---
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-thunderstorm
type: mechanic
id: game-mechanics--gm-thunderstorm
lang: en
title: Thunderstorm
summary: Lightning and thunder alter a scene's lighting and sound.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-thunderstorm/
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-thunderstorm.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-thunderstorm.md
aliases: []
tags:
  - Game design techniques
  - Weather
sourceIds:
  - source-c18f14906c2200cb
  - source-f5b5f0c7168665bc
  - source-5a5e424bc01073ca
  - source-ae413666d827adcb
sources:
  - id: source-c18f14906c2200cb
    title: 'Game Mechanics: Thunderstorm'
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-f5b5f0c7168665bc
    title: Forza Horizon 5 (2021)
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm/game/forza-horizon-5'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-5a5e424bc01073ca
    title: Driveclub (2014)
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm/game/driveclub'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-ae413666d827adcb
    title: Grand Theft Auto V (2015)
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm/game/grand-theft-auto-v'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: game-mechanics
    id: gm-thunderstorm
    title: Game design techniques
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-thunderstorm'
    categoryIds:
      - gm-category-weather
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Thunderstorm
    description: Lightning and thunder alter a scene's lighting and sound.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/atmosphere-thunderstorm.webp
      width: 500
      height: 276
      game: Forza Horizon 5
      sourceUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm'
      originalUrl: 'https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/webm/forza_horizon_5_storm.webm'
      sourceFrameSeconds: 0.65
      credit: >-
        Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios; frame from clip via
        GameMechanics.org
      rights: >-
        Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Source host:
        GameMechanics.org. Visible source watermarks preserved. All rights
        reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.
      caption: Lightning is visible above the road beyond the car
      alt: 'Forza Horizon 5: Lightning is visible above the road beyond the car.'
      markers:
        - x: 55
          'y': 43
          label: Lightning against a stormy sky
    tips:
      - Coordinate the flash with sound and provide reduced intensity.
    examples:
      - title: Forza Horizon 5
        url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages
  checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by
  gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference
  URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film
  analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are
  upstream attributions, not independent verification.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/game-mechanics
---
# Thunderstorm

id: game-mechanics--gm-thunderstorm
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-thunderstorm
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-thunderstorm/

Lightning and thunder alter a scene's lighting and sound.

## At a glance

![Forza Horizon 5: Lightning is visible above the road beyond the car.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/atmosphere-thunderstorm.webp)

[Forza Horizon 5](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm) · Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Source host: GameMechanics.org. Visible source watermarks preserved. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.

[Source recording](https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/webm/forza_horizon_5_storm.webm), 0.65 s

1. Lightning against a stormy sky

- Coordinate the flash with sound and provide reduced intensity.

- [Forza Horizon 5](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm)

## How it works

Lightning and thunder alter a scene's lighting and sound.

## Variants

### How the technique works

<a id="gm-thunderstorm-rule"></a>

- Lightning and thunder alter a scene's lighting and sound. <a id="gm-thunderstorm-definition"></a>

## Context and limits

All 199 Game Mechanics entries at the check date: player actions, systems, presentation techniques and contested patterns. Entries are grouped by their first source-card category; all categories appear in their descriptions. Definitions use original wording. References link to game-specific galleries; images and videos remain at the source.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification.

- [Game Mechanics: Thunderstorm](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm) (id: source-c18f14906c2200cb)
- [Forza Horizon 5 (2021)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm/game/forza-horizon-5) (id: source-f5b5f0c7168665bc)
- [Driveclub (2014)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm/game/driveclub) (id: source-5a5e424bc01073ca)
- [Grand Theft Auto V (2015)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/thunderstorm/game/grand-theft-auto-v) (id: source-ae413666d827adcb)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors