I’ve been obsessed with simulation toys (software that allows you to play with a complex miniature world) ever since I was young and playing with SimCity and cellular automata. This kind of software exists at the delightful and weird intersection of simulation, complexity science, education, and gaming. And I want more of it! I created Microcosm Industries to initially act as a clearinghouse for simulation toys that are being built, ones that allow the user to playfully grapple with complex systems in all their interdisciplinary strangeness.

But I’m also hoping that Microcosm Industries can be more: acting as a way to spur people to make more of these, or even serving as a Schelling Point for this somewhat fractured simulation toy world. Because this type of software shouldn’t just be thought of as being from the heyday of Maxis—maker of SimCity and many other games—decades ago. In truth, this kind of software is easier to build than ever, due to processing advances and AI-enhanced coding. We might be entering a new golden age for the simulation toy.

Here’s a bit more about the thinking behind Microcosm Industries: https://microcosm.industries/about/

And please let me know of other examples I should add to the Microcosm Industries list, or fellow travelers I should be speaking with.