What game mechanics involving physics would feel fun and natural in a roguelite, without turning the game into an educational game?
I'm a Physics undergraduate and I'm considering making a physics-based roguelite as my final-year thesis project.
The problem I'm having is that I don't want to make an "educational game" in the traditional sense. I'm not interested in having the player constantly read explanations, solve equations, or pick upgrades like "ΔU = Q − W".
What I'm looking for is something closer to games where the subject naturally exists within the game's mechanics. The player should be having fun first, while learning about the physics almost as a side effect of experimenting with the game.
I'm especially interested in mechanics where Physics creates interesting interactions, strategies, or emergent gameplay.
It also doesn't need to cover a huge amount of Physics. I'd actually prefer focusing on a few concepts that are particularly fun to interact with.
So, if you were playing a roguelite where Physics was one of its core systems, what kind of mechanics would make you think "holy shit, that's fun" rather than "I'm doing homework"?
Any ideas are welcome, even weird ones. I'm mainly trying to brainstorm and find a direction before I start developing anything.