Nanoscape

Nanoscape (2021)

3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab · June 29, 2021 · Casual, Simulation, Education, Science, Exploration

Nanoscape is free to play — no purchase needed. We track it so you know if that ever changes.

PC
Mixed55% · 20 📉 Recent reviews down 46%
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →

Screenshots

Nanoscape price

Nanoscape is free to play — there is no purchase price, on Steam or anywhere else we track. We keep watching it, so if it ever stops being free the price history on this page will show when that happened and what it changed to.

About Nanoscape

Nanoscape takes users on a journey to the microscopic world. Explore the surface and interior of a cancer cell, exploring and learning about cellular anatomy and processes in a fantastically detailed simulation, based on the latest scientific research!

See also our Nanoscape VR app to explore this world in Virtual Reality!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1634740/Nanoscape_VR/

This is a collaborative project developed by the 3d Visualisation Aesthetics Lab (3DVAL) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Art and Design, funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology (CBNS).

Nanoscape — game info

Platforms
Windows
Player modes
Single-player
PC Game Pass
Not included

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

✦ AI summary

Nanoscape is a free atmospheric experience based on real scientific data that impresses with its music and visual concept, but frustrates players with severe technical performance issues even on high-end PCs, extremely limited exploration due to invisible walls, and minimal content that lasts only about 5 minutes. While it may have educational value in classroom settings, most players feel it lacks sufficient depth, guidance, or gameplay to justify the time investment, making it best suited only for those with specific scientific interest.

Not recommended Jul 27, 2023
Nanoscape Positives: + Nice idea + Atmospheric + The music + Its free Negatives: - You need a very high end pc to run it smoothly - Almost no free exploration (a lot of invisible walls) - Not a lot to see or do - No options menu - Lasts for about 5 minutes Well its atmospheric and quite interesting. But unless you are very interested in looking at the same things for a long time, its a 5 minute experience. Total Score: 3/10
7 found this helpful
Not recommended Aug 21, 2022
Well, this needs a NASA computer to run. Also, did I miss something or there isnt much "exploration" to do and you are just stuck in a weird shape space with invisible walls?
5 found this helpful
Recommended Dec 28, 2022
producers actually used real scientific data to create the experience. You can find the publication here: https://elifesciences.org/articles/64047#s2 Great for use in the classroom setting for students to get a real understanding of proteins and their interaction with cells. I wish it were either narrated or contained informational prompts for players outside the classroom to understand what is happening. I love science, so this is my jam, but I still had to look up the publication to understand what I was looking at entirely.
4 found this helpful
Not recommended May 11, 2022
Garbage isn't even a game. Runs like crap on high end PC (kind of expected when you use Unity). Just a complete waste of time and data.
3 found this helpful
Recommended Mar 20, 2023
[h1]Before I played Nanoscape, I had a small pp, no friends, no gf, depression, and no life. These things havent changed, but the game is pretty good[/h1]
2 found this helpful
Not recommended Nov 19, 2023
Бесплатно, но все равно говно какое-то, один экран литералли.
1 found this helpful

Community reviews

—

0 reviews

Sign in to write a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.

More like Nanoscape

News

All news →
Games like Undertale that remember what you didPC

Games like Undertale that remember what you did

Undertale's own listing calls it the RPG where you don't have to destroy anyone. Games like Undertale that keep that idea: permanent choices, fights you can talk past, worlds that notice.

Nov 14, 2026
Games like Slay the Spire that keep the branching climbPC

Games like Slay the Spire that keep the branching climb

Most games like Slay the Spire copy the cards and lose the map. These keep the risky-or-safe choice, from a three-floor train to a deck made of poker hands.

Nov 14, 2026
Bodycam game price: what the zombie update changes about buyingPC

Bodycam game price: what the zombie update changes about buying

The Dead & Damned put Bodycam's zombies back on 13 November. What our dated record says about the Bodycam game price, and why the store's end date matters more than the sticker.

Nov 14, 2026
SilkMU is our new partner: MU Online Season 6 in a browser tabBlog

SilkMU is our new partner: MU Online Season 6 in a browser tab

SilkMU, a MU Online Season 6 server that runs in a browser tab or as an app, opened on 6 November 2026 and is now our partner. What it offers, what is free and what costs WCoin.

Nov 13, 2026
Games like Dying Light, where nightfall changes the rulesPC

Games like Dying Light, where nightfall changes the rules

Games like Dying Light are easy to find if you only want parkour or only want zombies. These eight keep the part that matters: a city that becomes a different place after dark.

Nov 13, 2026
Games like Portal 2, where one idea carries the whole gamePC

Games like Portal 2, where one idea carries the whole game

Games like Portal 2 all share one habit: teach a single impossible trick, then spend a campaign breaking it. From rewinding objects through time to Escher geometry that loops back on itself.

Nov 13, 2026
Planet Coaster DLC: skip the collection, buy the packsBundles

Planet Coaster DLC: skip the collection, buy the packs

The Planet Coaster DLC catalogue closed in 2019, so there is no curve left to wait out. Our record shows the collection bundle costs far more than assembling the same packs one by one.

Nov 13, 2026
Toxic Commando Game Pass: subscribe, or buy the key?Xbox

Toxic Commando Game Pass: subscribe, or buy the key?

The Toxic Commando Game Pass add landed on 12 November. Our price record since late September shows the key route barely moved, which changes what a subscription is worth.

Nov 13, 2026

Top games right now

All rankings →
  1. 1Counter-Strike 2Free
  2. 2Dota 2Free
  3. 3PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSFree
  4. 4Grand Theft Auto V Legacy—
  5. 5Terraria$2.11
  6. 6Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeFree
  7. 7Rust$20.19
  8. 8Garry's Mod$6.19
  9. 9Team Fortress 2Free
  10. 10Black Myth: Wukong$35.72
  11. 11HELLDIVERS™ 2$23.99
  12. 12ELDEN RING$38.88
  13. 13Apex Legends™Free
  14. 14Left 4 Dead 2$9.99
  15. 15Stardew Valley$12.11
  16. 16Wallpaper Engine$3.99
  17. 17Cyberpunk 2077$17.99
  18. 18Euro Truck Simulator 2$4.99
  19. 19Dead by Daylight$6.81
  20. 20Red Dead Redemption 2$12.97
  21. 21The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt$9.77
  22. 22Baldur's Gate 3$53.52
  23. 23Phasmophobia$15.60
  24. 24War ThunderFree