A physics-based space simulator that allows you to create, destroy, and interact on an epic scale. It merges real-time gravity, climate and interactions to reveal the beauty of our universe and the fragility of our planet.
Universal Sandbox comes with tons of feature that make it a simulator: simulated gravity (n-body simulation at almost any speed using Newtonian mechanics), planet & star collisions (collisions of massive planetary bodies), planetary system creation (start with a star, then add a planet, spruce it up with moons, rings, comets, or even a black hole), Earth’s climate simulation (watch sea ice grow and recede with the seasons, change the seasons, move Earth farther from the Sun and freeze the entire planet), Supernova sim (crank up a star’s age or mass, then watch a supernova unfold.), historical events (ride along with Juno or New Horizons spacecraft, or view a total solar eclipse.) etc.
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Welcome to Godmode
Let’s take a look at the Earth’s climate simulation as an example for the complexity of the experience: There are three ways to affect the climate of the Earth.
First you can change the solar input. Change the luminosity of the Sun (but be careful because you might also end up changing its mass, which will affect the orbits of the planets) or add an additional star if you really want to heat things up (or delete the Sun and watch the planet freeze).
Second you can change the orbit of the Earth or its tilt. Changing the tilt will affect how extreme the seasons are. If you give the Earth a less-circular orbit or move it closer to or farther from the Sun, you can see how sensitive we are to being in just the right spot in the solar system.
Third you can change the parameters of the model itself. What if the heat capacity of the ocean were larger or smaller? What if the heat were transferred less efficiently between land and ocean, or more efficiently between equator and pole? We’ve chosen values that give us realistic behavior for the Earth we live on, but you can see what would happen if it were different. What values are within a realistic range? It’s a sandbox, so you won’t be constrained by that. How sensitive is the simulation to the choice of parameters?
Screenshots
A Universe of Options
Oh, and there’s a fourth way of interacting: Some of the parameters are indirectly adjusted for you when you change something else about the atmosphere. In Universe Sandbox you can experiment with all these options and experience their impact on Earth (or any other planet you chose for your experiments).
Besides the VR experience, Universe Sandbox includes a desktop version making it a great hybrid app. The VR mode supports the usual VR headsets such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality etc.
Quick Facts
| CATEGORY: | SPACE | |
|---|---|---|
| RELEASE DATE: | 24 Aug, 2015 | |
| DEVELOPER: | Giant Army | |
| PUBLISHER: | Giant Army | |
| PLATFORMS: | PCVR | |
| SCREEN MODES: | VR & 2D SCREENS (HYBRID) | |
| PRICE: | $24.99 |
Opinion
Sandbox Universe delivers a breathtaking, incomparable experience. If playing God is your thing, you don't want to miss this."
