• Am I allowed to make multiple accounts?
    Yes, although abusing multiple accounts for vote fraud or spam is against the rules, using multiple accounts to allow you to vote multiple times will result in a ban.
  • How do I use PIPE, LIFE, ARAY, WIFI etc... ?
    Guides for many particles have been written by members of the Powder Toy community, and can be found on the Wiki.
  • How do I use Powder Toy behind a proxy?
    You can use the Powder Toy behind a proxy by specifying it at the command line, On Windows and Linux, this is simply a case of issuing the command
    'powder proxy:{address}:{port}' where {address} is the address of the proxy and {port} is the port.
    On a Mac, this is a bit more complicated, you must open a terminal and go to the directory with Powder.app in, and issue the command
    'Powder.app/Contents/MacOS/powder-x proxy:{address}:{port}'.
    An example command would be
    'powder.exe proxy:wwwcache.school.ac.uk:3128'
  • Can I use the Powder Toy behind a passworded/authenticated proxy?
    Sorry, but the Powder Toy does not support authenticated proxies.
  • What is the Line Tool, and how do I use it?
    The line tool can be used to draw Lines of particles and is also used for adjusting fan speed and direction. To use it, one simply needs to use the draw tool while holding either shift key. When using with the fan tool, have the fan selected, and draw outward from the fan you wish to adjust.
  • How do I use floodfill/prop/another tool?
    Check the wiki or README - they have good descriptions.
  • Can I use the sample tool without a middle mouse button?
    Yes, there is an alternate to the middle click sample tool, you may use the 'Alt' key (or 'Option' key on a Mac) in junction with the left click.
  • How can I add an avatar to site?
    You can upload an avatar by going to My Profile -> Edit -> Upload Avatar. You can also register on gravatar.com with the email you used to register on the game. There, you can add an avatar which will be used in TPT (and many other sites as well).
  • Why isn't my avatar showing up?
    Try holding shift and clicking refresh in your browser. The game also must be restarted before it will appear. If it shows up as black after performing these steps, try reformatting it as a png or jpeg
  • How can I upload something to TPT?
    First you have to register, then make your save, and then click [untitled simulation] button in the bottom of TPT.
  • When I try to login, I get a '605 - Timeout' error. How do I fix this?
    This error is very general. It means that the Powder Toy cannot communicate with the server, usually because there is no internet connection, or the port used has been intentionally blocked by an administrator. If you're trying to use the Powder Toy from within a corporate or school network, it is likely you'll need to use a proxy. Another known cause is Firewall or internet filtering software that runs on the computer, if this is the case, the relevant proxy settings need to be acquired, or the software disabled.
  • I've registered on the website, but I cannot login.
    Your password is case-sensitive, make sure you are using the correct casing. Another possible issue is your password may have characters that you cannot correctly enter into the Powder Toy, in which case, you should change your password on the website in your profile. Another rare but possible issue is that the username or password is too long to be entered in the game login screen. If you still can't login, you may request a password reset here: https://powdertoy.co.uk/PasswordReset.html
  • How do I fix "Failed to load SSL certificates"?
    Use the cafile or capath startup argument, as described in the README. For example: ./powder capath:/etc/ssl/certs
  • How do I fix "HTTP Error 612 SSL: Connection Error"?
    This means your OS doesn't accept the letsencrypt Root CA. Upgrading your OS should fix this. If on Windows 7, follow these instructions: https://tpt.io/.321669
  • How do I fix "HTTP Error 600: Internal Client Error" on Android?
    This error happens for users on Android versions older than 7.1. There is no way to fix it besides upgrading your OS.
  • What is TPT?
    TPT means The Powder Toy.
  • What is FP?
    FP means Front Page. It's the list of saves which is displayed on the site and game by default.
  • How can I appear on the FP?
    If you make a decent save, and people vote for it, you have a chance appearing there. Saves must be under a week old to be eligible for front page.
  • Where should I enter console commands? What is it?
    The console is a powerful interface for modifying The Powder Toy. You can change different element properties, make your own scripts and so on.
    To open the console you should press the ~ key, which is usually in the upper left corner of your keyboard.
  • How do I run scripts with console?
    Put a script in the game folder, where TPT executable is. Then open TPT, open console (~ key), and type dofile("myscript.lua") where myscript.lua is your script name.
  • Where can I download scripts?
    You should download the script manager, which comes with an online script browser and can be found here: https://powdertoy.co.uk/Discussions/Thread/View.html?Thread=19400
  • Can we have movable solids?
    No. That will require too much work, because it's hard to make particle-solid collisions.
  • Will be there a 3D powder toy?
    No. 3D powder toy can be imagined as many usual TPT windows stacked in one. FPS of that "stack" will be really small.
  • Can we have cookable items/dirt/chemistry/etc?
    No. These additions mostly have no uses, but you can find a modification with these things and try them.
  • Can we have weapons/arms/more stickmen/etc?
    No. It's not a game about stickmen.
  • Can we have multiplayer?
    Multiplayer can be enabled using a script, you can find more information here: https://powdertoy.co.uk/Discussions/Thread/View.html?Thread=25400
  • What is Newtonian Gravity and how can I turn it on?
    It's a special mode, where all particles behave like if they were affected by realistic gravity forces. With Newtonian Gravity enabled, elements like black hole, white hole and gravity pump will work. Turn it on by clicking N button in the top right corner of the screen.
  • What is ambient heat?/Can we have hot and cold air?
    Ambient heat is a mode where air has temperature. It can be cooled or heated, which makes air simulation more realistic. Turn it on by clicking the A button on the top right corner of the screen.
  • What is TPT++? Does it have new elements?
    TPT was originally written in C, but in 2012 it was rewritten in C++ to make development easier. The version you use today is TPT++, but the terminology is mostly lost to the ages.
  • How can I translate TPT to another language?
    Translation support does not yet exist in the game. Also, some languages require special font characters to be drawn. TPT's font includes several extentions such as latin-1 and Cyrillic, but translation support hasn't arrived yet.
  • How can I add new elements to TPT?
    There are several ways. You can learn Lua (a scripting language used in TPT), and add new elements with scripts (check wiki).
    Another way is, read the development tutorial on the wiki and compile TPT yourself.
  • How do I run mods?
    Just download them and run. They don't need installing.
  • How can I compile TPT?
    Check the "Powder Toy Development Help" section on the Wiki
  • How can I get my changes added to main TPT?
    You should fork TPT on GitHub (read wiki) and have all your changes there. Then you can send in a pull request add TPT developers will review it.
  • How do I become a moderator?
    Better not to ask questions like that. Be a nice user, help others, make saves, program for TPT - and maybe TPT staff will notice you.
  • Who is Simon?
    Simon is the owner of TPT. He built the website and also was the primary developer during the transition to C++.
  • What is IRC?
    IRC means Internet Relay Chat. TPT has it's own chatroom on IRC.
  • How can I get there?
    You can download an IRC client, like hexchat, and go to #powder on libera.chat. Or you can use Libera webchat. Read https://powdertoy.co.uk/Wiki/W/Irc_setup.html for more details.
  • I think I've found a bug or other issue with the Powder Toy, who do I tell?
    Any bugs or programming errors in the Powder Toy can be posted in the Feedback Forum. As with any error reports, please provide as many details about the problem as possible, including the executable you're running on what operating system and what version.
  • I'm having an issue that's not mentioned on this page, can you help?
    You may post any questions that you have in the Help Forum. Please provide an in-depth description with as many details as possible.
  • Shenanigans?
    Shenanigans.