diff --git a/process/src/GameData.js b/process/src/GameData.js
index e908a4370..cdab1b767 100644
--- a/process/src/GameData.js
+++ b/process/src/GameData.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const SpriteProcessor = require('./SpriteProcessor');
 const ObjectFilters = require('./ObjectFilters');
 const ObjectBadges = require('./ObjectBadges');
 const SitemapGenerator = require('./SitemapGenerator');
+const readFileNormalized = require('./readFileNormalized');
 
 class GameData {
   constructor(processDir, dataDir, staticDir) {
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ class GameData {
     });
     this.eachFileInDir("objects", ".txt", (path, filename) => {
       if (filename.startsWith("groundHeat")) {
-        const content = fs.readFileSync(path, "utf8");
+        const content = readFileNormalized(path);
         Biome.applyGroundHeat(this.biomes, filename, content);
       }
     });
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@ class GameData {
 
   eachFileContent(dirName, extension, callback) {
     this.eachFileInDir(dirName, extension, (path, filename) => {
-      callback(fs.readFileSync(path, "utf8"), filename);
+      callback(readFileNormalized(path, "utf8"), filename);
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/process/src/readFileNormalized.js b/process/src/readFileNormalized.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..27d2ccb68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/process/src/readFileNormalized.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+"use strict";
+const fs = require("fs");
+
+/** read file and normalize line endings of CR to LF */
+function readFileNormalized(path) {
+  return fs.readFileSync(path, "utf8").replaceAll('\r\n', '\n');
+}
+
+module.exports = readFileNormalized;
diff --git a/src/components/Select.vue b/src/components/Select.vue
index 1db4dc098..0805e0c83 100644
--- a/src/components/Select.vue
+++ b/src/components/Select.vue
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
   }
 
   /* Search Button */
-  .v-select .dropdown-toggle .search-icon {
+  .v-select .dropdown-toggle .search-icon, .v-select .dropdown-toggle .spin {
     position: absolute;
     top: 9px;
     left: 10px;
@@ -323,13 +323,35 @@
   .v-select .selected-tag {
     position: absolute;
   }
+  .spin {
+     transform: rotate(0);
+     animation: spin 1.1s infinite linear;
+   }
+   @keyframes spin {
+      0% {
+         transform: rotate(0deg);
+      }
+      100% {
+         transform: rotate(360deg);
+      }
+   }
 </style>
 
 <template>
-  <div :dir="dir" class="dropdown v-select" :class="dropdownClasses">
-    <div ref="toggle" @mousedown.prevent="toggleDropdown" :class="['dropdown-toggle', 'clearfix']">
-      <img src="../assets/search.svg" width="19" height="20" class="search-icon" />
-
+   <div :dir="dir" class="dropdown v-select" :class="dropdownClasses">
+      <div ref="toggle" @mousedown.prevent="toggleDropdown" :class="['dropdown-toggle', 'clearfix']">
+         <img v-if="!processing" src="../assets/search.svg" width="19" height="20" class="search-icon"/>
+         <svg v-else xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon icon-tabler icon-tabler-loader spin" width="19" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="2" stroke="currentColor" fill="none" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round">
+            <path stroke="none" d="M0 0h24v24H0z" fill="none" />
+            <path d="M12 6l0 -3" />
+            <path d="M16.25 7.75l2.15 -2.15" />
+            <path d="M18 12l3 0" />
+            <path d="M16.25 16.25l2.15 2.15" />
+            <path d="M12 18l0 3" />
+            <path d="M7.75 16.25l-2.15 2.15" />
+            <path d="M6 12l-3 0" />
+            <path d="M7.75 7.75l-2.15 -2.15" />
+         </svg>
       <span class="selected-tag" v-for="option in valueAsArray" v-bind:key="option.index">
         <slot name="selected-option" v-bind="option">
           {{ getOptionLabel(option) }}
@@ -380,15 +402,28 @@
     </div>
 
     <transition :name="transition">
-      <ul ref="dropdownMenu" v-if="dropdownOpen" class="dropdown-menu" :style="{ 'max-height': maxHeight }">
-        <li v-for="(option, index) in filteredOptions" v-bind:key="index" :class="{ active: isOptionSelected(option), highlight: index === typeAheadPointer }" @mouseover="typeAheadPointer = index">
+      <ul ref="dropdownMenu" v-if="dropdownOpen && search.length > 0" class="dropdown-menu" :style="{ 'max-height': maxHeight }">
+        <li v-if="!processing && maybeInaccurate" class="no-options">
+          <slot name="no-options" style="display: inline-block">
+            <pp>Showing inaccurate results, check spelling.</pp>
+            <span style="color: #5897fb;" title="Unfortunately, our conventional string search did not yield any matching results. As a result, we are displaying results generated by a predictive engine. Please be aware that these results may not be entirely accurate.">
+              <svg style="margin-bottom: -4px" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor">
+                <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="M9.879 7.519c1.171-1.025 3.071-1.025 4.242 0 1.172 1.025 1.172 2.687 0 3.712-.203.179-.43.326-.67.442-.745.361-1.45.999-1.45 1.827v.75M21 12a9 9 0 1 1-18 0 9 9 0 0 1 18 0Zm-9 5.25h.008v.008H12v-.008Z" />
+              </svg>
+            </span>
+          </slot>
+        </li>
+        <li v-if="!processing" v-for="(option, index) in displayed_options" v-bind:key="index" :class="{ active: isOptionSelected(option), highlight: index === typeAheadPointer }" @mouseover="typeAheadPointer = index">
           <a @mousedown.prevent="select(option)">
           <slot name="option" v-bind="option">
             {{ getOptionLabel(option) }}
           </slot>
           </a>
         </li>
-        <li v-if="!filteredOptions.length" class="no-options">
+        <li v-if="processing" class="no-options">
+          <slot name="no-options">Searching...</slot>
+        </li>
+        <li v-else-if="displayed_options.length === 0" class="no-options">
           <slot name="no-options">Sorry, no matching options.</slot>
         </li>
       </ul>
@@ -657,7 +692,12 @@
         search: '',
         open: false,
         mutableValue: null,
-        mutableOptions: []
+        mutableOptions: [],
+        worker: null,
+        worker_promises: [], // keep track of multiple pending search requests.
+        displayed_options: [],
+        processing: false,
+        maybeInaccurate: false, // if results are from guessing
       }
     },
 
@@ -726,12 +766,77 @@
 			this.mutableValue = this.value
       this.mutableOptions = this.options.slice(0)
 			this.mutableLoading = this.loading
+      if (this.useGuessingEngine && typeof Worker !== "undefined") {
+         this.prepareEngine();
+      } else if (this.useGuessingEngine) {
+         console.error("can't use guessing engine, web worker not supported on this browser.")
+      }
 
+      this.$watch('mutableOptions', this.doSearch)
+      this.$watch('taggable', this.doSearch)
+      this.$watch('filterable', this.doSearch)
+      // debounce will only trigger the search after user stopped typing for 250ms
+      this.$watch('search', _.debounce(this.doSearch, 250))
       this.$on('option:created', this.maybePushTag)
     },
 
     methods: {
-
+      async doSearch() {
+         this.processing = true;
+         try {
+           if (!this.filterable && !this.taggable) {
+             return this.mutableOptions.slice()
+           }
+           let options = this.mutableOptions.filter((option) => {
+             if (typeof option === 'object' && option.hasOwnProperty(this.label)) {
+               return option[this.label].toLowerCase().indexOf(this.search.toLowerCase()) > -1
+             } else if (typeof option === 'object' && !option.hasOwnProperty(this.label)) {
+               return console.warn(`[vue-select warn]: Label key "option.${this.label}" does not exist in options object.\nhttp://sagalbot.github.io/vue-select/#ex-labels`)
+             }
+             return option.toLowerCase().indexOf(this.search.toLowerCase()) > -1
+           })
+           if (this.taggable && this.search.length && !this.optionExists(this.search)) {
+             options.unshift(this.search)
+           }
+           if (options.length === 0 && this.useGuessingEngine) {
+             const query = this.search.toLowerCase()
+             options = await new Promise(resolve => {
+               this.worker_promises.push(resolve);
+               this.worker.postMessage({
+                 signal: 'search',
+                 data: query,
+                 meta: {limit: 30, promise_index: this.worker_promises.length - 1}
+               })
+             })
+             this.maybeInaccurate = true;
+           } else {
+             this.maybeInaccurate = false;
+           }
+           this.displayed_options = _.take(options, 30);
+         } finally {
+           this.processing = false;
+         }
+      },
+      prepareEngine() {
+         this.worker = new Worker(new URL("../search.worker.js", import.meta.url))
+         this.worker.onmessageerror = this.worker.onerror = function () {
+            console.error("web worker unexpected error!");
+         }
+         this.worker.onmessage = ({data: {signal, data, meta}}) => {
+            meta = meta || {};
+            if (signal === 'log') {
+               console.log("WebWorkerLog: " + data)
+            } else if (signal === 'search_result') {
+               const result = data.map(index => this.mutableOptions[index]);
+               this.worker_promises[meta.promise_index](result)
+            } else {
+               console.error("unknown signal from web worker: " + signal);
+            }
+         }
+         this.$watch('mutableOptions', () => {
+            this.worker.postMessage({signal: 'set_search_list', data: this.mutableOptions.map(opt => opt[this.label])})
+         }, {immediate: true})
+      },
       /**
        * Select a given option.
        * @param  {Object|String} option
@@ -922,63 +1027,6 @@
         if (this.pushTags) {
           this.mutableOptions.push(option)
         }
-      },
-
-      similarText (first, second, percent) {
-        //  discuss at: https://locutus.io/php/similar_text/
-        // original by: Rafał Kukawski (https://blog.kukawski.pl)
-        // bugfixed by: Chris McMacken
-        // bugfixed by: Jarkko Rantavuori original by findings in stackoverflow (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/14136349/how-does-similar-text-work)
-        // improved by: Markus Padourek (taken from https://www.kevinhq.com/2012/06/php-similartext-function-in-javascript_16.html)
-        //   example 1: similar_text('Hello World!', 'Hello locutus!')
-        //   returns 1: 8
-        //   example 2: similar_text('Hello World!', null)
-        //   returns 2: 0
-        if (first === null ||
-          second === null ||
-          typeof first === 'undefined' ||
-          typeof second === 'undefined') {
-          return 0
-        }
-        first += ''
-        second += ''
-        let pos1 = 0
-        let pos2 = 0
-        let max = 0
-        const firstLength = first.length
-        const secondLength = second.length
-        let p
-        let q
-        let l
-        let sum
-        for (p = 0; p < firstLength; p++) {
-          for (q = 0; q < secondLength; q++) {
-            for (l = 0; (p + l < firstLength) && (q + l < secondLength) && (first.charAt(p + l) === second.charAt(q + l)); l++) { // eslint-disable-line max-len
-              // @todo: ^-- break up this crazy for loop and put the logic in its body
-            }
-            if (l > max) {
-              max = l
-              pos1 = p
-              pos2 = q
-            }
-          }
-        }
-        sum = max
-        if (sum) {
-          if (pos1 && pos2) {
-            sum += this.similarText(first.substr(0, pos1), second.substr(0, pos2))
-          }
-          if ((pos1 + max < firstLength) && (pos2 + max < secondLength)) {
-            sum += this.similarText(
-              first.substr(pos1 + max, firstLength - pos1 - max),
-              second.substr(pos2 + max,
-                secondLength - pos2 - max))
-          }
-        }
-        if (!percent) {
-          return sum
-        }
-        return (sum * 200) / (firstLength + secondLength)
       }
     },
 
@@ -1038,36 +1086,6 @@
         }
       },
 
-      /**
-       * The currently displayed options, filtered
-       * by the search elements value. If tagging
-       * true, the search text will be prepended
-       * if it doesn't already exist.
-       *
-       * @return {array}
-       */
-      filteredOptions() {
-        if (!this.filterable && !this.taggable) {
-          return this.mutableOptions.slice()
-        }
-        let options = this.mutableOptions.filter((option) => {
-          if (typeof option === 'object' && option.hasOwnProperty(this.label)) {
-            return option[this.label].toLowerCase().indexOf(this.search.toLowerCase()) > -1
-          } else if (typeof option === 'object' && !option.hasOwnProperty(this.label)) {
-            return console.warn(`[vue-select warn]: Label key "option.${this.label}" does not exist in options object.\nhttp://sagalbot.github.io/vue-select/#ex-labels`)
-          }
-          return option.toLowerCase().indexOf(this.search.toLowerCase()) > -1
-        })
-        if (this.taggable && this.search.length && !this.optionExists(this.search)) {
-          options.unshift(this.search)
-        }
-        if(options.length === 0 && this.useGuessingEngine) {
-          const query = this.search.toLowerCase()
-          options = [...this.mutableOptions].sort((b, a) => this.similarText(a[this.label], query) - this.similarText(b[this.label], query))
-        }
-        return _.take(options, 30);
-      },
-
       /**
        * Check if there aren't any options selected.
        * @return {Boolean}
diff --git a/src/mixins/typeAheadPointer.js b/src/mixins/typeAheadPointer.js
index 26c937422..6aca3484d 100644
--- a/src/mixins/typeAheadPointer.js
+++ b/src/mixins/typeAheadPointer.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ module.exports = {
   },
 
   watch: {
-    filteredOptions() {
+    displayed_options() {
       this.typeAheadPointer = 0
     }
   },
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ module.exports = {
      * @return {void}
      */
     typeAheadDown() {
-      if (this.typeAheadPointer < this.filteredOptions.length - 1) {
+      if (this.typeAheadPointer < this.displayed_options.length - 1) {
         this.typeAheadPointer++
         if( this.maybeAdjustScroll ) {
           this.maybeAdjustScroll()
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ module.exports = {
      * @return {void}
      */
     typeAheadSelect() {
-      if( this.filteredOptions[ this.typeAheadPointer ] ) {
-        this.select( this.filteredOptions[ this.typeAheadPointer ] );
+      if( this.displayed_options[ this.typeAheadPointer ] ) {
+        this.select( this.displayed_options[ this.typeAheadPointer ] );
       } else if (this.taggable && this.search.length){
         this.select(this.search)
       }
diff --git a/src/search.worker.js b/src/search.worker.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22d7f0c6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/search.worker.js
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+/**
+ * this will run in a background thread as a web worker.
+ * it will receive signals from the main thread which will make it do searching tasks.
+ * @see @/components/Select.vue
+ */
+const IS_WEB_WORKER = typeof WorkerGlobalScope !== 'undefined' && self instanceof WorkerGlobalScope
+
+if (!IS_WEB_WORKER) {
+  throw new Error("Not running in a web worker!");
+}
+let index = 0
+let search_list = []
+
+// called when worker receives a message from main thread via postMessage()
+onmessage = function ({data: {signal, data, meta}}) {
+  meta = meta || {};
+  if (signal === "set_search_list") {
+    index = 0;
+    search_list = [];
+    for (const value of data) {
+      // add index to use later when sending result.
+      search_list.push({index, value})
+      index += 1
+    }
+    postMessage({meta, signal: 'log', data: (index + 1) + ' is the new search list size'}, {})
+  } else if (signal === "search") {
+    const query = data;
+    const matches = [...search_list].sort((b, a) => similarText(a.value, query) - similarText(b.value, query))
+    let result = matches.map(m => m.index);
+    if (meta.limit > 0) {
+      result = result.slice(0, meta.limit)
+    }
+    postMessage({meta, signal: 'search_result', data: result}, {})
+  } else {
+    // send back error
+    postMessage({meta, signal: 'log', data: 'unknown signal type received: ' + signal}, {})
+  }
+}
+
+function similarText(first, second, percent) {
+  //  discuss at: https://locutus.io/php/similar_text/
+  // original by: Rafał Kukawski (https://blog.kukawski.pl)
+  // bugfixed by: Chris McMacken
+  // bugfixed by: Jarkko Rantavuori original by findings in stackoverflow (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/14136349/how-does-similar-text-work)
+  // improved by: Markus Padourek (taken from https://www.kevinhq.com/2012/06/php-similartext-function-in-javascript_16.html)
+  //   example 1: similar_text('Hello World!', 'Hello locutus!')
+  //   returns 1: 8
+  //   example 2: similar_text('Hello World!', null)
+  //   returns 2: 0
+  if (first === null ||
+    second === null ||
+    typeof first === 'undefined' ||
+    typeof second === 'undefined') {
+    return 0
+  }
+  first += ''
+  second += ''
+  let pos1 = 0
+  let pos2 = 0
+  let max = 0
+  const firstLength = first.length
+  const secondLength = second.length
+  let p
+  let q
+  let l
+  let sum
+  for (p = 0; p < firstLength; p++) {
+    for (q = 0; q < secondLength; q++) {
+      for (l = 0; (p + l < firstLength) && (q + l < secondLength) && (first.charAt(p + l) === second.charAt(q + l)); l++) { // eslint-disable-line max-len
+        // @todo: ^-- break up this crazy for loop and put the logic in its body
+      }
+      if (l > max) {
+        max = l
+        pos1 = p
+        pos2 = q
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  sum = max
+  if (sum) {
+    if (pos1 && pos2) {
+      sum += similarText(first.substr(0, pos1), second.substr(0, pos2))
+    }
+    if ((pos1 + max < firstLength) && (pos2 + max < secondLength)) {
+      sum += similarText(
+        first.substr(pos1 + max, firstLength - pos1 - max),
+        second.substr(pos2 + max,
+          secondLength - pos2 - max))
+    }
+  }
+  if (!percent) {
+    return sum
+  }
+  return (sum * 200) / (firstLength + secondLength)
+}