Scientific project: Optic: a new Ukrainian puzzle with the laws of physics

The Ukrainian research game Scientific project: Optic from the KHVOYA Games studio, which offers to solve exciting spatial puzzles using the laws of physics, has received a free demo version on the Steam gaming platform. This project is aimed at all connoisseurs of original simulators and physical experiments who want to test the strength of their logic in a faithfully reproduced scientific setting.

Demo version of the game

The project is an unusual scientific and educational puzzle, the main idea of ​​which is the study of fundamental phenomena of geometric optics. The demo version available for viewing contains the first chapter of the large-scale campaign. It instantly transports the user to the very cradle of human civilizations and discoveries – the Age of Antiquity. In this introductory episode, gamers have to literally touch the fundamental hypotheses and scientific research of the sages of the distant past, including the theories of such ancient philosophers as Lucretius, Homer, as well as the deep postulates of the ancient Indian Vaisheshika school.

Game process and scientific features

The main goal of the team of creators is to achieve an authentic atmosphere of ancient grandeur together with a developed system of realistic light physics. The undeniable laws of refraction, directional reflection and spectral dispersion are embodied here in detail. Impressively, the authors deliberately took a serious and honest step in the game design of the game: the gameplay completely lacks direct on-screen prompts, a simplified interface, or any quest markers. The entire gameplay is related to the user’s interest. It is assumed that players will intuitively master the nature of optics through experiments and personal logical conclusions. Visually and mechanically, the project is very similar to the philosophical Ukrainian interpretation of the legendary hit The Talos Principle.

In the future full-fledged commercial version, the authors promise to expand the gameplay. A solid number of new parts and elements of optics will be added (real lenses of various curved surfaces, movable flat mirrors that catch the light of prisms and special lens systems). Physical equations will become more complex, and the historical narrative will take the player on a temporal journey through centuries of progress: from the most ancient majestic sanctuaries to super-modern optical centralized optical centers and advanced experimental laboratories.

History of creation

This interactive experience was originally announced in 2023 — when the indie development was advancing in the media field under the name Project Science: Optic.  The project did not get lost among thousands of concepts, gaining full support from the publisher – the role of the official patron and distributor was assumed by the well-known Ukrainian game publishing company COR-Software Games.

Unreal Engine 5

The technological basis was the modern graphics engine Unreal Engine 5. For a comfortable immersion in the world of realistically calculated lighting, full distribution of beams and correct reflection of rays, the authors strongly recommend gamers to use modern video cards of NVIDIA GeForce RTX level in the computer.

Game release date

The release of the full version of Scientific project: Optic is scheduled for June 23, 2026. The list of key target devices includes Windows PCs, as well as the current generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. The available demo version received one hundred percent Ukrainian text localization along with a special full dubbing. For this reason, the introductory build of the game is worth trying in person now.