Gels

“

We haven't entirely nailed down what element it is yet, but I'll tell you this: it's a lively one, and it does NOT like the human skeleton. Click to listen — Cave Johnson

”

Gels are a gameplay mechanic introduced in Portal 2. They are paint-like liquids that impart different effects when applied to surfaces and objects.

Gels

Repulsion Gel

Main article: Repulsion Gel

Repulsion Gel is a light blue substance that repels objects. A player or an object that hits a surface coated with the Gel bounces off. Due to the effect, the height from which a player falls before landing on a Gel-covered surface affects the height of a jump. Players can also use the Gel to move back and forth between two parallel surface rather than merely be propelled up and down. Objects such as Storage Cubes and Turrets can be covered in Repulsion Gel which causes them to bounce around erratically.

Propulsion Gel

Main article: Propulsion Gel

Propulsion Gel is an orange substance that greatly increases object velocity and reduces the friction of objects moving on the surface(s) it is applied to. Objects covered in Propulsion Gel similarly have their friction reduced, causing them to slide around.

Conversion Gel

Main article: Conversion Gel

Conversion Gel is a portal-conducting white substance made from ground moon rocks. It enables the player to place portals on surfaces that are not normally portal-conductive.

Water

While not technically a gel, water washes off other gels from surfaces and objects. It has no special properties in regards to gameplay, and does not stick to surfaces.

Related achievements

Vertically Unchallenged Master the Repulsion Gel White Out Complete the first Conversion Gel test

Stranger Than Friction Master the Propulsion Gel Schrodinger's Catch Catch a blue-painted box before it touches the ground

Gallery

• 

  Repulsion Gel

• 

  Propulsion Gel

• 

  Conversion Gel

• 

  Water

• 

  A Weighted Storage Cube covered in Repulsion Gel

• 

  A Weighted Storage Cube covered in Propulsion Gel

Trivia

• A fourth gel, "Sticky Gel", was tested within Portal 2, however it was removed early on during the development due to making play-testers motion-sick.
• Repulsion Gel was Aperture Science's first attempt at creating a dietetic pudding substitute.
• Similarly to the way in which the student game Narbacular Drop became Portal, the paint mechanic was borrowed from a student game called Tag: The Power of Paint.

See also

• Mechanics