Osmos
A 2009 puzzle game about absorbing motes in a physics-based universe.
Osmos, a puzzle video game released in 2009, was created by Canadian studio Hemisphere Games and made available on platforms including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, OnLive, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android. Its designer, Eddy Boxerman, founded Hemisphere after working at Ubisoft Montreal.
In the game, the player controls a single-celled organism called a Mote. The objective is to absorb smaller motes by colliding with them, while avoiding larger ones—contact with a bigger mote ends the game. Smaller motes appear blue, larger ones red. To change direction, the player ejects mass, which shrinks the mote but propels it in the opposite direction due to conservation of momentum.
Levels are divided into three zones. In "sentient" levels, the player must outmaneuver active motes that hunt and absorb others, including the player. Success usually requires absorbing inactive motes to gain mass before pursuing the active ones. "Ambient" levels involve floating among inactive motes and becoming the largest or very large; variations include starting as a tiny mote among fast, larger ones, encountering "antimatter" motes that shrink any mote on contact, or being trapped in a dense area where nudging other motes by ejecting mass is necessary. "Force" levels feature special Attractors that exert gravitational-like forces, requiring the player to account for orbital physics to conserve mass. A course trajectory tool can assist, and complications include mutually repelling attractors, bouncing attractors, retrograde rotating strata, and attractors orbiting other attractors.
A multiplayer version for iOS was released in July 2012.
The soundtrack includes tracks by Vincent et Tristan, Gas, Biosphere, Loscil, High Skies, and Julien Neto. A free download of many tracks was offered in March 2010.
According to Metacritic, the iPhone version received "universal acclaim," while the PC and iPad versions received "generally favorable reviews." At IndieCade 2009, the PC version won "Best in Show" and the Fun/Compelling award. Apple named it the iPad game of the year for 2010, and it earned numerous other awards that year. IGN awarded the iOS version its best video game soundtrack of 2010.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Osmos
- Developer
- Hemisphere Games
- Publisher
- Hemisphere Games · Microsoft Game Studios (GFWL)
- Designer
- Eddy Boxerman
- Genre
- Puzzle
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows / Mac OS X / Linux / OnLive / iOS / Android
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Osmos was developed by Hemisphere Games, a Canadian studio founded by Eddy Boxerman, who previously worked at Ubisoft Montreal. The game was released in 2009 for multiple platforms. Its gameplay revolves around controlling a single-celled organism called a Mote, which must absorb smaller blue motes while avoiding larger red ones. The player propels the mote by expelling mass, which shrinks the mote due to conservation of momentum. The game features three zones: sentient levels with active motes that hunt the player; ambient levels where the player must become the largest mote among inactive motes, sometimes facing antimatter motes that shrink any mote on contact; and force levels where special attractor motes exert gravitational-like forces, requiring orbital physics and offering a course trajectory tool. A multiplayer version for iOS was released in July 2012.
Reader's Guide
Osmos is significant for its innovative integration of physics and puzzle gameplay, requiring players to manage mass and momentum while navigating environments with varying rules. The game received universal acclaim on iPhone and generally favourable reviews on PC and iPad according to Metacritic. It won Best in Show and the Fun/Compelling award at IndieCade 2009, and Apple selected it as the iPad Game of the Year for 2010. IGN awarded the iOS version its best video game soundtrack of 2010. The soundtrack, which includes tracks by Gas, Biosphere, Loscil, and others, was made available as a free download in March 2010. The game's legacy includes its recognition as a standout indie title of the late 2000s, praised for its minimalist aesthetic and atmospheric audio.
Did You Know?
- The game was designed by Eddy Boxerman, a former developer at Ubisoft Montreal.
- Motes smaller than the player are blue, while motes bigger than the player are red.
- A multiplayer version of Osmos for iOS was released in July 2012.
- A free download of many soundtrack tracks was made available in March 2010.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Osmos?
Osmos is a 2009 physics-based puzzle game made by Hemisphere Games in which you pilot a microscopic organism called a Mote through a field of other cells. The core challenge is swallowing smaller blue motes while dodging larger red ones, since colliding with anything bigger than yourself ends the run instantly.
How do you control your Mote in Osmos?
You propel yourself by ejecting a small piece of your own mass, which shrinks you and sends you gliding in the opposite direction. This creates a constant trade-off: every maneuver makes you smaller, so you must balance movement against the risk of becoming easy prey for nearby motes.
Who created Osmos?
The game was developed by Hemisphere Games, a small Canadian studio founded by Eddy Boxerman, who had previously worked at Ubisoft Montreal. Boxerman served as the lead designer and driving creative force behind the project.
What platforms is Osmos available on?
Osmos shipped for a broad set of systems, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and OnLive, as well as mobile devices like the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android smartphones and tablets.
How did critics receive Osmos?
The iPhone version earned a Metacritic score in the universal-acclaim range, while the PC and iPad releases received generally favorable reviews. Reviewers consistently praised its minimalist aesthetic and the elegant tension created by the mass-ejection movement system.
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