The Powder Toy

The Powder Toy
Original author(s)Stanislaw K. Skowronek
Developer(s)jacob1, Simon, LBPHacker and various other GitHub contributors[1]
Initial release2008[A]
Stable release
98.2 / 1 April 2024; 8 months ago (2024-04-01)[3]
Repository
PlatformWindows, macOS, Linux, Android
TypeSingle-player falling-sand game
LicenseGPLv3
Websitepowdertoy.co.uk

The Powder Toy is a falling-sand game originally created by Stanislaw K. Skowronek (also known as Skylark). It is now developed and maintained by LBPHacker, Simon, jacob1 and other contributors on GitHub. The Powder Toy is free and open-source software licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3.0.[4] A total of 193 (more may have been added since this data was gathered) different in-game materials (or "elements"), each with custom behavior and interactions, are available in the game.[5] In June 2024, The Powder Toy was released on Steam.[6]

Gameplay

The Powder Toy (abbreviated TPT), like most falling sand games, is a sandbox video game that allows users to create things in-game to share using its online level sharing system, which includes a Front Page (often referred to as FP).

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, nuclear power plants, nuclear bombs, and computers.[5] 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.

Modding

The Powder Toy allows users to change the game itself with Lua scripting[7], and C++ coding[8], as it was made using C++. The source code is available on GitHub and can be compiled using Meson.

A mod manager can be downloaded using the console with the following command: tpt.installScriptManager().[9] It works on all versions of The Powder Toy.

Many users have created C++ mods and Lua scripts. The most popular of which include: TPTMPV2 by LBPHacker, SpikeViper's Biology Mod by SpikeViper, Jacob1's Mod by jacob1, and TPT-Ultimata by Lord_Bowserinator. The former is a Lua script and the latter three are all C++ mods.[10]

April Fools

The developers usually host an April Fools[11] joke every year. Notably, the 3D mode feature was added as an April Fools joke, alongside the addition of a new fake purchasable in game currency called Powdercoins. Normally all April Fools update features are removed very quickly after April Fools, and it is rare that any of them stay in TPT in the long term.

Reception

edgalaxy.com called The Powder Toy a "great science game" for its potential use as a learning aid through its accurate portrayal of physics, chemical reactions and more.[12]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Powder Toy.
  1. ^ Splash screen in the binary releases available on the original Powder Toy website has the following copyright notice: "(c) 2008-9 Stanislaw K Skowronek"[2]
  1. ^ "ThePowderToy: Readme". GitHub. Archived from the original on 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  2. ^ "The Powder Toy". Unaligned. Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. Retrieved 18 February 2024. Copyright date in the binaries on the original website says 2008-9
  3. ^ "Releases". Github. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  4. ^ "ThePowderToy: License". GitHub. Archived from the original on 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  5. ^ a b Cox, Matt (2019-10-10). "From falling sand to Falling Everything: the simulation games that inspired Noita". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 2019-11-15. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
  6. ^ "Classic free physics sandbox game The Powder Toy is now on Steam". GamingOnLinux. 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  7. ^ "Powder Toy Lua API". The Official Powder Toy Wiki, Retrieved 10/28/2024.
  8. ^ "Building TPT with Meson". The Official Powder Toy Wiki, Retrieved 10/28/2024.
  9. ^ "Running Lua Scripts". The Official Powder Toy Wiki, Retrieved 10/28/2024.
  10. ^ "Mod Collection". The Official Powder Toy Wiki, Retrieved 10/28/2024.
  11. ^ "TPT Changelog". The Official Powder Toy Website, Retrieved 10/28/2024.
  12. ^ Explosive fun for students with THE POWDER TOY a great science game Archived 2012-04-17 at the Wayback Machine on edgalaxy.com (2010-09-03)