Is there an edge of the universe or is it infinite? What would happen if two galaxies began to collide and merge with each other. Or what happens if a huge asteroid or comet hits Earth? The Universe Sandbox game will tell you about it. It is possible not only to contemplate the Universe in all its beauty and diversity thanks to the wonderful volumetric 3D graphics, but it is also possible to observe space objects in various modes, it is possible to change their parameters and location in space and see the consequences of these manipulations.
Universe Sandbox game
The game in the genre of "indie sandbox" provides a huge, almost real universe with its galaxies, star systems, but, basically, it is possible to view and modify our solar system with known planets, from Mercury to Pluto.
You can find out the mass of a planet, change it, it is possible to change the orbit of each planet, or, in general, to mix everything or change places. The game provides the ability to create your own system or even a galaxy. For example, you can replace planets with soccer balls or basketballs. Or collide two galaxies and watch this beautiful and spectacular process.
The game is designed more for a trained and inquisitive gamer than for a simple player, it is not designed for a couple of evenings, but requires deep study and consideration.
The graphics in the game for this genre are very good, the drawing of the planets is detailed, as if the data were taken from images of NASA or other satellites. The views of galaxies are as compelling as if they were carried over from documentaries about space.
In addition to planets and stars, there are also about a hundred unique asteroids, meteorites and comets. You can create the moment of birth and death of a star, and this process is shown in great detail. All planets and stars and other cosmic bodies behave according to all the laws of Newtonian physics.
If you get completely bored of composing your own galaxies and systems, you can create a billiard table, and the balls will be planets and stars, and thanks to realistic physics, they will beautifully fly in different directions.
Modeling situations in the Universe Sandbox
The game has diagrams for comparison and analytics, and much more, it is great for various presentations at universities, especially at the faculties of astronomy, and will also be of interest to gamers seeking to learn the secrets of the Universe.
In the Universe sandbox, you can create many global catastrophes: for example, the well-known asteroid "Apophis", which will presumably collide with our planet. You can simulate this collision and show what will happen if nothing is done. Show the situation in which the Sun will go out, and how the model of the solar system without the Sun will look like.
Now everyone dreams of seeing the first expedition to the planet Mars and it can be viewed from different angles: to study the orbit, the number of revolutions around the Sun, the diameter, the geography of the planet, the official names of mountains and plains, and even dried lakes and seas.
Universe Sandbox is not just a game for a couple of evenings, but a whole scientific project that will be relevant almost always. The game is a good tool for scientific projects in space exploration.