diff --git a/src/sim/archetypes.ts b/src/sim/archetypes.ts
index cb0b5b2..0f9cb97 100644
--- a/src/sim/archetypes.ts
+++ b/src/sim/archetypes.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
   BULLET_TRAIL, CLOUD, ACID, LAVA, SNOW, VOLCANO,
   MOLD, MERCURY, VOID, SEED, RUST, SPORE, ALGAE, POISON, DUST, FIREWORK,
   BUBBLE, GLITTER, STAR, COMET, BLUE_FIRE, BLACK_HOLE, FIREFLY,
-  WORM, FAIRY, FISH, MOTH, VENT, LIT_GUNPOWDER, COLORS_U32,
+  WORM, FAIRY, FISH, MOTH, VENT, LIT_GUNPOWDER, SMOKE, COLORS_U32,
 } from './constants'
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -109,10 +109,11 @@ ARCHETYPES[MERCURY] = { gravity: 1.0, liquid: 0.5, density: 8, killsCreatures: t
 // Rising / gaseous
 ARCHETYPES[FIRE] = { buoyancy: 0.5, volatile: [0.1, EMPTY], heatSource: true, color: COLORS_U32[FIRE], palette: 1 }
 ARCHETYPES[GAS] = { buoyancy: 1.0, volatile: [0.02, EMPTY], flammable: true, color: COLORS_U32[GAS] }
+ARCHETYPES[SMOKE] = { buoyancy: 1.0, volatile: [0.04, EMPTY], color: COLORS_U32[SMOKE] }
 ARCHETYPES[PLASMA] = { buoyancy: 1.0, volatile: [0.08, EMPTY], heatSource: true, color: COLORS_U32[PLASMA], palette: 2 }
 ARCHETYPES[BLUE_FIRE] = { buoyancy: 0.5, volatile: [0.08, EMPTY], heatSource: true, color: COLORS_U32[BLUE_FIRE], palette: 4 }
 ARCHETYPES[SPORE] = { buoyancy: 0.4, spawnRate: 0.35, volatile: [0.01, EMPTY], infectiousHandler: true, color: COLORS_U32[SPORE] }
-ARCHETYPES[CLOUD] = { buoyancy: 0.3, spawnerHandler: true, color: COLORS_U32[CLOUD] }
+ARCHETYPES[CLOUD] = { buoyancy: 0.3, density: 1, spawnerHandler: true, color: COLORS_U32[CLOUD] }
 ARCHETYPES[FIREWORK] = { buoyancy: 0.95, fireworkHandler: true, color: COLORS_U32[FIREWORK] }
 ARCHETYPES[BUBBLE] = { buoyancy: 0.6, bubbleHandler: true, color: COLORS_U32[BUBBLE] }
 ARCHETYPES[COMET] = { buoyancy: 1.0, heatSource: true, cometHandler: true, color: COLORS_U32[COMET] }
diff --git a/src/sim/constants.ts b/src/sim/constants.ts
index cb67e40..6f28878 100644
--- a/src/sim/constants.ts
+++ b/src/sim/constants.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ export const BLACK_HOLE = 60, FIREFLY = 61
 export const WORM = 62, FAIRY = 63
 export const FISH = 64, MOTH = 65, VENT = 66
 export const LIT_GUNPOWDER = 67
+export const SMOKE = 68
 
 export type Material = 'empty' | 'sand' | 'water' | 'dirt' | 'stone' | 'plant' | 'fire' | 'gas' | 'fluff' | 'bug' | 'plasma' | 'nitro' | 'glass' | 'lightning' | 'slime' | 'ant' | 'alien' | 'quark' | 'crystal' | 'ember' | 'static' | 'bird' | 'gunpowder' | 'tap' | 'anthill' | 'bee' | 'flower' | 'hive' | 'honey' | 'nest' | 'gun' | 'cloud' | 'acid' | 'lava' | 'snow' | 'volcano' | 'mold' | 'mercury' | 'void' | 'seed' | 'rust' | 'spore' | 'algae' | 'poison' | 'dust' | 'firework' | 'bubble' | 'glitter' | 'star' | 'comet' | 'blackhole' | 'firefly' | 'worm' | 'fairy' | 'fish' | 'moth' | 'vent'
 
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ export const COLORS_U32 = new Uint32Array([
   0xFF00A5FF, 0xFF8CB4D2,
   0xFF607860,
   0xFF2060FF, // LIT_GUNPOWDER: bright orange-red
+  0xFFA0A0A0, // SMOKE: whitish grey
 ])
 
 export const FIRE_COLORS = new Uint32Array(32)
diff --git a/src/sim/systems/falling.ts b/src/sim/systems/falling.ts
index 40831e8..f16e34f 100644
--- a/src/sim/systems/falling.ts
+++ b/src/sim/systems/falling.ts
@@ -249,8 +249,8 @@ export function fallingPhysicsSystem(g: Uint8Array, cols: number, rows: number,
         continue
       }
 
-      // WATER: extinguish adjacent fire
-      if (c === WATER) {
+      // WATER: extinguish adjacent fire (probabilistic to reduce overhead)
+      if (c === WATER && rand() < 0.3) {
         for (let wdy = -1; wdy <= 1; wdy++) {
           for (let wdx = -1; wdx <= 1; wdx++) {
             if (wdy === 0 && wdx === 0) continue
diff --git a/src/sim/systems/liquid.ts b/src/sim/systems/liquid.ts
index 3ca36a6..5396381 100644
--- a/src/sim/systems/liquid.ts
+++ b/src/sim/systems/liquid.ts
@@ -20,13 +20,13 @@ export function applyLiquid(
 
   // Hydrostatic pressure: count non-empty cells directly above
   let pressure = 0
-  for (let sy = y - 1; sy >= 0 && pressure < 30; sy--) {
+  for (let sy = y - 1; sy >= 0 && pressure < 8; sy--) {
     if (g[sy * cols + x] === EMPTY) break
     pressure++
   }
 
-  // Spread range scales with pressure: base 5 + pressure
-  const spreadRange = 5 + pressure
+  // Spread range scales with pressure
+  const spreadRange = 3 + pressure
 
   const dx = rand() < 0.5 ? -1 : 1
 
diff --git a/src/sim/systems/rising.ts b/src/sim/systems/rising.ts
index ca88f81..9f484ea 100644
--- a/src/sim/systems/rising.ts
+++ b/src/sim/systems/rising.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import {
   F_PROJECTILE, F_CREATURE, F_INFECTIOUS, F_FLAMMABLE, F_IMMOBILE,
 } from '../archetypes'
 import {
-  EMPTY, FIRE, BLUE_FIRE, GAS, SPORE, CLOUD, FIREWORK, BUBBLE, COMET, PLASMA, LIGHTNING,
+  EMPTY, FIRE, BLUE_FIRE, GAS, SMOKE, SPORE, CLOUD, FIREWORK, BUBBLE, COMET, PLASMA, LIGHTNING,
   BULLET_N, BULLET_NW, BULLET_S, BULLET_SE, BULLET_SW, BULLET_TRAIL,
   PLANT, FLUFF, BUG, FLOWER, EMBER, SAND, GLASS,
   WATER, ACID, HONEY, POISON, MOLD, ALGAE, DIRT, STONE, STATIC, NITRO, GLITTER,
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ function updateFireRising(
 ): void {
   const idx = (bx: number, by: number) => by * cols + bx
   if (y === 0) { g[p] = EMPTY; return }
-  if (rand() < 0.03) { g[p] = rand() < 0.25 ? GAS : rand() < 0.15 ? EMBER : EMPTY; return }
+  if (rand() < 0.03) { const r = rand(); g[p] = r < 0.125 ? SMOKE : r < 0.2 ? EMBER : EMPTY; return }
   for (let fi = 0; fi < 3; fi++) {
     const dx = Math.floor(rand() * 7) - 3, dy = Math.floor(rand() * 7) - 3
     if (dx === 0 && dy === 0) continue
@@ -33,6 +33,28 @@ function updateFireRising(
       if (nc !== EMPTY && (ARCHETYPE_FLAGS[nc] & F_FLAMMABLE) && rand() < 0.4) g[ni] = FIRE
     }
   }
+  // Horizontal drift
+  if (rand() < 0.06) {
+    const hdx = rand() < 0.5 ? -1 : 1
+    if (x + hdx >= 0 && x + hdx < cols && g[idx(x + hdx, y)] === EMPTY) {
+      const d = idx(x + hdx, y); g[d] = c; g[p] = EMPTY; stampGrid[d] = tickParity; return
+    }
+  }
+  // Chaotic movement when near other fire
+  let nearbyFire = 0
+  if (x > 0 && g[idx(x - 1, y)] === FIRE) nearbyFire++
+  if (x + 1 < cols && g[idx(x + 1, y)] === FIRE) nearbyFire++
+  if (y > 0 && g[idx(x, y - 1)] === FIRE) nearbyFire++
+  if (y + 1 < rows && g[idx(x, y + 1)] === FIRE) nearbyFire++
+  if (nearbyFire >= 1 && rand() < 0.15) {
+    const rdx = Math.floor(rand() * 3) - 1, rdy = Math.floor(rand() * 3) - 1
+    if (rdx !== 0 || rdy !== 0) {
+      const nx = x + rdx, ny = y + rdy
+      if (nx >= 0 && nx < cols && ny >= 0 && ny < rows && g[idx(nx, ny)] === EMPTY) {
+        const d = idx(nx, ny); g[d] = c; g[p] = EMPTY; stampGrid[d] = tickParity; return
+      }
+    }
+  }
   const up = idx(x, y - 1)
   if (y > 0 && g[up] === EMPTY) { g[up] = c; g[p] = EMPTY; stampGrid[up] = tickParity }
   else {
@@ -51,7 +73,7 @@ function canGasDisplace(c: number): boolean {
 }
 
 function updateGasRising(
-  g: Uint8Array, x: number, y: number, p: number,
+  g: Uint8Array, x: number, y: number, p: number, c: number,
   cols: number, _rows: number, rand: () => number,
   stampGrid: Uint8Array, tickParity: number
 ): void {
@@ -61,26 +83,26 @@ function updateGasRising(
   if (rand() < 0.08) {
     const hdx = rand() < 0.5 ? -1 : 1
     if (x + hdx >= 0 && x + hdx < cols && g[idx(x + hdx, y)] === EMPTY) {
-      const d = idx(x + hdx, y); g[d] = GAS; g[p] = EMPTY; stampGrid[d] = tickParity; return
+      const d = idx(x + hdx, y); g[d] = c; g[p] = EMPTY; stampGrid[d] = tickParity; return
     }
   }
   // Slow the rise: skip upward movement 30% of the time
   if (rand() < 0.3) return
   const up = idx(x, y - 1)
   const upCell = y > 0 ? g[up] : -1
-  if (upCell === EMPTY) { g[up] = GAS; g[p] = EMPTY; stampGrid[up] = tickParity }
-  else if (canGasDisplace(upCell)) { g[up] = GAS; g[p] = upCell; stampGrid[up] = tickParity }
+  if (upCell === EMPTY) { g[up] = c; g[p] = EMPTY; stampGrid[up] = tickParity }
+  else if (canGasDisplace(upCell)) { g[up] = c; g[p] = upCell; stampGrid[up] = tickParity }
   else {
     const dx = rand() < 0.5 ? -1 : 1
     const diagX = x + dx
     if (y > 0 && diagX >= 0 && diagX < cols) {
       const dc = g[idx(diagX, y - 1)]
       if (canGasDisplace(dc)) {
-        const d = idx(diagX, y - 1); g[d] = GAS; g[p] = dc; stampGrid[d] = tickParity; return
+        const d = idx(diagX, y - 1); g[d] = c; g[p] = dc; stampGrid[d] = tickParity; return
       }
     }
     if (diagX >= 0 && diagX < cols && g[idx(diagX, y)] === EMPTY) {
-      const d = idx(diagX, y); g[d] = GAS; g[p] = EMPTY; stampGrid[d] = tickParity
+      const d = idx(diagX, y); g[d] = c; g[p] = EMPTY; stampGrid[d] = tickParity
     }
   }
 }
@@ -148,7 +170,12 @@ function updateCloudRising(
   stampGrid: Uint8Array, tickParity: number
 ): void {
   const idx = (bx: number, by: number) => by * cols + bx
-  if (y < rows - 1 && g[idx(x, y + 1)] === EMPTY && rand() < 0.04) g[idx(x, y + 1)] = WATER
+  // Spawn water in one of the 3 cells below (diagonal or directly under)
+  if (y < rows - 1 && rand() < 0.013) {
+    const sdx = Math.floor(rand() * 3) - 1
+    const snx = x + sdx
+    if (snx >= 0 && snx < cols && g[idx(snx, y + 1)] === EMPTY) g[idx(snx, y + 1)] = WATER
+  }
   if (rand() < 0.3) {
     const dx = rand() < 0.5 ? -1 : 1
     const dy = rand() < 0.3 ? -1 : rand() < 0.5 ? 1 : 0
@@ -393,8 +420,8 @@ export function risingPhysicsSystem(g: Uint8Array, cols: number, rows: number, c
       // ── FIRE / BLUE_FIRE ──
       if (c === FIRE || c === BLUE_FIRE) { updateFireRising(g, x, y, p, c, cols, rows, rand, stampGrid, tickParity); continue }
 
-      // ── GAS ──
-      if (c === GAS) { updateGasRising(g, x, y, p, cols, rows, rand, stampGrid, tickParity); continue }
+      // ── GAS / SMOKE ──
+      if (c === GAS || c === SMOKE) { updateGasRising(g, x, y, p, c, cols, rows, rand, stampGrid, tickParity); continue }
 
       // ── PLASMA ──
       if (c === PLASMA) { updatePlasmaRising(g, x, y, p, cols, rows, rand, stampGrid, tickParity); continue }