Falling sand games are a genre of game where materials such as sand are simulated falling under the effect of gravity using a cellular automaton based particle system on a two dimensional plane. Solid immovable particles and particles that act as liquids or gasses are often present, as well as other types of particles such as forms of energy like photons.
Other aspects that can be simulated and influence the motion and state of the particles are air pressure, alternate sources of gravity, temperature, and interactions between different types of materials such as combustion or freezing. Some include electrically conductive substances that can be used to create complex creations such as machines and simple calculators or computers.
In most falling sand games the player is only able to create and destroy particles, with most of the gameplay emerging from the resultant interactions.
Noita is notable among falling sand games in that it is also a Rogue-lite with a controllable player character and many enemies and other entities that can navigate and interact with the environment, which is much larger than the single area most falling sand games use and is procedurally generated, rather than being entirely created by the player. It also includes rigid body simulations.
Other Examples[]
- Falling sand game - One of the first known games of this type and the origin of the name of the genre.
- The Powder Game - browser based.
- The Powder Game 2 - browser based. Expanded version of the first Powder Game.
- The Powder Toy - free downloadable application. Features detailed simulations and numerous particle types. Includes a basic player character called the Stickman that can be moved around the environment and spawn particles as well as an ai controlled enemy version called the Fighter.
- Sandboxels - browser based.