Every week Iain Simons gives you something to while away the hours. This week it's Powder Game. Enjoy responsibly and don't let the management catch you
Relax. Unlike last week's entry, this is just pure experimentation.
The word ‘interactive’ is bandied around a lot these days, being applied to everything from television to whiteboards - Powder Game is the real thing. A java web-application that’s a simple or as complex as you want it to be, giving you a wide set of wildly varied tools and inviting you to play with them and see what emerges.
Divided into two halves, the bottom of the screen gives you simple descriptions of the options available to you which you paint onto the top half with the mouse. For example, you place water on the screen, and it falls to the ground unless contained within a appropriate vessel. A seed, when planted, will grow - as long as it’s fed water.
Fireworks and gunpowder simply fall to the floor, unless you apply some fire to them…
Its potential as a deeply complex space to experiment in is best demonstrated by a look at some of the creations that other players have already made within it. These can be viewed here and are well worth a browse to get a sense of the power of the application.
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