Sparticles

There’s a lot of fun you can have on a computer, and just think about the amount and diversity of video games alone. There’s another type of fun you can have right on your desktop and in the same time you’re doing something else. Desktop gadgets and toys like Sparticles are the solution here.

With the setup process taking only a little of your time, your desktop can become a playground for you and a bunch of virtual companions before you know it. The initial launch brings up a modern prompt that asks you to choose from three different particles: Higgs, Boson, and Quark.

There isn’t any kind of preview for these so-called particles so you have to go through each to discover how much fun it can be. Once you made up your mind, a 3D animated companion is brought on your desktop. If it doesn’t do anything except to mimic breathing, then wait until you click it.

Upon mouse click, the companion instantly becomes a lifeless ragdoll you can drag all over the desktop and even watch it fall from the top of the screen and then as it struggles to get back on its feet. Each companion has a different set of animations, body size, shape, and sound effects. You can even run around using the arrow keys.

You can access the Sparticles control panel to spice up the situation. There’s a preview of a feature yet to come, as well as two sliders with which to adjust gravity and sound volume. Moreover, some objects are placed on your desktop if you decide to enable colliders. However, as the name suggests, they have nothing special about them except for the neat visuals and shapes.

Sadly, there aren’t any other gadgets, tools, or at least some destruction to wreak havoc on your desktop. The fun wears up pretty quick, with just three companions that don’t differ from any other point of view other than sound effects and animations.

Bottom line is that Sparticles is not the first of its kind you can use to make your desktop a bit more enjoyable, and is certainly not at the top of the pyramid. Characters, animations, effects, and colliders are great and sure to keep you entertained. Sadly, it doesn’t manage to keep your eyes glued to the screen for two long, but it’s a good way to pass some time overall.