Tornado: Research and Rescue

Tornado: Research and Rescue is a storm-chasing game set during the golden age of 1990s tornado research. You read forecasts, track storms across Tornado Alley, deploy scientific probes and warn communities before tornadoes arrive. Forecasts, road networks, towns, tornadoes and destruction are procedurally generated, so each chase presents different conditions and decisions under time pressure and with incomplete information.

Track the storm

Use Doppler radar and visual clues to find developing tornadoes, then navigate rural roads to intercept them. Tornadoes can change direction, grow rapidly and become obscured by heavy precipitation. A distant funnel can develop into a violent, debris-filled wedge that blocks your escape route. Getting closer creates better research opportunities, but also increases the danger.

Collect research data

Place portable probes ahead of a tornado and try to capture measurements from inside its circulation. Stronger tornadoes can yield more valuable readings, but are harder to reach and escape safely. Research data can fund equipment upgrades. Probes measure:

• Wind speed
• Pressure
• Temperature
• Dew point

Warn communities

When a tornado threatens a town, you issue warnings so residents have time to reach shelter. Your decisions affect how many people survive, and a successful chase depends on more than the data you collect.

Influence tornadoes

Experimental atmospheric chemicals let you alter a tornado’s intensity, width and movement. Each tornado responds differently, so you observe its behavior, take repeated samples and accept risks as you experiment. Chemicals may weaken a dangerous storm, but can also create something worse; tornadoes beyond an F5 rating are possible.

Upgrade your equipment

You earn rewards from successful rescues and can sell research data to prepare for more dangerous chases. Upgrades improve your storm-chasing vehicle, Doppler radar and research probe, helping you detect storms earlier, gather more valuable data and survive harsher conditions.

Build a career

You start with limited equipment and work toward chasing the most extreme tornadoes the atmosphere can produce. Each forecast offers a different balance of risk and opportunity: a quiet-looking day may produce few tornadoes, while an exceptional environment can lead to a violent outbreak capable of overwhelming entire communities. You decide how to spend your earnings and whether each chase is worth the danger.

Create custom chases

Sandbox mode lets you configure storm-chasing scenarios and experiment with different environments, tornadoes and equipment without risking career progress. You can also recreate two historic events: the Bridge Creek/Moore 1999 tornado and the Jarrell 1997 tornadoes.