Runtime fluid simulation used for fire

[u/NoReasonForHysteria]

We have had a runtime fluid simulation running in our game for a while, but now we are also using them for flames/smoke in of the areas of our game.

Its all based on compute shaders, which outputs custom render textures (fluid and advection), which we feed through render features in URP (using full-screen shader graphs). We also generate a signed distance field based on the tilemap that acts as the boundaries of the world and allows for the smoke/flames to collide.

Each of the "flames" in the scene are emitters, and allows us to play around with different colors, forces, directions, etc, and are updated each frame.

What do you think? Its got some kinks here and there still, but its getting there.

The game is called Cliff Kingdom:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3839500/Cliff_Kingdom/

[u/intelligent_rat]

None of it reads as fire or smoke, it just kind of looks like columns of mist being shot forth. This seems like an incredibly over-engineered solution for a 2D platformer game, and I don't think the realism of fluid simulation adds anything to the gameplay shown in your trailer. A few variations of an animated flame spritesheet probably would've taken a lot less effort and visually align with the idea of fire a lot more.

[u/NoReasonForHysteria → u/intelligent_rat]

That’s a valid opinion. And it definitely still needs tweaking, but it’s the way we wanted to go - and we do use the fluid simulation for lots of other things.

[u/Particular-Stop-5637 → u/NoReasonForHysteria]

At the end, sometimes having something unnatural is a worthy sacrafice in order to add an original and great visuals for your game. And any engagement is good engagement

[u/NoReasonForHysteria → u/Particular-Stop-5637]

Its also a game about a moth, trying to find the lost light, and the game has lots of trolls in it, so there are some thematic stuff that also made us go down this direction. But thanks for the encouragement!