Falling Embers runs a particle-based simulation where each ember follows Newtonian motion laws modified by environmental forces. The physics engine calculates velocity vectors for up to 2,000 simultaneous particles at 60 frames per second, adjusting trajectories based on gravity acceleration at 9.8 m/s², wind force vectors ranging from -5 to +5 units, and elastic collision detection with coefficient of restitution at 0.7.
The rendering system uses GPU-accelerated graphics to maintain smooth animation even when particle density reaches maximum threshold. Each ember carries individual properties including mass between 0.5-2.0 units, temperature decay rate affecting color gradient from white-hot core at 1500K to deep orange at 800K, and lifespan timers triggering fade-out after 8-15 seconds of screen time.
Touch interaction introduces localized force fields that repel or attract particles within a 120-pixel radius. Swipe gestures generate directional wind bursts with force magnitude proportional to swipe velocity, creating dynamic particle streams that respond to user input with zero latency. The collision system detects boundaries and allows particles to bounce off screen edges with energy loss calculated per impact.