It is now widely believed that the surface of the Earth is made of several Tectonic plates which can move relative to each other; the continents float around on a sea of lava.
Tetris is a game where you try to consolidate groups of four blocks into rows, which frees up space for more blocks to keep the game moving.

I propose a game which in some sense marries these two elements:
You take the role of a god, viewing the surface of a spherical planet of land and sea, with the tectonic plates outlined. You can give these plates a push or twist to set them in motion.
Where land hits land, mountain ranges form. Where the plates rub against each other, volcanos may occur.

Over time, the land erodes into the seas. Perhaps if the ocean currents are blocked by land an ice-age develops.

To be honest I'm not particularly clear on what the goal is, but maybe more tectonic plates develop and you need to deal with them somehow.
-- Loris, Oct 28 2019

Could be interesting as a VR game; and you can take it from us, being a God is most entertaining.
-- 8th of 7, Oct 28 2019


Einstein: god does not play dice with the universe
TC: god does not play nice with the universe
-- theircompetitor, Oct 28 2019


God took his dice and went home and left the universe to play by itself.
-- RayfordSteele, Oct 28 2019


This would be very soothing, a collection of orbs in the void, yours to select and slide around, some inertia at first when you try to get things moving but then they glide and you watch on galactic time, as the continents travel smoothly onward and, as the idea states, seas, mountains, lakes form. But wait! what's this? The zoom feature allows you to focus in on one area, perhaps the one around two plates you have pulled apart, and watch as millions of hapless simpeople die screaming and terrified, consumed by landslides, earthquakes, pyroclastic flows. And then you zoom back to the calm silence of your celestial viewpoint, and try to create a mountain range that looks like Jimmy Durante's nose.
-- calum, Oct 30 2019


This is a real-time simulation, right?
-- pocmloc, Oct 30 2019


From the point of view of an immortal, omnipotent being, yes.

Tell us more about the deaths of millions, all screaming in terror. We like that bit - reminiscent of Gomez Addams' train set.

Will the player be allowed to do Africa with all fjords, even though they're not tropical enough ?
-- 8th of 7, Oct 30 2019


One problem is that planets are notorious for being spheroids, whereas computer displays are known for being flat.

However, this could become an advantage, assuming that a suitable projection (such as equal-area) is used. Then, continents would change shape and size as they were slid around, making the game interestinger.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 30 2019


Like we said, use VR. Then you don't have the flat screen problem - otherwise it's just a digital jigsaw.
-- 8th of 7, Oct 30 2019


... but very, very slowly.
-- 8th of 7, Oct 30 2019



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