diff --git a/examples/lib/stories/effects/move_effect_example.dart b/examples/lib/stories/effects/move_effect_example.dart
index a0d5f9dc9..6c4284f6f 100644
--- a/examples/lib/stories/effects/move_effect_example.dart
+++ b/examples/lib/stories/effects/move_effect_example.dart
@@ -89,14 +89,16 @@ class MoveEffectExample extends FlameGame {
     for (var i = 0; i < 40; i++) {
       add(
         CircleComponent(radius: 5)
+          ..position = Vector2(0, -1000)
           ..add(
-            MoveEffect.along(
+            MoveAlongPathEffect(
               path1,
               EffectController(
                 duration: 10,
                 startDelay: i * 0.2,
                 infinite: true,
               ),
+              absolute: true,
             ),
           ),
       );
@@ -108,13 +110,14 @@ class MoveEffectExample extends FlameGame {
         RectangleComponent.square(size: 10)
           ..paint = (Paint()..color = Colors.tealAccent)
           ..add(
-            MoveEffect.along(
+            MoveAlongPathEffect(
               path2,
               EffectController(
                 duration: 6,
                 startDelay: i * 0.3,
                 infinite: true,
               ),
+              oriented: true,
             ),
           ),
       );
diff --git a/packages/flame/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/flame/CHANGELOG.md
index b25ffa3c9..e2e21c769 100644
--- a/packages/flame/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/flame/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
  - Fix render order of components and add tests
  - `isHud` renamed to `respectCamera`
  - Fix `HitboxCircle` when component is flipped
+ - `MoveAlongPathEffect` can now be absolute, and can auto-orient the object along the path
  - `ScaleEffect.by` now applies multiplicatively instead of additively
 
 ## [1.0.0-releasecandidate.18]
diff --git a/packages/flame/lib/effects.dart b/packages/flame/lib/effects.dart
index e6b1305c1..0db370dfe 100644
--- a/packages/flame/lib/effects.dart
+++ b/packages/flame/lib/effects.dart
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export 'src/effects/controllers/reverse_curved_effect_controller.dart';
 export 'src/effects/controllers/reverse_linear_effect_controller.dart';
 export 'src/effects/controllers/sequence_effect_controller.dart';
 export 'src/effects/effect.dart';
+export 'src/effects/move_along_path_effect.dart';
 export 'src/effects/move_effect.dart';
 export 'src/effects/opacity_effect.dart';
 export 'src/effects/remove_effect.dart';
diff --git a/packages/flame/lib/src/effects/move_along_path_effect.dart b/packages/flame/lib/src/effects/move_along_path_effect.dart
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..695ca33a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/flame/lib/src/effects/move_along_path_effect.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+import 'dart:ui';
+
+import 'package:vector_math/vector_math_64.dart';
+
+import 'controllers/effect_controller.dart';
+import 'transform2d_effect.dart';
+
+/// This effect will move the target along the specified path, which may
+/// contain curved segments, but must be simply-connected.
+///
+/// If `absolute` is false (default), the `path` argument will be taken as
+/// relative to the target's position at the start of the effect. It is
+/// recommended in this case to have a path that starts at the origin in order
+/// to avoid sudden jumps in the target's position.
+///
+/// If `absolute` flag is true, then the `path` will be assumed to be given in
+/// absolute coordinate space and the target will be placed at the beginning of
+/// the path when the effect starts.
+///
+/// The `oriented` flag controls the direction of the target as it follows the
+/// path. If this flag is false (default), the target keeps its original
+/// orientation. If the flag is true, the target is automatically rotated as it
+/// follows the path so that it is always oriented tangent to the path.
+class MoveAlongPathEffect extends Transform2DEffect {
+  MoveAlongPathEffect(
+    Path path,
+    EffectController controller, {
+    bool absolute = false,
+    bool oriented = false,
+  })  : _isAbsolute = absolute,
+        _followDirection = oriented,
+        super(controller) {
+    final metrics = path.computeMetrics().toList();
+    if (metrics.length != 1) {
+      throw ArgumentError(
+        'Only single-contour paths are allowed in MoveAlongPathEffect',
+      );
+    }
+    _pathMetric = metrics[0];
+    _pathLength = _pathMetric.length;
+    assert(_pathLength > 0);
+  }
+
+  /// If true, the path is considered _absolute_, i.e. the component will be
+  /// put onto the start of the path and then follow that path. If false, the
+  /// path is considered _relative_, i.e. this path is added as an offset to
+  /// the current position of the target.
+  final bool _isAbsolute;
+
+  /// If true, then not only the target's position will follow the path, but
+  /// also the target's angle of rotation.
+  final bool _followDirection;
+
+  /// The path that the target will follow.
+  late final PathMetric _pathMetric;
+
+  /// Pre-computed length of the path.
+  late final double _pathLength;
+
+  /// Position offset that was applied to the target on the previous iteration.
+  /// This is needed in order to make updates to `target.position` incremental
+  /// (which in turn is necessary in order to allow multiple effects to be able
+  /// to apply to the same target simultaneously).
+  late Vector2 _lastOffset;
+
+  /// Target's angle of rotation on the previous iteration.
+  late double _lastAngle;
+
+  @override
+  void onStart() {
+    _lastOffset = Vector2.zero();
+    _lastAngle = 0;
+    if (_isAbsolute) {
+      final start = _pathMetric.getTangentForOffset(0)!;
+      target.position.x = _lastOffset.x = start.position.dx;
+      target.position.y = _lastOffset.y = start.position.dy;
+      if (_followDirection) {
+        target.angle = _lastAngle = -start.angle;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  @override
+  void apply(double progress) {
+    final distance = progress * _pathLength;
+    final tangent = _pathMetric.getTangentForOffset(distance)!;
+    final offset = tangent.position;
+    target.position.x += offset.dx - _lastOffset.x;
+    target.position.y += offset.dy - _lastOffset.y;
+    _lastOffset.x = offset.dx;
+    _lastOffset.y = offset.dy;
+    if (_followDirection) {
+      target.angle += -tangent.angle - _lastAngle;
+      _lastAngle = -tangent.angle;
+    }
+    super.apply(progress);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/flame/lib/src/effects/move_effect.dart b/packages/flame/lib/src/effects/move_effect.dart
index 9306c6191..7044c4434 100644
--- a/packages/flame/lib/src/effects/move_effect.dart
+++ b/packages/flame/lib/src/effects/move_effect.dart
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import 'dart:ui';
-
 import 'package:vector_math/vector_math_64.dart';
 
 import 'controllers/effect_controller.dart';
@@ -16,11 +14,6 @@ import 'transform2d_effect.dart';
 ///   - [MoveEffect.to] will move the target in a straight line to the specified
 ///     coordinates;
 ///
-///   - [MoveEffect.along] will move the target along the specified path, which
-///     may contain curved segments, but must be simply-connected. The `path`
-///     argument is taken as relative to the target's position at the start of
-///     the effect.
-///
 /// This effect applies incremental changes to the component's position, and
 /// requires that any other effect or update logic applied to the same component
 /// also used incremental updates.
@@ -32,9 +25,6 @@ class MoveEffect extends Transform2DEffect {
   factory MoveEffect.to(Vector2 destination, EffectController controller) =>
       _MoveToEffect(destination, controller);
 
-  factory MoveEffect.along(Path path, EffectController controller) =>
-      _MoveAlongPathEffect(path, controller);
-
   Vector2 _offset;
 
   @override
@@ -58,41 +48,3 @@ class _MoveToEffect extends MoveEffect {
     _offset = _destination - target.position;
   }
 }
-
-/// Implementation class for [MoveEffect.along].
-class _MoveAlongPathEffect extends MoveEffect {
-  _MoveAlongPathEffect(Path path, EffectController controller)
-      : _lastPosition = Vector2.zero(),
-        super.by(Vector2.zero(), controller) {
-    final metrics = path.computeMetrics().toList();
-    if (metrics.length != 1) {
-      throw ArgumentError(
-        'Only single-contour paths are allowed in MoveEffect.along',
-      );
-    }
-    _pathMetric = metrics[0];
-    _pathLength = _pathMetric.length;
-    assert(_pathLength > 0);
-  }
-
-  late final PathMetric _pathMetric;
-  late final double _pathLength;
-  late Vector2 _lastPosition;
-
-  @override
-  void apply(double progress) {
-    final distance = progress * _pathLength;
-    final tangent = _pathMetric.getTangentForOffset(distance)!;
-    final offset = tangent.position;
-    target.position.x += offset.dx - _lastPosition.x;
-    target.position.y += offset.dy - _lastPosition.y;
-    _lastPosition.setValues(offset.dx, offset.dy);
-    super.apply(progress);
-  }
-
-  @override
-  void reset() {
-    super.reset();
-    _lastPosition = Vector2.zero();
-  }
-}
diff --git a/packages/flame/test/effects/move_along_path_effect_test.dart b/packages/flame/test/effects/move_along_path_effect_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02b236e47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/flame/test/effects/move_along_path_effect_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+import 'dart:math';
+import 'dart:ui';
+
+import 'package:flame/components.dart';
+import 'package:flame/effects.dart';
+import 'package:flame/game.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  group('MoveAlongPathEffect', () {
+    test('relative path', () {
+      const tau = Transform2D.tau;
+      const x0 = 32.5;
+      const y0 = 14.88;
+      final game = FlameGame();
+      game.onGameResize(Vector2(100, 100));
+      final object = PositionComponent()..position = Vector2(x0, y0);
+      game.add(object);
+      game.update(0);
+
+      object.add(
+        MoveAlongPathEffect(
+          Path()
+            ..addOval(Rect.fromCircle(center: const Offset(6, 10), radius: 50)),
+          LinearEffectController(1),
+        ),
+      );
+      game.update(0);
+      for (var i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
+        final a = tau * i / 100;
+        // Apparently, in Flutter circle paths are not truly circles, but only
+        // appear circle-ish to an unsuspecting observer. Which is why the
+        // precision in `closeTo()` is so low: only 0.1 pixels.
+        expect(object.position.x, closeTo(x0 + 6 + 50 * cos(a), 0.1));
+        expect(object.position.y, closeTo(y0 + 10 + 50 * sin(a), 0.1));
+        game.update(0.01);
+      }
+    });
+
+    test('absolute path', () {
+      final game = FlameGame()..onGameResize(Vector2(100, 100));
+      final component = PositionComponent()..position = Vector2(17, -5);
+      game.add(component);
+      game.update(0);
+
+      component.add(
+        MoveAlongPathEffect(
+          Path()
+            ..moveTo(1000, 300)
+            ..lineTo(1200, 500),
+          EffectController(duration: 1),
+          absolute: true,
+        ),
+      );
+      game.update(0);
+      for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+        expect(component.position.x, closeTo(1000 + 200 * (i / 10), 1e-10));
+        expect(component.position.y, closeTo(300 + 200 * (i / 10), 1e-10));
+        game.update(0.1);
+      }
+    });
+
+    test('absolute oriented path', () {
+      final game = FlameGame()..onGameResize(Vector2(100, 100));
+      final component = PositionComponent(
+        position: Vector2(17, -5),
+        angle: -30.5,
+      );
+      game.add(component);
+      game.update(0);
+
+      component.add(
+        MoveAlongPathEffect(
+          Path() // pythagorean triangle, perimeter=600
+            ..moveTo(200, 200)
+            ..lineTo(290, 80)
+            ..lineTo(450, 200)
+            ..lineTo(200, 200),
+          EffectController(duration: 6),
+          absolute: true,
+          oriented: true,
+        ),
+      );
+      game.update(0);
+      for (var i = 0; i < 60; i++) {
+        if (i <= 15) {
+          expect(component.position.x, closeTo(200 + 6 * i, 1e-10));
+          expect(component.position.y, closeTo(200 - 8 * i, 1e-10));
+          expect(component.angle, closeTo(-asin(0.8), 1e-7));
+        } else if (i <= 35) {
+          expect(component.position.x, closeTo(290 + 8 * (i - 15), 1e-10));
+          expect(component.position.y, closeTo(80 + 6 * (i - 15), 1e-10));
+          expect(component.angle, closeTo(asin(0.6), 1e-7));
+        } else {
+          expect(component.position.x, closeTo(450 - 10 * (i - 35), 1e-10));
+          expect(component.position.y, closeTo(200, 1e-10));
+          expect(component.angle, closeTo(pi, 1e-7));
+        }
+        game.update(0.1);
+      }
+    });
+
+    test('errors', () {
+      final controller = LinearEffectController(0);
+      expect(
+        () => MoveAlongPathEffect(Path(), controller),
+        throwsArgumentError,
+      );
+
+      final path2 = Path()
+        ..moveTo(10, 10)
+        ..lineTo(10, 10);
+      expect(
+        () => MoveAlongPathEffect(path2, controller),
+        throwsArgumentError,
+      );
+
+      final path3 = Path()
+        ..addOval(const Rect.fromLTWH(0, 0, 1, 1))
+        ..addOval(const Rect.fromLTWH(2, 2, 1, 1));
+      expect(
+        () => MoveAlongPathEffect(path3, controller),
+        throwsArgumentError,
+      );
+    });
+  });
+}
diff --git a/packages/flame/test/effects/move_effect_test.dart b/packages/flame/test/effects/move_effect_test.dart
index 8efc5e7fe..ea2d61d9c 100644
--- a/packages/flame/test/effects/move_effect_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flame/test/effects/move_effect_test.dart
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-import 'dart:math';
-import 'dart:ui';
-
 import 'package:flame/components.dart';
 import 'package:flame/game.dart';
 import 'package:flame/src/effects/controllers/linear_effect_controller.dart';
@@ -44,56 +41,5 @@ void main() {
       expect(object.position.x, closeTo(5, 1e-15));
       expect(object.position.y, closeTo(-1, 1e-15));
     });
-
-    test('#along', () {
-      const tau = Transform2D.tau;
-      final game = FlameGame();
-      game.onGameResize(Vector2(100, 100));
-      final object = PositionComponent()..position = Vector2(3, 4);
-      game.add(object);
-      game.update(0);
-
-      object.add(
-        MoveEffect.along(
-          Path()
-            ..addOval(Rect.fromCircle(center: const Offset(6, 10), radius: 50)),
-          LinearEffectController(1),
-        ),
-      );
-      game.update(0);
-      for (var i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
-        final a = tau * i / 100;
-        // Apparently, in Flutter circle paths are not truly circles, but only
-        // appear circle-ish to an unsuspecting observer. Which is why the
-        // precision in `closeTo()` is so low: only 0.1 pixels.
-        expect(object.position.x, closeTo(3 + 6 + 50 * cos(a), 0.1));
-        expect(object.position.y, closeTo(4 + 10 + 50 * sin(a), 0.1));
-        game.update(0.01);
-      }
-    });
-
-    test('#along wrong arguments', () {
-      final controller = LinearEffectController(0);
-      expect(
-        () => MoveEffect.along(Path(), controller),
-        throwsArgumentError,
-      );
-
-      final path2 = Path()
-        ..moveTo(10, 10)
-        ..lineTo(10, 10);
-      expect(
-        () => MoveEffect.along(path2, controller),
-        throwsArgumentError,
-      );
-
-      final path3 = Path()
-        ..addOval(const Rect.fromLTWH(0, 0, 1, 1))
-        ..addOval(const Rect.fromLTWH(2, 2, 1, 1));
-      expect(
-        () => MoveEffect.along(path3, controller),
-        throwsArgumentError,
-      );
-    });
   });
 }