A falling-sand game is a genre of
video game and subgenre of
sandbox games
A video game with nonlinear gameplay presents players with challenges that can be completed in a number of different sequences. Each player may take on (or even encounter) only some of the challenges possible, and the same challenges may be played ...
using a
two-dimensional particle game engine
A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...
or a
cellular automaton.
In falling-sand games, the user can interact with (e.g. place and remove) particles on a canvas which can interact with other particles in various ways, which can lead to complex emergent behaviour. As
sandbox games, they generally have an emphasis on free-form gameplay, relaxed rules, and minimal goals.
Despite the name, falling-sand games typically contain a multitude of materials besides sand, often called "elements".
History
The first known popular example in the "falling-sand" genre was a web-based
Java applet on the Japanese Dofi-Blog in 2005
which was later expanded and rehosted as the "Falling sand game",
which kick-started the genre as a trend and gave it its name.
The genre is not limited to free play canvas-style games; games such as the ''Powder Game'' contain additional mechanics, such as pressure based fluid simulation allowing for example water equalisation, and
RPG RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
elements such as controllable characters.
''
Noita'' blends the traditional sandbox physics with
Roguelike RPG mechanics, with sophisticated playable characters and enemies.
References
{{VideoGameGenre
Online games
Java platform games
Flash games
Simulation video games
Video game genres
Cellular automata in computer games