Whether its balancing piles of explosive bricks, calculating the angle of a lethal knife swinging on a rope, performing acrobatic moves that require split second timing, catapulting exploding pigs into the air, or judging whether you can make it across the quicksand a in traditional platformer, games that use real-world physics to challenge you are fun! Even if you hate (or hated) studying physics at school, calculating angles and judging weights in order to stop your character becoming crushed, smashed, blown up, cut in half, or coming to any number of other sticky ends is ridiculously rewarding, and often combines the need for quick reflexes with split-second timing and decision making. Most of the games in this category have a strong puzzle element, forcing you to think carefully about how to reach a solution in order to advance (or survive!), but many combine this with arcade elements that require razor-sharp keyboard or mouse skills, in addition to quick thinking. Others, however, are pure brainteasers, using physics to challenge your reasoning powers with fiendish puzzles that will have you tearing your hair out in frustration, but which, when you solve them, will make you feel like the brainiest egghead in the world! The great thing about all physics games is that because they use real-world science to model the challenges you will face, you know there must be a logical solution… if only you can find it! Physics games take the puzzle genre (whether pure brainteaser or more arcade influenced) to a whole new head-scratching level!

Physics games rely on using a balance or falling mechanic to create challenges. Most of these games are about obstacle courses, rather than fighting. Although they look simple, physics games are quite hard to master. They can be found as 2D side-scrollers, platformers and targeting-shooting games, to name a few.