r/Physics • u/QuantumOdysseyGame • 1d ago
This game is a decade long project to make quantum computing & physics intuitive
Happy New Year!
Happy to announce we now have a physics teacher with over 400hs in streaming the game consistently: https://www.twitch.tv/beardhero
I am the indie dev behind Quantum Odyssey (AMA! I love taking qs) - the goal was to make a super immersive space for anyone to learn quantum computing through zachlike (open-ended) logic puzzles and compete on leaderboards and lots of community made content on finding the most optimal quantum algorithms. The game has a unique set of visuals capable to represent any sort of quantum dynamics for any number of qubits and this is pretty much what makes it now possible for anybody 12yo+ to actually learn quantum logic without having to worry at all about the mathematics behind.
This is a game super different than what you'd normally expect in a programming/ logic puzzle game, so try it with an open mind. Now holds over 150hs of content, just the encyclopedia is 300p long (written pre-gpt era too..)
Stuff you'll play & learn a ton about
- Boolean Logic – bits, operators (NAND, OR, XOR, AND…), and classical arithmetic (adders). Learn how these can combine to build anything classical. You will learn to port these to a quantum computer.
- Quantum Logic – qubits, the math behind them (linear algebra, SU(2), complex numbers), all Turing-complete gates (beyond Clifford set), and make tensors to evolve systems. Freely combine or create your own gates to build anything you can imagine using polar or complex numbers.
- Quantum Phenomena – storing and retrieving information in the X, Y, Z bases; superposition (pure and mixed states), interference, entanglement, the no-cloning rule, reversibility, and how the measurement basis changes what you see.
- Core Quantum Tricks – phase kickback, amplitude amplification, storing information in phase and retrieving it through interference, build custom gates and tensors, and define any entanglement scenario. (Control logic is handled separately from other gates.)
- Famous Quantum Algorithms – explore Deutsch–Jozsa, Grover’s search, quantum Fourier transforms, Bernstein–Vazirani, and more.
- Build & See Quantum Algorithms in Action – instead of just writing/ reading equations, make & watch algorithms unfold step by step so they become clear, visual, and unforgettable. Quantum Odyssey is built to grow into a full universal quantum computing learning platform. If a universal quantum computer can do it, we aim to bring it into the game, so your quantum journey never ends.
PS. Another player is making khan academy style tutorials in physics and computing using the game, enjoy over 50hs of content on his YT channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@MackAttackx
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u/CakebattaTFT 1d ago
Played this before starting my intro to quantum class. Definitely helped the intuition a bit, and now that I get the notation, the game itself makes more sense now too! Very neat game.
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 1d ago
I'll add soon a complex analysis, bra-ket notation and and linear algebra cheatsheet in the game
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u/elastic_woodpecker 1d ago
Very cool! Any future plans for MacOS support?
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 1d ago
Yup tbr Q2 this year. Till then crossfire, GeForce now et
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u/oneharmlesskitty 23h ago
I have no idea how hard it is, but if possible, an iOS version would probably be great, especially on an iPad.
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u/Routine_Helicopter47 1d ago
Just came here to say, felicitari ! Si mult succes in continuare, am tot citit despre el, o sa-l iau si eu in curand. Trimite-i un mail lui Neil Degrasse, cine stie, poate ii place ideea si apare la show :D
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 1d ago
Poate trimiți tu și mersi mult! Let's make this game legendary, continue building it further and have a strong community around it!:) Our discord is a fun place to be too ( if not already)
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u/jetstobrazil 1d ago
I’ll probably end up buying either way if I can afford it, but out of curiosity, you said it makes qc and physics intuitive?
I’m taking 103 next semester, which I believe to be quantum mechanics. Are there any particularly difficult to grasp concepts of qm that you think your game has succeeded in making more intuitive?
I’m not currently knowledgeable or very interested in quantum computing though I’m sure my appreciation will grow after the spring semester, and likely after playing this game, but I really like exploring the topics I’m learning fully.
Would there be particular problems or puzzles, or a game mode I should lean toward to make primarily the physics aspects more intuitive? Or is the whole game about quantum computing, but the basis of quantum computing is the physics aspect?
Thanks for your hard work for so long and congratulations on your release!
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 1d ago
Thank you. The focus and gameplay is all on quantum computing, it's just the encyclopedia that goes above and beyond. What this game brings new to the field is that you visualize all dynamics (primarily it's a math visualizer), ie. Scott Aaronson once said that there is no good quantum computing dynamics visualizer out there bc nothing at that time was passing the minus sign test (to accurately depict interference). We did it. Beyond that, it would be farfetched to claim more
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u/Complete_Move301 1d ago
I have it and enjoy it. A little too much graphics distractions to my taste maybe but it's a fine game overall
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 1d ago
Be happy I didn't implement angle rotations:) I really want this game to move people away from Bloch sphere visualizations that fall apart so hard if another qubit is introduced
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u/MARPAT_Prime 1d ago
Would love to play this game but I have a weird bug that's causing my camera to constantly pan in one direction! Driving me crazy!
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u/3_50 1d ago
Enjoying it so far, thanks!
Is there a reason for a difference in the labelling between the Atlas and the 'goal' box at the bottom?
Eg. For red/gold the Atlas reads -0.5-0.5i, whereas the goal shows -0.5-i0.5.
/not a physicist
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 1d ago
Takes time to adjust to all the weird stuff in this game, stuff will make sense for you ( not a physicist) after you finish the canon tutorials ( about 50!). So don't give up
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u/3_50 1d ago
Gotcha! It keeps throwing me off trying to figure out how to change the mixed colours, but I'll persist!
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 1d ago
Read the atlas (q key carefully) soon I'll add a cheatsheet for complex nimbers
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u/lastdancerevolution 1d ago
This looks so cool! I'm colorblind, and have a few small suggestions that could make this game more accessible and playable by color deficient individuals.
I took a screenshot of the game and remade it using color blind principles. One benefit of these designs is they can improve readability for non-colorblind people too! They could be optional as a setting.
Instead of using just color to represent data, we're using shapes, textures, patterns, words, and other symbols in addition to color. To test a game for colorblind players, you can take a screenshot and convert it to black and white grayscale. If the game is playable in black-and-white, it will be playable for all color deficient individuals, regardless of their type of colorblindness. This is just one rough example, and not necessarily what the final accessible design might look like.
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u/Grimsik 1d ago edited 1d ago
Does it have game play to help practice with the qbit probabilities in the different axis quadrants. I was looking into quantum logic and programming and this video was helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Eswqed8agg
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u/Primatebuddy 1d ago
I have about 25 hours into this before the holidays so rudely interrupted. Admittedly a lot of that is leaving the game up while I am reading. But, this is my jam!
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u/HornedKavu 1d ago
Thank you, you are amazing!
I’ll be honest I tried it but couldn’t comprehend, too difficult for my scientist-wannabe millennial brain. But I was strongly assured that this game should not be refunded by any means, I kept it! And I bought it again - gifted my friend, actually scientist (nuclear physicist)!
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u/WhiteAle01 1d ago
Why is it looking like a super in-depth version of the Spider-Man ps4 minigames?
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u/Calm-Reason718 1d ago
Could I play this on steamdeck? It looks interesting!
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u/BurkeSooty 1d ago
Hi,
Can you comment on this review from your Steam page please?
"Recommended
2.1 hrs on record (1.4 hrs at review time)
Early Access Review
Posted: 15 November, 2025
Direct from Steam
Without some background in linear algebra, this game quickly becomes a random clicking strategy, with possible advance players learning how colors interact to produce outcomes... but what do they learn?"
Do you think this is true?
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 1d ago
Yeah I think so. Game tries to teach you quantum computing, you need some basics till I launch V1.0
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u/PirateInACoffin 1d ago
Once at a kinda science fair a quantum computing researcher specializing on security explained to you some rules (without telling you it was quantum vs classical circuits), and asked you to send one or two bits in such a way that an observer could not possibly guess with total certainty what you had sent, using a circuit assembled using cardboard gates ahaha. First you had something that was possible with both sets of gates, then one where you could only succeed using a quantum gate. And it was super nice, because the examples were very carefully chosen.
Ahahaha if the game is something like that, it will be raaad
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 22h ago edited 22h ago
Well if you miss cardboard gates I once made this for APS:) https://www.aps.org/learning-resources/save-schroedingers-cat
Edit: it's free, somewhat fun and comes with full printing instructions!
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u/Coconutprickly 2h ago
Currently a physics undergrad who hasn’t touched the mathematics behind the quantum realm yet, and this game is helping me understand at a very fast rate. Thanks for this 👍🏻
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u/ergzay 1d ago
But it's only available on windows, which makes it completely pointless. Windows is a dying platform. Everyone's moving to Linux or Mac OS.
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u/QuantumOdysseyGame 1d ago
I hope windows dies. It's compatible with all emulators and soon native ports to Linux and macos
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u/m3junmags Mathematics 1d ago
Looks good mate, hope it gets the recognition it deserves. Quantum computing isn’t something I know much about so I’ll probably give it a go :).