally stages and a sporty new coupe
BeamNG.drive has received its largest update yet, version 0.39, featuring a significant graphical overhaul with improved shadows, HDR output, volumetric clouds, and a physically-based night sky. The update also introduces a new sporty coupe, the Cherrier Ardente, along with new rally stages, map improvements, and an aerodynamic physics system that simulates air flow between vehicles.
Inviting beaches and delightful physics await you in literal sandbox game, Sandcastle
Sandcastle is a new sandbox game that focuses on building sandcastles with realistic physics. Players can unlock new locations and customization options by collecting items like starfishes and shells. The game simulates how dry and wet sand behave, with waves eroding structures near the shoreline. A demo is planned for August 6th, with a wishlist option available on Steam.
Escape the Kitchen Sink in Sponge Break
Goose Byte Games and Balor Games have announced Sponge Break, a chaotic 1-4 player co-op adventure where players control sponges escaping a kitchen sink on a fragile raft. The game features drop-in co-op, solo support, proximity voice chat, and physics-driven raft traversal. A playtest is launching today with invites rolling out until July 28th.
"You can literally reroute a river into a desert and cause it to bloom": Star Wars Galaxies lead says of his new sandbox MMO Stars Reach
Raph Koster, lead designer of Star Wars Galaxies, discusses his new sandbox MMO, Stars Reach, which features a procedurally generated universe with real-world physics simulations. Players can manipulate the environment by rerouting rivers, freezing water, or electrifying deposits, with the game's core mechanics drawing inspiration from Conway's Game of Life. Koster emphasizes that the advanced physics simulation, enabled by modern computing power, allows for a more immersive and reactive world than previously possible.
Oven Explosion Simulator 2 - Free Online Browser Game
Oven Explosion Simulator 2 is a free online browser-based simulation game where players experiment with placing various household and dangerous items into an oven to observe explosive and comedic results. Developed by happystoner5420 Games, the simulation features a database of 205 items, realistic physics, and detailed damage reports, all presented with a dark humor aesthetic.
Deep and volatile Terraria-style factory sim Sandustry hits early access in August, Hooded Horse announce
Hooded Horse and Lantto Games have announced that their 2D factory-building game, Sandustry, will launch in Early Access on August 13th for PC via Steam, GOG, and the Microsoft Store. The game features a physics system where resources break down into individual pixels and includes mechanics for thermodynamics, allowing for fluid evaporation and rain.
Geareo is an extremely pleasing clockwork building game with pull-out model kits and flippable paper manuals
Geareo is a freeform sandbox builder game developed by Witweld that focuses on realistic clockwork mechanics and physics simulations. Players can construct elaborate machines to complete challenges or simply for creative expression, with options for simplified interfaces and in-game tutorials.
Join the We're In Trouble Demo today! 🚨
The demo for the co-op game We're In Trouble is now available as part of Steam Next Fest, running from June 15 to June 22. Players can team up with up to three friends online to manage a sinking ship, fix mechanical failures, and coordinate efforts to survive. Developers are encouraging players to test the physics and provide feedback.
ONE SKILL Drive or Fall – Beta Demo | Alpha Beta Gamer
ONE SKILL Drive or Fall is a precision driving game where players navigate intricate platforms suspended high above clouds, testing vehicle control against unforgiving physics. The game emphasizes throttle management and understanding automotive physics, with each level acting as a vehicular puzzle that demands creative maneuvering and millimeter accuracy. Success requires careful terrain reading, path planning, and flawless execution, as single mistakes lead to falling into the abyss.
PS5 Is Finally Getting One of PC's Biggest Cult Racing Games
The physics-based cult classic racing game BeamNG.drive, popular on PC for a decade, is finally coming to PlayStation 5. The game is known for its highly realistic vehicle damage simulation, tracking individual car components 2,000 times per second for unique crash outcomes. Developers faced significant technical challenges porting the game to the console.
Destruction sandbox Besiege's new space DLC gets far bigger than anything you've seen before
Spiderling Studios announced Besiege: The Broken Beyond, a new expansion for its PC sandbox game, which will introduce space exploration with new physics challenges including shifting gravity and Newtonian simulations. The expansion promises larger playable environments and is slated for release in the second quarter of 2026.
Cozy Marbles Playtest
A playtest for the physics simulation game Cozy Marbles is currently available for Windows. Developed by Pixel Pea Games and Mythwright, the game allows players to build virtual marble runs using a wide variety of components.
The Moon Is Humanity’s Last Hope in Totally Safe Moon Project, Coming to Steam in 2026
Totally Safe Moon Project, a chaotic online co-op adventure from developer Fake Moon and publisher rokaplay Select, is coming to PC via Steam in 2026. The game challenges up to four players to collaboratively build a tower to the Moon using everyday objects to transport a laser and destroy an incoming asteroid, featuring physics-driven chaos and cooperative problem-solving.
A rage-inducing co-op game: "Hold Your King"
Independent studio Next Big Games announced the demo and Steam wishlist launch for its physics-based co-op platformer, Hold Your King. The game challenges 2-4 players to carry a King and Queen on a stretcher through obstacle courses, testing their communication and coordination. A free demo is available now on Steam.
Assetto Corsa EVO shifts up to 0.6 with new content and cars
Assetto Corsa EVO has released version 0.6, introducing six new cars including the Ferrari 296 GT3 and Lamborghini Countach, and the Sebring International Raceway. This update focuses on significant under-the-hood improvements to physics, suspension modeling, multiplayer stability, and MoTeC telemetry support, aiming to enhance the simulation experience for racers and tinkerers.
Arc Raiders devs would love to have machine takedowns "like the Hoth invasion scene in Star Wars," and "we could do that if we just had better rope physics"
Embark Studios is exploring advanced physics, particularly rope physics, to enable new gameplay mechanics in Arc Raiders, such as tripping large enemies. Machine learning research lead Martin Singh-Blom highlighted this desire, drawing inspiration from scenes like the Hoth invasion in Star Wars, though practical implementation remains a challenge.
ARC Raiders Team Wants “Better Rope Physics” to Trip ARCs Like Star Wars’ AT-ATs
Embark Studios is exploring advanced physics for ARC Raiders, with lead researcher Martin Singh-Blom citing Star Wars' Hoth scene as inspiration for potential rope physics. The studio aims to balance pushing technological boundaries with practical game design needs, while also focusing on AI integration and refining crafting systems.
