Sandstorm: Full-screen desert sandstorm: billowing sand pours in on a gusting wind and curls across the view while fast sand streaks, grains and debris rip through it.

Sandstorm

Full-screen desert sandstorm: billowing sand pours in on a gusting wind and curls across the view while fast sand streaks, grains and debris rip through it. Loops perfectly.

Sandstorm is an HD effect that loops seamlessly every 4 seconds, drawn on a 512 by 512 canvas. It is built from 1 simulated smoke and fire layer and 4 particle emitters.

Free download with a transparent background, cropped to the effect, 120 frames at 30 fps. Use it in commercial games, no credit needed.

Licence: use it in any project, including paid commercial games such as a game sold on Steam. There is no per-project licence to buy and no credit needed. Terms.

Roblox: the download is a flipbook for a ParticleEmitter. Set FlipbookLayout to Grid8x8, FlipbookMode to OneShot and Lifetime to 4, then emit one particle per cycle. Roblox setup.

REMIX WITH AI

Try:

Left empty, it just opens in the agent, free. Each change is one AI build, and you start with free builds.

Engine data for Unity, Godot, GameMaker and Aseprite comes with a plan: open it in the studio.

OPEN IN THE STUDIO

Change the colours, timing or size, or export for Unity, Godot 4, GameMaker, Phaser, PixiJS and Aseprite.

Try variations: new colours, motion and shapes of this effect, free in the studio.

FRAME BY FRAME

8 evenly spaced moments across the 4 s loop.

Sandstorm at 8 moments, from 0 s to 3.5 s

HOW IT'S MADE

Sandstorm is built around a fluid simulation of smoke on a grid, with 4 particle emitters on top. Techniques worth a look: particles feeding the fluid, turbulence and particles stretched along their motion.

Every layer emits continuously and the 4 s loop closes seamlessly, so it can run for as long as you need. To thicken or thin the smoke, select "Sand Gas" and change Smoke and Smoke fade.

Layers, in draw order

  1. Sand GasfluidSimulated smoke, added only by particles. "Gas Feeders" feed it. Wind carries it sideways.
  2. Gas Feedersparticles / additiveA steady stream of soft glows along a line. They feed smoke and heat into the fluid and wander on turbulence. Colours range between orange and gold.
  3. Sand StreaksparticlesA steady stream of streaks along a line. They wander on turbulence. Colours range between pale gold and orange.
  4. Flying GrainsparticlesA steady stream of streaks along a line. They wander on turbulence. Colours range between gold and orange.
  5. Skipping DebrisparticlesA steady stream of debris along a line. They fall under gravity, sway from side to side and spin. Colours range between orange and deep orange.

DETAILS

Length
4 seconds, seamless loop
Canvas
512 x 512, HD
Layers
4 emitters
Blend
Mostly normal
Colours
orangegoldpale golddeep orange
Sprites
Built-in shapes only
Tags
sandstorm, desert, sand, storm, wind, weather, dust storm, fluid

USING IT IN YOUR GAME

Phaser, PixiJS
The PNG sheet is a plain grid of frames that both can slice. A TexturePacker JSON atlas comes with a plan, from the studio.
Unity
Import the PNG sheet as a Sprite with Mode set to Multiple and slice it, or open the effect in the studio for a ready-made grid.
Godot 4, GameMaker, Aseprite
Open it in the studio and pick your engine in Export: with a plan, it writes the files that engine imports.
Web and chat
The GIF plays anywhere; the APNG keeps soft edges on any background.

Step by step: Unity, Godot 4, Roblox, GameMaker, Phaser and PixiJS, Aseprite, Web games (live runtime).

MORE Earth & Wind

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