Can physics be fun? It can be if it's Phun you're using. Phun is a 2D real-time physics sandbox developed by Emil Ernerfeldt while at VRLab, Umea University.

PhunImage courtesy of Phun

Phun was intended as a fun educational tool to aid understanding of physical concepts such as gravity and friction. However, the fun (or should I say Phun) element has struck a chord with many would-be Rude Goldbergs and is proving popular in the same sandbox game genre as SimCity.

Don't be fooled by Phun's whimsical cartoon graphics. Underneath its mild mannered exterior lies a sophisticated real-time physics engine using Regularized Variational Steppers. It also supports rudimentary free-surface fluid flow using a particle-based method.

An impressive feature of Phun is its intuitive interactive shape creation and physics setup. Combining simple 2D shapes (such as blocks and circles) with simple physics objects (such as hinges, springs and fixtures) is near effortless.

Phun is free to download and has an active user community with a forum and scene sharing - so let loose and see what physics fun you can have with Phun.