Developed by Matt Bortolino and released on July 17, 2009,[1] it is a non-violent first-person puzzle video game, and has been compared to Portal.

The game does not have an overt story; the player wakes up as an unnamed character in a detailed but generic location, not knowing how they got there, and must start solving puzzles in order to escape.

[2][3] The mod takes place in the Half-Life universe, but strips the player of their weapons, giving them only a Gravity Gun and antlion bait.

[4] Research and Development utilizes similar puzzles as those seen in between the shooter gameplay in Half-Life 2, but turns them into an entire game.

[4] Nick Breckon of Shacknews recommended the game, praising its "refreshing amount of original mechanics and crafted special effects".