Science Sandbox + Puzzle Trail

Pixel Lab

Paint materials onto a reactive pixel grid, discover new substances, and solve short science missions built for repeat play.

Pixel Lab blends a classic falling-sand simulation with structured science puzzles. Powders tumble under gravity, liquids spread and separate by density, gases drift through open space, and temperature pushes materials through melting, boiling, burning, drying, and condensation. Mission Mode gives you a curated lesson path with limited tools and clear goals, while Sandbox Mode lets you test ideas freely using the full sandbox palette.

Back to Games
Mode Sandbox
Mission Free Lab
Paint Used 0
Nothing -
Loading Pixel Lab...
Palette

All sandbox materials are available for free play.

About Pixel Lab

Pixel Lab is a science sandbox designed around short, readable experiments. Instead of simulating every real-world detail, it focuses on clear, teachable interactions: sand falls, water flows, steam rises, oil floats, fire spreads heat, and certain materials react when they touch. That gives the game the playful chaos of a falling-sand toy while still supporting classroom-style goals and puzzle progression.

As you complete missions, you unlock new materials, reaction chains, and science notes. The result is a progression path that starts with simple ideas like gravity and mixtures, then moves into separation, heating, neutralization, and slow-change processes like rusting.

How to Play

  • Choose a mode at the top: Mission Mode for guided objectives, Sandbox for free experimentation, or Daily Quiz for a quick science check.
  • Select a tool from the left toolbar. Brush places the selected material, Erase removes pixels, Picker samples a material from the board, and Heat, Cool, and Spark change conditions without painting normal material pixels.
  • Pick a brush size, then choose a material from the palette at the bottom. Picking a material loads it onto the brush automatically and updates the science panel.
  • Click or drag on the canvas to interact with the grid. Every pixel updates over time, so give the simulation a moment to settle after you make a change.
  • Use Pause, Step, Reset, and Full Screen when you want to inspect a reaction, advance one tick at a time, restart the current setup, or expand the lab.

Mission Mode

  • Each mission gives you a limited palette, a clear objective, and constraints such as a brush cap, a time goal, or a material-usage limit.
  • Watch the objective list on the right. Some goals care about the board's current state, while others track whether you created something at any point during the mission.
  • Finishing a mission awards up to 3 stars: one for completion, one for staying under the time target, and one for staying under the material-use target.
  • After a clear, take the science check to earn the knowledge bonus and reinforce the concept behind the mission.

Sandbox Mode

  • Sandbox uses the full sandbox palette and removes mission restrictions so you can test combinations freely.
  • Choosing a palette item automatically switches back to Brush, so you can immediately paint the material you picked.
  • Use the Discovery Book to track which materials you have created for the first time. New discoveries stay saved locally in your browser.
  • Sandbox is the best place to build small experiments like water cycles, oil-water separation, controlled burns, and reaction chains.

Good First Experiments

  • Paint Dirt and Water together to make mud, then dry it with Heat.
  • Heat Water into Steam, then cool the vapor until it condenses.
  • Place Oil over Water and watch the liquids separate by density.
  • Mix Acid and Base for neutralization, or combine Acid with Baking Soda to release CO₂.
  • Leave Iron exposed to Water and air long enough to observe rust forming slowly.