Bad Physics Maps Guide
Switchyard, Portal Lab, and the toys every arena hides.
Bad Physics ships eight maps, each stuffed with physics toys: cannons, catapults, wrecking balls, and traps. You are not meant to treat maps as empty shooting galleries — the arenas are the joke. This guide explains how to scout any map, what to look for first, and how known layouts like Switchyard and Portal Lab play when you bring Gunsmith loadouts, Sandbox props, vehicles, and events.
New players should finish the checklist in Getting Started before doing deep map tours. Attachment choices for long versus short sightlines are covered in Gunsmith. Creative overlays belong in Sandbox Mode.
How to scout any Bad Physics map
Use the same five-minute loop on every arena:
- Walk the perimeter without firing. Note elevation changes and open yards versus tight corridors.
- Tag the big toys. Mark cannons, catapults, wrecking balls, and obvious trap plates or crushers.
- Find safe test space. You need a clear floor to compare weapons without bouncing into your own explosives.
- Locate vehicle room. Cars, the tank, and the crane need lanes; cramped maps favor dismount play.
- Plan an event finale. Nuke, Dummy Rain, and Zombie Outbreak need a silhouette — open yards film better than cluttered corners.
Write a mental “three toy tour” (for example: cannon → catapult → wrecking ball) and run dummies through it before you invent complicated Sandbox additions.
Switchyard
Switchyard is one of the community-named maps players ask for by name (including in comments on official gameplay clips). Expect industrial energy: longer sightlines, prop clutter that still leaves driving lanes, and strong cannon or launcher moments.
What to look for on Switchyard
- Long lanes for scoped Gunsmith loadouts and Bankshot launches.
- Cannon lines that send ragdolls across the yard for multi-beat clips.
- Catapult or launch pads near clusters of standing dummies.
- Wrecking ball or swinging hazards that punish anyone who builds traps too close.
- Vehicle paths wide enough for cars and the tank to bump ragdoll piles without instantly wedging.
Switchyard session ideas
- Mid-range Gunsmith recipe (scope + laser + bigger mag) from the Gunsmith Guide.
- Car bump into a cannon funnel, then Dummy Rain for a second sky beat (Vehicles & Events).
- Private-server friend-face lineup along the longest clear track.
If a friend asks “what map was that?” after an industrial launch clip, Switchyard is the usual answer — confirm in the map select UI when you load in.
Portal Lab
Portal Lab has a reputation for feeling more brutal and dense. Comments on official videos often point newcomers here when they want nastier physics reads and tighter chaos than a wide yard.
What to look for in Portal Lab
- Tight corridors that favor lasers and grips over heavy scopes.
- Stacked trap potential where props and built-in hazards sit closer together.
- Vertical moments — drops, lifts, or lab props that change height quickly.
- Less forgiving vehicle space — try the crane for vertical gags if cars feel cramped.
- Outbreak-friendly chokepoints for Zombie Outbreak holds with friends.
Portal Lab session ideas
- Close-range chaos loadout; skip strong zoom.
- Sandbox funnel into the meanest nearby trap plate.
- Short Nuke warning jokes in a private server after everyone sees the lab bit once.
Portal Lab rewards slow scouting. Rushing with explosives in a tight lab is how you ragdoll yourself into your own punchline.
Universal map toys checklist
Regardless of which of the eight maps you rolled, hunt these four toy classes:
Cannons
Cannons are highlight machines. Seat a dummy, fire, chase the landing with a second weapon. Sandbox walls that funnel into the muzzle make repeats consistent for clips.
Catapults
Catapults add a delay beat — load, wait, launch. Great for friend-face reveals mid-arc. Clear the landing zone or intentionally place smashables for a second impact.
Wrecking balls
Wrecking balls want alleys. Parallel props or natural map walls turn a random swing into a strike you can aim with. Keep spectators off the cable path.
Traps
Traps include pressure plates, crushers, spike strips, or map-specific hazards. Soft-guide dummies in with weak shoves first; save explosives for after you know the trigger timing.
When a map seems “empty,” you usually missed a toy above eye level or behind a prop cluster — re-walk elevation.
Matching loadouts and modes to maps
| Map vibe | Gunsmith focus | Best extras |
|---|---|---|
| Open yard (Switchyard-like) | Scope + mag | Cars, Dummy Rain, clip farming |
| Dense lab (Portal Lab-like) | Laser + grip | Sandbox funnels, Outbreak, crane |
| Mixed / unknown | Balanced mid-range | Scout toys first, then specialize |
Bolts spent on attachments should follow the map you actually play. Revisit Gunsmith when you main a new arena.
Events and vehicles on maps
- Cars love Switchyard-style lanes; tap bumpers into dummy crowds toward cannons.
- Tank is the “clear a path” button when props overflow.
- Crane shines when vertical drops beat horizontal bumps — often stronger in lab-like spaces.
- Nuke needs a readable horizon; call it after the toy tour so friends see the map first.
- Dummy Rain reads best over open floors.
- Zombie Outbreak benefits from chokepoints you already scouted.
Details and timing tips live in Vehicles & Events.
Solo practice vs friend tours
Solo: one map, three toys, two weapons, ten minutes. Learn the silhouette before you spend Bolts.
Friends private server: assign a tour guide. Run Switchyard comedy lanes, then Portal Lab brutality, then a Sandbox custom finale. Keep Controls handy for anyone swapping to controller mid-session.
Patch awareness
New maps or toy placements can arrive with updates. After any patch listed on the Updates Hub, re-run the five-minute scout loop — do not assume last week’s cannon is still in the same corner. Codes and reward tweaks on Codes sometimes land in the same window.
Related pages
- Guides Hub — full index.
- Getting Started — first-session map pick.
- Sandbox Mode — add props to map toys.
- Gunsmith Guide — sightline-based attachments.
- Vehicles & Events — drive and call-in tools.
- Weapons Tier List — which guns to bring on tour.
Learn the toys before you learn the meta. In Bad Physics, the map is half the weapon — cannons and catapults will outshine a maxed Gunsmith gun if you never walk the perimeter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for Bad Physics players.
How many maps does Bad Physics have?
There are eight maps. Each is filled with interactive physics toys such as cannons, catapults, wrecking balls, and traps.
What is Switchyard in Bad Physics?
Switchyard is a known map players call out by name, often featured in gameplay clips. Expect roomier lanes that suit vehicles, cannons, and mid-range Gunsmith loadouts.
What is Portal Lab like?
Portal Lab is called out as a denser, more brutal layout. Bring close-range attachments, scout traps carefully, and consider crane or Outbreak plays in tighter space.
What should I find first on a new map?
Walk the perimeter, then locate at least one cannon, catapult, wrecking ball, or trap. Those four toy types define how the arena wants to be played.