Physics Playground
Play with concepts
63 hands-on science games across physics, chemistry, biology, math and computer science, each built on real science.
Free on the App Store
- Status
- Live
- Version
- 2.0
- Category
- Learning
- Works on
- iPhone, iPad, iPhone Duo, Mac, Apple Vision
Why you'll like it
63 hands-on games
Fire a cannon, fold a protein, crack a cipher or bend starlight around a black hole. Every game runs on real science.
Play at your level
Pick Curious Kid, Teen, Undergrad or PhD, or switch to Free Play and experiment with no clock.
Stars and badges
Clear stages, earn up to three stars, beat your best score and fill your badge collection.
Learn science by playing with it
Each game puts a real idea in your hands, so you understand it by doing.
-
0163 games
Pick a subject and start playing
Browse games across physics, chemistry, biology, math and computer science, or search for a topic like orbits or DNA. Each card shows what you will do and the stars you have earned.
- Search by topic
- Up to three stars per stage
-
02Physics
See how mass bends light
Adjust the mass of a black hole until its lensing matches the target image. You learn gravitational lensing by watching distant galaxies stretch into arcs.
- Match the target shape
- One slider for mass
-
03Biology
Feed a plant with light and water
Angle the sunlight onto the leaves and use the stomata to balance sugar against water. It is photosynthesis you can actually control.
- Track sugar and water as you play
-
04Chemistry
Fit a molecule into its pocket
Turn and tilt a drug molecule until it sits snugly in its target, then lock it in. Your score shows how good the fit is.
- Turn and tilt controls
- Score the fit when you lock it in
-
05Math
Zoom into a fractal to find a shape
Explore the Mandelbrot set and zoom in until you find the pattern shown in the corner, before the clock runs out.
- Zoom in, zoom out and reset
- Beat the timer
-
06Computer science
Break a cipher with a decoder ring
Spin the cipher wheel to find the key that turns scrambled text into words. A letter frequency chart helps you spot the right shift.
- Rotating cipher wheel
- Letter frequency chart
How it works
Choose your level
Pick Curious Kid, Teen, Undergrad or PhD, or switch to Free Play and experiment with no clock.
Play a game
Choose from 63 games across five subjects and learn the idea by trying it with your own hands.
Earn stars, go deeper
Collect up to three stars and badges, then follow each game's linked sources to keep learning.
Get Physics Playground
Try 63 hands-on science games free, with no account, no ads and no tracking.
Free on the App Store.
The details
What's inside, where it runs, and what happens to your data.
Features
- 63 hands-on games across physics, chemistry, biology, math and computer science
- Four levels, from Curious Kid to PhD, plus Free Play with no clock
- Up to three stars per stage, best scores and badges to collect
- Built for iPhone Duo: aim the cannon with the hinge or play across both halves
- Every game links trusted sources: textbooks, papers, lectures and courses
- Available in 16 languages
Works on
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPhone Duo
- Mac
- Apple Vision
Privacy
No account, no ads and no tracking. Read the full privacy policy.
Questions
Something else? Ask Daniel directly. Every note gets read.
Is Physics Playground free?
Yes. Physics Playground is free to download, with no account and no ads.
Where can I use it?
Physics Playground runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision, and is built for iPhone Duo: fold it into a tabletop and the hinge aims the cannon.
Is it for kids or adults?
Both. Pick Curious Kid, Teen, Undergrad or PhD and the games start on Easy, Normal or Hard to match; PhD turns off the hints.
Physics Playground
Play with concepts.