Crayon Physics Deluxe
A physics puzzle game where you draw objects to guide a ball.
Crayon Physics Deluxe is a puzzle game from Petri Purho (working as Kloonigames) that won the Independent Games Festival's grand prize in 2008 and launched on January 5, 2009. Its core mechanic relies on two-dimensional physics—gravity, mass, kinetic energy, and momentum transfer—to solve levels. Players cannot directly control the ball; instead, they draw objects like rigid surfaces, wheels, pivots, or ropes that interact with the ball by hitting, rolling, dragging, or launching it. Clicking the ball nudges it left or right, and some levels include rockets as tools. The game rewards creative solutions over brute force, ships with over seventy levels, and includes a level editor plus an online Playground for sharing custom content.
The original prototype, simply called Crayon Physics, was Purho's tenth rapid-prototype project, built in five days using Creative Commons resources and released as freeware for Windows in June 2007. Fans reverse-engineered its level format before an official editor arrived on June 30. The Deluxe version, announced in October 2007, took a year and eight months to develop, adding an intuitive editor, more levels, and an engine that preserved drawings instead of turning them into rectangles. At the 2008 Game Developers Conference, Chris Baker of Slate Magazine noted that Deluxe generated more buzz than Gears of War 2.
Published by Hudson Soft, the iOS version launched on January 1, 2009, followed by a PC release six days later. Versions for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Android arrived with the Humble Indie Bundle for Android 4 on November 8, 2012. Mac and Linux ports were announced on July 27, 2011. An unofficial DS clone, Pocket Physics, offered only free play, and a Windows Mobile port was later pulled but remains available unofficially. The game is pre-loaded on some Android devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. According to Metacritic, the PC version received generally favorable reviews.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Crayon Physics Deluxe
- Developer
- Petri Purho
- Composer
- Stian Stark
- Engine
- Box2D
- Released
- Windows (as Crayon Physics) / 2007 / iOS / January 5, 2009 / Windows / January 7, 2009 / OS X / August 26, 2011 / (Steam) · Linux / EU · August 26, 2011 · NA · September 9, 2011
- Genre
- Puzzle
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Windows, iOS, Mac OS X, Linux, Android
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The original prototype, titled Crayon Physics, was Purho's tenth 'rapid-prototype project' inspired by the rules of the Experimental Gameplay Project, developed in five days using resources freely available under a Creative Commons license. It was first released for Windows in June 2007. On June 10, 2007, Purho announced a level editor; by June 15, fans had already worked out the level format and released new levels. The level editor was released on June 30. Crayon Physics was built with Simple DirectMedia Layer and released as freeware.
On October 12, 2007, Purho, under his studio alias 'Kloonigames', announced Crayon Physics Deluxe, which would feature an intuitive level editor, more levels, and a modification to the game engine to preserve the player's drawings instead of turning them into rectangles. The follow-up took a year and eight months to develop. It won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival in February 2008. Chris Baker of Slate Magazine wrote that Crayon Physics Deluxe was more talked about than Gears of War 2 at the 2008 Game Developers Conference.
Published by Hudson Soft, Crayon Physics Deluxe was released for iOS on January 1, 2009 and in Spring 2010 for the iPhone via Apple's App Store. A PC version was released six days later. An unofficial clone was made for the DS under the title Pocket Physics. A port for Windows Mobile was made but later pulled. Ports for Mac and Linux were announced as available on July 27, 2011. Crayon Physics is pre-loaded on some Android devices including the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.
Reader's Guide
Crayon Physics Deluxe is notable for winning the grand prize at the Independent Games Festival in 2008, a key recognition for independent games. Its development began as a rapid prototype created in five days, reflecting the Experimental Gameplay Project's constraints. The game's emphasis on physics simulation and creative problem-solving, with rewards for elegant solutions over brute force, distinguished it from mainstream titles. The inclusion of a level editor and online Playground for sharing custom content fostered a community-driven extension of the game. Chris Baker of Slate Magazine noted that at the 2008 Game Developers Conference, Crayon Physics Deluxe generated more discussion than Gears of War 2, indicating its impact on the industry. The game received 'generally favorable reviews' on Metacritic for the PC version. Its availability across multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS, and its inclusion in the Humble Indie Bundle for Android 4 in 2012, helped broaden its audience. An unofficial DS clone and a Windows Mobile port, though later pulled, show the game's influence on other platforms.
Did You Know?
- The original prototype, Crayon Physics, was developed in five days as Purho's tenth rapid-prototype project.
- An unofficial clone for the DS was made under the title Pocket Physics.
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