Learn quantum by playing with it.

Quantum computing is usually introduced through equations and static diagrams. Quagmire takes a different approach. It is an interactive learning platform where you manipulate qubits, build and run circuits, and watch quantum states change in real time. The goal is intuition first, with the formalism following close behind.

Under the hood, Quagmire is a quantum physics engine built in Godot, Unity and Unreal. It targets web, desktop, mobile and VR/XR from a single codebase – all integration with other quantum tech stacks.

A learning platform with a serious foundation

The curriculum is built on well-established texts, including Bob Sutor’s Dancing with Qubits and Nielsen & Chuang’s Quantum Computation and Quantum Information. It is designed for learners at every level, from a first encounter with superposition to working through real algorithms.

Accuracy is essential for a learning tool. Every lesson circuit is automatically checked against Qiskit Aer, so what learners see matches what an industry-standard simulator computes.

A quantum physics engine

Most game engines include a classical physics engine for gravity, collisions and momentum. Quagmire provides the quantum equivalent:

  • Native state-vector simulator: runs entirely on-device, with enough qubits for the key algorithms of today’s NISQ era.
  • OpenQASM 3 support: circuits move freely between Quagmire and Qiskit, Cirq and PennyLane.
  • Resource estimation for fault-tolerant computing: learners can adjust parameters and see live how much a future error-corrected quantum computer would need.
  • Toward quantum physics, not just quantum computing: wavefunction simulation extends the engine beyond qubits into the underlying physics.

Quantum game design

Most of the excitement around quantum computing centres on classically intractable problems, such as finding better ways to make fertiliser to help fight world hunger. There is also a smaller, very creative community asking what quantum mechanics could do for games. Dr James Wootton, formerly of IBM Quantum, has documented this history, and quantum game jams now run regularly.

We have taken part in these jams and have been impressed by what talented designers are building in them. Mechanics built on superposition, entanglement, measurement and interference feel genuinely new, and are more than classical games with quantum theming added on top. Quagmire’s engine is built to support that kind of exploration, so designers can prototype quantum-native mechanics on an accurate simulation rather than faking them.

Beyond the engine

Quantum randomness and quantum algorithms also offer interesting approaches to procedural generation, the automatic generation of game worlds and levels. Our earlier experiments with quantum physics in Minecraft came from the same idea: people learn quantum best by playing with it.