ABOUT PIXEL PATIENTS
Pixel Patients is a free pixel-art study game for medical students. Knock on the exam room door, examine the patient, collect six findings, then make the call: a main diagnosis and two differentials.
WHAT'S INSIDE
- Step 1 wing: 101 basic science cases across every organ system.
- Step 2 CK wing: 150 clerkship cases, 25 each for Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Psychiatry and Family Medicine. Each one ends with a next-best-step question.
- Bonus rounds: heart sounds, blood smears, histology slides and ECGs.
- Rapid triage, readmissions and the Physician Lounge, where you review solved patient files, track your accuracy by system and spend your paycheck at the vending machine.
HOW THE CASES ARE MADE
Every case is an original teaching case written for this game from classic textbook presentations and current clinical guidelines, then checked against current references. None are copied from question banks or recalled from real exams. All patients are fictional.
Cases are simplified for review and can still contain mistakes. Check anything important against an authoritative source.
WHO MADE IT
Pixel Patients is an independent project made by a medical student. It is free to play and is not affiliated with any licensing exam, testing organization or medical school.
HOW TO PLAY
- Start your shift and pick a wing: Step 1, or Step 2 CK with one rotation or all six.
- Knock on the door and step into the exam room.
- Tap every glowing marker to collect six findings. They go from vague to specific, so you can call it early in your head and see if you were right.
- Read your clipboard, then type a main diagnosis and up to two differentials. Pick each one from the list that pops up.
- Step 2 CK cases add one more question: the next best step in management.
MARKER COLORS
- Red: physical exam
- Blue: history
- Yellow: vitals, labs and imaging
- Purple: a page from your attending
SCORING
- Main diagnosis right: 3 pts
- Right answer in a differential: 1 pt
- Right next best step (Step 2 CK): 2 pts
- Bonus round right (markers tagged +1): 1 pt
- Rapid triage right: 2 pts
SHIFT EVENTS
- Rapid triage: every few patients, three patients arrive at once. You have 20 seconds to pick who to see first.
- Readmissions: miss the main diagnosis and that patient comes back 5 patients later for another try.
THE PHYSICIAN LOUNGE
End your shift anytime to head to the lounge. Review your solved patient files, see your accuracy by system or rotation, and collect your paycheck: $1 for every point. Spend it at the vending machine on scrubs, coats, clipboards and lounge decor. Spending never lowers your score.
Your progress saves automatically in your browser on this device.
PRIVACY POLICY
Last updated October 15, 2026
THE SHORT VERSION
No accounts, no ads and no tracking. Your progress stays in your own browser.
WHAT'S SAVED ON YOUR DEVICE
Your score, patient files, purchases and settings are saved in your browser's local storage on your device. They are never sent to us. Clearing your browser data, or using Reset Progress in the game, erases them.
WHAT WE COLLECT
Nothing that identifies you. There is no sign-up, and the game does not use analytics, advertising or tracking cookies.
HOSTING
The site is hosted by Vercel. Like any web host, Vercel processes basic technical information, such as IP addresses and browser type, to deliver the site and keep it secure. See Vercel's privacy policy.
ERROR REPORTS
If you send an error report through our form, it is collected by Google Forms under Google's privacy policy. Please don't include personal or patient information.
CHILDREN
Pixel Patients is made for medical students and is not directed at children under 13.
CHANGES
If we ever add analytics or ads, we'll update this page before turning them on.