Game Physics Engine
A game physics engine is a software library or framework that simulates physical interactions in video games, such as gravity, collisions, rigid body dynamics, and soft body physics. It provides developers with tools to create realistic movement, object behaviors, and environmental effects without manually coding complex physics calculations. These engines integrate with game development platforms to handle real-time physics simulations, enhancing gameplay immersion and interactivity.
Developers should learn and use game physics engines when creating games that require realistic physical interactions, such as action, simulation, or puzzle games, to save time and ensure accuracy in physics modeling. They are essential for implementing features like character movement, vehicle dynamics, destructible environments, and particle effects, which would be computationally intensive to code from scratch. Using a physics engine also helps maintain consistency across different platforms and hardware, improving performance and reducing development complexity.