ResearchSimulator is a browser puzzle game that turns biomedical literature connections into a playable discovery process. Its premise draws on the Swanson A-B-C model: research findings linking two concepts can suggest a possible relationship between concepts that have not been directly connected. Players match tiles by emoji, color, or number, create tools such as row-clearing dynamite and column-clearing rockets, and manage hazards that can push the board into a failure zone. They also collect evidence cards and meet alignment requirements to validate biological concepts. Completing a level reveals a hypothesis report with PubMed identifiers and DOI references, giving players a starting point for checking the underlying papers and exploring the proposed connection.
The game describes its literature engine as drawing biomedical relationships and citations from real research, while also noting that its prebuilt Swanson-style discoveries are supplied by PathMap.org and may be novel or unpublished. Its hypotheses are exploratory prompts for further investigation, not established clinical findings or medical advice. Other features include multiple difficulty tiers and detailed score tracking, responsive controls and accessibility options, and synthesized arcade music based on public-domain classical works. The game is open source, runs in a browser, and can be downloaded as a self-contained HTML file for offline use without installation.
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