When most people think of an explosion, they picture a giant orange fireball.But in the real world and in realistic VFX explosions come in many forms, and each type behaves completely differently.
Some are fast, violent pressure waves with almost no fire.
Some are rolling, oily fireballs that last several seconds.
Some don’t even involve flames at all
Understanding these differences is a core part of building believable VFX for games. When you know the physics and behavior behind each type of explosion, you can control shape, timing, weight, and readability instead of relying on guesswork or Hollywood exaggeration.
Let’s break them down.
Examples: gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, oil
These are your classic fireballs the explosions we often see in movies.
Behavior traits:
-Slow ignition and burn
-Thick, heavy black smoke
-Rolling, turbulent fire shapes
-Long lifespan
-Upward buoyancy
When to use in games:
Vehicle explosions, environmental hazards, large cinematic blasts.
Video Examples:
As you can see in both videos, right before the main fireball hits, there’s a burst of white vapor that shoots out first. That vapor is the fuel rapidly expanding and atomizing before it ignites. Once it catches fire, that’s when you get the large fireball and the big upward rise of the explosion.
Examples: propane, methane (natural gas), butane, aerosol cans
Gas explosions ignite extremely quickly because the fuel is already vaporized and mixed with air.
Behavior traits:
-Sudden, bright ignition
-Sharp, spherical expansion
-Small, fast shockwave
-Minimal smoke compared to fuel
-Fireball is short-lived
When to use:
Propane tanks, kitchen explosions, industrial accidents, quick cinematic pops.
Video Examples:
This a really good video explineing this gas explosions
Examples: grenades, C4, TNT, Semtex, RDX
These are detonations, not burns. They release energy much faster than fuel or gas.
Behavior traits:
-Extremely fast expansion
-Strong shockwave
-Minimal flame fireball is often small and brief
-Large dust bursts
-High debris velocity
When to use:
Weapons, mines, flashbangs, charge packs, controlled demolitions.
Video Examples:
i would highly recommend watching the whole video
Examples: black powder, fireworks powders, improvised mixtures
Low explosives burn more than they detonate.
Behavior traits:
-Visible flames and spark trails
-Longer, more chaotic shapes
-Irregular behavior
-Bright particles and colored combustion
-No real shockwave
When to use:
Magic + stylized VFX, firework effects, cinematic sparks.
Video Examples:
all im going to say is why is it always the low quality videos
Examples: flour, grain dust, sugar, wood dust, coal dust
These explosions are terrifying in real life and visually spectacular in VFX.
Behavior traits:
-Massive volume expansion
-Large, billowing smoke clouds
-Often little visible fire
-Wide, mushroom-like shapes
-Very high visibility and atmospheric disturbance
When to use:
Warehouse accidents, mine blasts, cinematic shockwave moments.
Video Examples:
Examples: ANFO (ammonium nitrate + fuel), peroxide reactions, industrial plant failures
These can be extremely powerful and produce complex, chaotic visuals.
Behavior traits:
-Dirty, multicolored smoke
-Violent secondary bursts
-Large debris fields
-Wide-scale shockwaves
When to use:
Factory explosions, sabotage missions, large-scale destruction.
Video Examples:
As you can see in this video, there’s a burst of white smoke first, followed by small flashes at the base of that smoke. Those flashes are the initial pockets of igniting fuel. A moment later, everything fully combusts, creating the massive main explosion.
Examples: boilers, pipelines, pressure tanks, compressed gas cylinders
These aren’t “explosions” in the chemical sense they are catastrophic ruptures.
Behavior traits:
-Strong directional shock
-Metal fragmentation
-Loud, sharp initial pop
-Flames only appear if fuel is involved
When to use:
Pipes bursting, sci-fi machinery failing, industrial set pieces.
Video Examples:
Examples: transformer blowouts, high-voltage shorts
Perfect for games because they are high energy and visually striking.
Behavior traits:
-Blue/white flash
-Hot sparks
-Thick smoke puff
-Fire may start afterward
-Very fast timing
When to use:
Sci-fi machinery, power generators, cyberpunk industrial settings.
Video Examples:
Examples: engine failures, battery ruptures, tire explosions
Not true explosions but can be visually explosive.
Behavior traits:
-Sharp, fast pop
-Fragmentation and shrapnel
-Minimal fire
-Small smoke burst
When to use:
Vehicle damages, mech malfunctions, sci-fi hardware failures.
Video Examples:
Examples: volcanic eruptions, geysers, lightning-triggered tree bursts
Mother nature is the best FX artist.
Behavior traits:
-High dust, ash, and steam
-Very chaotic shapes
-Often directional
-Fire present only with organic fuel
When to use:
Fantasy settings, environmental storytelling, cinematic sequences.
Video Examples:
Understanding the type of explosion determines:
The shape
Rolling fireball? Spherical flash? Dust plume?
The timing
Military detonation → 0.1s
Fuel fireball → 2–4s
Dust explosion → 5–10s billowing
The elements
Do you need sparks?
Distortion?
Debris?
Shockwave?
Secondary fire?
The story
Every explosion communicates something about the world:
industrial → soot
military → precision
gas → domestic accident
magic → stylized
When you choose the right type, your FX instantly feel more purposeful and believable.
.png)
.png)
.webp)
