Atomix (video game)
Atomix is a tile-based puzzle game released in 1990. It was created by Günter Krämer (credited as Softtouch) and published by Thalion Software for Amiga, MS-DOS/PC, Commodore 64, and Atari ST. The goal is to build a molecule by sliding atoms around a 2D playfield. You pick an atom and move it in one of the four directions; it keeps sliding until it hits a wall or another atom. The target molecule is shown on the left, and you must arrange the atoms to match it.
The game features 30 puzzles in increasing difficulty, each with a time limit and a score based on how fast you solve it. Every five puzzles there’s a bonus level where you move flasks from empty to full. There is also a two-player mode where two players take turns on the same puzzle, with each turn limited to 30 seconds.
Development and ports: A pre-release Amiga version lacked sound. It was released for Amiga, Atari ST, and IBM PC first, with a Commodore 64 version arriving later. ZX Spectrum was planned but never released. An Enterprise 128 version appeared in 2006, compiled by Zoltán Povázsay. A Jaguar clone named Atomic came out in 2006, with a follow-up Atomic Reloaded in 2009.
Reception and impact: Reviewers found Atomix highly addictive and enjoyable but quite challenging, with some noting limited replay value. Some criticized repetitiveness and lack of originality. The visuals were simple but effective, and the soundtrack was pleasant though occasionally repetitive. The game has been cited in computational complexity studies: solving generalized Atomix puzzles is PSPACE-complete. Open-source clones include Atomiks, GNOME Atomix, KAtomic, and WAtomic.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:53 (CET).