Physics Games and Physics-Based Game Downloads



FAQ

Sunday, January 22nd, 2006 by Matthew in

Fun-Motion Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How often do you update the page?

Not as much as I used to, unfortunately. I’m working to return the site to regular update status.


Q: How do I suggest a physics game?

The easiest way is to email me at [email protected].


Q: What are you using to create game videos?

I’m using Fraps to capture the footage and Flash for encoding and playback.


Q: So just what is a physics game?

My personal definition of a physics game is a game where the player primarily interacts with the mechanics of a complex physics system. It’s a rough definition, I know, but I think it works well enough. By the very use of the word physics we are implying the games are somehow mimicking the behavior of real-world objects. Even so, games tend to split into two categories:

Real-World Activities

Some physics games are patterned after their real-world counterparts. One clear example is driving games, but other simulation games do the same: Ski Stunt Simulator (skiing), Trials (trials motorcycling), and so on.

Abstracted Activities

Other physics games embrace the behaviors that we all recognize as real-world physics: gravity, inertia, friction. But they do away with mimicking real-world activities. These games are more abstract in nature, such as a Breakquest or Gish.


Q: I’m a developer. Where can I find resources on programming physics games?

There are essentially two routes to go as a developer. You could utilize a pre-existing physics engine or create your own. There are pros and cons to each, depending on what you have in mind.

Physics Engines:

Tutorials:


[Questions will be added periodically–feel free to email me with suggestions!]

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8 Responses to 'FAQ'

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  1. Florent said,

    on January 23rd, 2006 at 12:12 pm

    Oops… I should have read the FAQ before posting you some suggestions :-)

  2. PoV said,

    on January 24th, 2006 at 9:54 am

    Here’s a great, albeit mislabled, article on an easy and incredibly effective physics approach.

    http://www.gamasutra.com/resource_guide/20030121/jacobson_pfv.htm

  3. walaber said,

    on January 24th, 2006 at 6:10 pm

    Do you have a prefered way that readers can submit/let you know about other physics-based games that are out there, for possible mention in your website?

  4. Matthew said,

    on January 24th, 2006 at 6:26 pm

    walaber: I added your question to the FAQ.

  5. Smada said,

    on August 21st, 2006 at 6:01 pm

    Is there the possibility that you could release the list of the ~20 games you are going to review? Just the links? I’m really addicted to physics based games ;)

    btw: thanks for all the work you made yourself!

  6. Mico said,

    on October 19th, 2006 at 6:02 pm

    Soo…any chance you can clearly state if games are mac compatible? I don’t like downloading a decent-looking game, then instantly moving it into my trash since I just realized it’s exe.

  7. Matthew said,

    on October 19th, 2006 at 7:39 pm

    I usually mention it at the bottom of a review, but you’re right–I should add in OS logos to the download links so it’s more clear.

    BTW, every file I mirror on the server is Windows (I link to the official page if MacOS/Linux versions are available).

  8. Niyou77 said,

    on November 24th, 2006 at 10:18 am

    Why is it that some games I download don’t come with the folders that keep some of the necessary files to play? For example, I download all the files, but it doesn’t come with any folders, and it says it couldn’t find ‘blah.dll’ in the data folder.

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