The Powder Toy


The Powder Toy is a falling-sand game originally created by Stanislaw K. Skowronek. It is now developed and maintained by jacob1, and various contributors to the project on GitHub. It is a free and open-source software licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3.0.
It has a total of 185 different in-game materials that have varying functions.

Gameplay

The Powder Toy, like most falling sand games, is a sandbox video game that allows users to create things in-game to share with others. It is also possible to create new content for the game by using Lua to create new elements, tools, and content.
A public server for sharing in-game creations is provided as part of the game itself, allowing users to share anything that abides by the rules. Examples of player shared creations include functioning circulatory systems, and computers. Content is rated using upvotes and downvotes, and can be reported to the moderators if it breaks the on-site rules or plagiarizes other works.

Reception and impact

The game has been noted by publications as a valuable tool for teachers and their students, receiving praises such as being called a "great science game" for its potential use as a learning aid because of its accurate portrayal of physics, chemical reactions and more.