At first glance, Qaboom resembles the classic Tetris principle: qubits fall onto the playing field and must be arranged skillfully. But here, it is not just skill that matters, but also understanding. Each color represents a specific quantum state on an imaginary sphere, ranging from the “North Pole” (white) to the “South Pole” (black), with a variety of superpositions in between. Through so-called measurements, qubits collapse into specific states and can be removed. Gates change the states of multiple qubits simultaneously through targeted rotation. In this way, players can experience what quantum computing is all about: superposition, probability, and the strategic manipulation of states.

Those who want to delve deeper can explore additional playful approaches to qubits in Quantum Quest. Both applications clearly demonstrate how quantum bits differ from classical bits. They are not just 0 or 1, but can exist in both states at the same time, a property that makes quantum computers so powerful.

The games were developed by IMAGINARY in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences (MPI MiS), IMAGINARY developed “Qaboom” and “Quantum Quest” to communicate mathematical concepts of quantum computing in a playful way. The two games, a skill-based challenge and a puzzle game, were built as classic arcade machines.