Spot the Twister
Look at the tornado and name it — how high can your streak go?
About the game
Tornadoes come in many shapes, and their form tells you a lot about how they behave. Spot the Twister shows you a tornado and asks you to identify its type from four choices. Get it right to build your streak across ten rounds, then share your score.
The tornado types
- Rope — thin and snaking, often the birth or death stage of a tornado.
- Cone — the classic funnel, wider at the cloud base than at the ground.
- Wedge — appears at least as wide as it is tall; often the most violent.
- Stovepipe — a tall column of nearly uniform width.
- Multi-vortex — several small suction vortices circling one center.
- Waterspout — a tornado over water.
- Landspout — a weaker tornado not tied to a supercell's mesocyclone.
- Elephant trunk — a tapering, curving funnel that narrows toward the ground.
- Funnel cloud — a rotating funnel that hasn't reached the ground yet; not a tornado until it touches down.
- Rain-wrapped — a tornado hidden inside heavy rain, making it dangerously hard to see.
The images are original illustrations built to show each shape clearly. Want more? Play Pathle, the daily Tornadle, or browse all tornado games. Learn the science on what a supercell is and the EF scale.
Two ways to play
Switch between two modes at the top of the game. Shapes uses original illustrations to teach the classic tornado forms. Real photos shows genuine, public-domain photographs of famous tornadoes and asks you to name which one it is.
Photo credits
All photographs are in the public domain as works of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).
- Dimmitt, Texas (2 June 1995) — Harald Richter, NOAA/NSSL. Source
- Cordell, Oklahoma (1981) — NOAA/NSSL. Source
- Union City, Oklahoma (24 May 1973) — NOAA. Source
- Anadarko, Oklahoma (3 May 1999) — Daphne Zaras, NOAA. Source
- Piedmont–Mulhall, Oklahoma (3 May 1999) — NOAA/NSSL. Source
- Minco, Oklahoma — NOAA. Source
- Alfalfa, Oklahoma (22 May 1981) — NOAA/NSSL. Source
- Seymour, Texas (10 April 1979) — NOAA/NSSL. Source
- Altus, Oklahoma (11 May 1982) — NOAA. Source
- Enid, Oklahoma (5 June 1966) — Leo Ainsworth, NOAA/NSSL. Source
Frequently asked questions
How do you tell tornado types apart?
Look at the funnel's width relative to its height and where it is widest. A wedge looks at least as wide as it is tall, a cone is wider at the cloud than the ground, a rope is thin and often contorted, and a waterspout sits over water.
Which tornado shape is the most dangerous?
There is no strict rule, but many of the most violent EF4–EF5 tornadoes appear as large wedges, and multi-vortex tornadoes can carve narrow streaks of extreme damage. Shape alone doesn't determine strength — always take any tornado seriously.
Does the game keep score?
Yes — it tracks your score across ten rounds plus your best score, running average, and best streak, and you can share your result.
Are the tornado photos real?
Yes. The Real photos mode uses genuine public-domain photographs of famous tornadoes from NOAA and the National Severe Storms Laboratory — including Dimmitt (Texas), Union City, Anadarko, Cordell, and Minco (Oklahoma) — each fully credited in the photo credits above.
Is Spot the Twister free?
Completely free, no sign-up, instant play.