---
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-toxic-liquids
type: mechanic
id: game-mechanics--gm-toxic-liquids
lang: en
title: Toxic liquids
summary: Contact with a hazardous liquid applies damage or another harmful effect.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-toxic-liquids/
jsonUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-toxic-liquids.json
markdownUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-toxic-liquids.md
aliases:
- Toxic liquid
tags:
- Game design techniques
- Environmental hazards
sourceIds:
- source-ea55d1ceb203c764
- source-8ef65f73a456c4f8
- source-5496a8e7fd28f4cb
- source-f5ce66e382205a76
- source-c739360f93291239
- source-32a5b2a28bb96141
sources:
- id: source-ea55d1ceb203c764
title: 'Game Mechanics: Toxic liquids'
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-8ef65f73a456c4f8
title: Half-Life 2 (2004)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/half-life-2'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-5496a8e7fd28f4cb
title: Fallout 4 (2015)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/fallout-4'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-f5ce66e382205a76
title: Fallout 76 (2018)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/fallout-76'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-c739360f93291239
title: Black Mesa (2015)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/black-mesa'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-32a5b2a28bb96141
title: Dying Light 2 Stay Human (2022)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/dying-light-2'
verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
- catalogId: game-mechanics
id: gm-toxic-liquids
title: Game design techniques
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-toxic-liquids'
categoryIds:
- gm-category-environmental-hazards
supersededBy: []
attributes:
preview:
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
title: Toxic liquid
description: Contact with a hazardous liquid applies damage or another harmful effect.
image:
src: images/mechanics/world-toxic-liquids.webp
width: 1440
height: 810
game: Half-Life 2
sourceUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids'
originalUrl: 'https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/half_life_2_radioactive-sludge.jpg'
credit: Valve; image 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: Contaminated water in a concrete channel
alt: 'Half-Life 2: Contaminated water in a concrete channel.'
markers:
- x: 50
'y': 58
label: Hazardous liquid along the route
tips:
- Signal the hazard before contact and show a safe route.
examples:
- title: Half-Life 2
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids'
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
---
# Toxic liquids
id: game-mechanics--gm-toxic-liquids
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-toxic-liquids
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-toxic-liquids/
Contact with a hazardous liquid applies damage or another harmful effect.
## At a glance
[Half-Life 2](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids) · 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.
1. Hazardous liquid along the route
- Signal the hazard before contact and show a safe route.
- [Half-Life 2](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids)
## How it works
Contact with a hazardous liquid applies damage or another harmful effect.
## Variants
### How the technique works
- Contact with a hazardous liquid applies damage or another harmful effect.
## 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: Toxic liquids](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids) (id: source-ea55d1ceb203c764)
- [Half-Life 2 (2004)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/half-life-2) (id: source-8ef65f73a456c4f8)
- [Fallout 4 (2015)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/fallout-4) (id: source-5496a8e7fd28f4cb)
- [Fallout 76 (2018)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/fallout-76) (id: source-f5ce66e382205a76)
- [Black Mesa (2015)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/black-mesa) (id: source-c739360f93291239)
- [Dying Light 2 Stay Human (2022)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/toxic-liquids/game/dying-light-2) (id: source-32a5b2a28bb96141)
CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors