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The History of Quantum Games

Laura Piispanen, Edward Morrell, Solip Park, Marcell Pfaffhauser, Annakaisa Kultima

TL;DR

This paper addresses the lack of a systematic account of quantum games by compiling 260+ titles and analyzing them through Piispanen's three-dimensional framework (perceivable quantum physics, scientific purposes, and quantum technologies). It documents the historical progression from early non-educational titles to a burgeoning ecosystem including quantum computer games and community game jams such as the Quantum Game Jam. The study highlights patterns such as the rise of educational and citizen-science titles, the integration of real quantum hardware via IBM Q and Qiskit, and the increasing prevalence of entertainment-focused games that still reference quantum themes. It also discusses data limitations and the need for careful interpretation when evaluating educational value and the potential for future research and design in quantum gaming.

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the historical development of playable quantum physics related games (\textit{\textbf{quantum games}}). For the purpose of this examination, we have collected over 260 quantum games ranging from commercial games, applied and serious games, and games that have been developed at quantum themed game jams and educational courses. We provide an overview of the journey of quantum games across three dimensions: \textit{the perceivable dimension of quantum physics, the dimension of scientific purposes, and the dimension of quantum technologies}. We then further reflect on the definition of quantum games and its implications. While motivations behind developing quantum games have typically been educational or academic, themes related to quantum physics have begun to be more broadly utilised across a range of commercial games. In addition, as the availability of quantum computer hardware has grown, entirely new variants of quantum games have emerged to take advantage of these machines' inherent capabilities, \textit{quantum computer games}

The History of Quantum Games

TL;DR

This paper addresses the lack of a systematic account of quantum games by compiling 260+ titles and analyzing them through Piispanen's three-dimensional framework (perceivable quantum physics, scientific purposes, and quantum technologies). It documents the historical progression from early non-educational titles to a burgeoning ecosystem including quantum computer games and community game jams such as the Quantum Game Jam. The study highlights patterns such as the rise of educational and citizen-science titles, the integration of real quantum hardware via IBM Q and Qiskit, and the increasing prevalence of entertainment-focused games that still reference quantum themes. It also discusses data limitations and the need for careful interpretation when evaluating educational value and the potential for future research and design in quantum gaming.

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the historical development of playable quantum physics related games (\textit{\textbf{quantum games}}). For the purpose of this examination, we have collected over 260 quantum games ranging from commercial games, applied and serious games, and games that have been developed at quantum themed game jams and educational courses. We provide an overview of the journey of quantum games across three dimensions: \textit{the perceivable dimension of quantum physics, the dimension of scientific purposes, and the dimension of quantum technologies}. We then further reflect on the definition of quantum games and its implications. While motivations behind developing quantum games have typically been educational or academic, themes related to quantum physics have begun to be more broadly utilised across a range of commercial games. In addition, as the availability of quantum computer hardware has grown, entirely new variants of quantum games have emerged to take advantage of these machines' inherent capabilities, \textit{quantum computer games}
Paper Structure (9 sections, 5 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 9 sections, 5 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Context: From the first computers to quantum technology
  3. Quantum Games
  4. Early days of Quantum Games
  5. Games for Quantum physics
  6. Games on Quantum Computers
  7. The Rise of Quantum Game Development
  8. Discussion
  9. Conclusion

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: a) Life magazine photo of comedian Danny Kaye standing in front of Bertie the Brain at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1950. (Bernard Hoffman 1950) b) A picture of the Atari's Quantum arcade from 1983 (Joystick).
  • Figure 2: Screenshots taken from games (a) Quantum Break (Remedy Entertainment, Press kit), (b) and from meQuanics. Quantum Break is a science fiction action-adventure third-person shooter video game, where the protagonist is able to control the flow of time. In the citizen science game meQuanics the player solves puzzles consisting of complex knotlike structures.
  • Figure 3: Screenshots of a) the quantum computer game Cat/Box/Scissors by James Wootton and b) Quantum Moves 2 by Science at Home.
  • Figure 4: a) A picture taken at the first ever QGJ in 2014. The event was situated at an observatory and some games were developed to be played on the dome (Jaakko Vainio). b) Picture taken at the QGJ of 2019, Quantum Wheel. At the beginning of a QGJ, a presentation is given about the involved technologies and quantum physics (Laura Piispanen).
  • Figure 5: A table showcasing the number of quantum games included in the List of Quantum Games and the moving average of these numbers (a statistic that captures the average change in a data series over time). quantumgames.