Physics Engine

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, Physics Engine has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Adrift (Aug 2024).

A physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate simulation of certain physical systems, typically classical dynamics, including rigid body dynamics, soft body dynamics, and fluid dynamics. It is of use in the domains of computer graphics, video games and film (CGI). Their main uses are in video games, in which case the simulations are in real-time. The term is sometimes used more generally to describe any software system for simulating physical phenomena, such as high-performa