diff --git a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
index dcf769b8b..e0804b885 100644
--- a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
+++ b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
@@ -216,11 +216,18 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
   private catchUpMode: boolean = false;
   private readonly CATCH_UP_ENTER_BACKLOG = 120; // turns behind to enter catch-up
   private readonly CATCH_UP_EXIT_BACKLOG = 20; // turns behind to exit catch-up
-  private readonly CATCH_UP_HEARTBEATS_PER_FRAME = 5;
+  private readonly CATCH_UP_HEARTBEATS_PER_FRAME = 5; //upper bound on heartbeats per frame when in catch-up mode
 
   private pendingUpdates: GameUpdateViewData[] = [];
   private isProcessingUpdates = false;
 
+  // Adaptive rendering during catch-up: render at most once every N frames.
+  private renderEveryN: number = 1;
+  private renderSkipCounter: number = 0;
+  private lastFrameTime: number = 0;
+  private readonly MAX_RENDER_EVERY_N = 60;
+  private lastBeatsPerFrame: number = 1;
+
   constructor(
     private lobby: LobbyConfig,
     private eventBus: EventBus,
@@ -313,13 +320,36 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
     const worker = this.worker;
     const keepWorkerAlive = () => {
       if (this.isActive) {
+        const now = performance.now();
+        let frameDuration = 0;
+        if (this.lastFrameTime !== 0) {
+          frameDuration = now - this.lastFrameTime;
+        }
+        this.lastFrameTime = now;
+
         const beatsPerFrame = this.catchUpMode
           ? this.CATCH_UP_HEARTBEATS_PER_FRAME
           : 1;
+        this.lastBeatsPerFrame = beatsPerFrame;
         for (let i = 0; i < beatsPerFrame; i++) {
           worker.sendHeartbeat();
         }
-        this.processPendingUpdates();
+
+        // Decide whether to render (and thus process pending updates) this frame.
+        let shouldRender = true;
+        if (this.catchUpMode && this.renderEveryN > 1) {
+          if (this.renderSkipCounter < this.renderEveryN - 1) {
+            shouldRender = false;
+            this.renderSkipCounter++;
+          } else {
+            this.renderSkipCounter = 0;
+          }
+        }
+
+        if (shouldRender) {
+          this.processPendingUpdates();
+        }
+        this.adaptRenderFrequency(frameDuration);
         requestAnimationFrame(keepWorkerAlive);
       }
     };
@@ -510,13 +540,45 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
           this.currentTickDelay,
           this.backlogTurns,
           this.catchUpMode,
+          this.renderEveryN,
+          this.lastBeatsPerFrame,
         ),
       );
+
       // Reset tick delay for next measurement
       this.currentTickDelay = undefined;
     }
   }
 
+  private adaptRenderFrequency(frameDuration: number) {
+    if (!this.catchUpMode) {
+      // Back to normal rendering.
+      this.renderEveryN = 1;
+      this.renderSkipCounter = 0;
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const HIGH_BACKLOG = 200;
+    const LOW_BACKLOG = 50;
+    const HIGH_FRAME_MS = 25;
+    const LOW_FRAME_MS = 18;
+
+    if (this.backlogTurns > HIGH_BACKLOG && frameDuration > HIGH_FRAME_MS) {
+      // We are far behind and frames are heavy → render less often.
+      if (this.renderEveryN < this.MAX_RENDER_EVERY_N) {
+        this.renderEveryN++;
+      }
+    } else if (
+      this.backlogTurns < LOW_BACKLOG ||
+      (frameDuration > 0 && frameDuration < LOW_FRAME_MS)
+    ) {
+      // Either mostly caught up or frames are cheap again → move back toward normal.
+      if (this.renderEveryN > 1) {
+        this.renderEveryN--;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   private mergeGameUpdates(
     batch: GameUpdateViewData[],
   ): GameUpdateViewData | null {
diff --git a/src/client/InputHandler.ts b/src/client/InputHandler.ts
index 5ecc23915..2cfa212cb 100644
--- a/src/client/InputHandler.ts
+++ b/src/client/InputHandler.ts
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ export class TickMetricsEvent implements GameEvent {
     public readonly backlogTurns?: number,
     // Whether the client is currently in catch-up mode
     public readonly inCatchUpMode?: boolean,
+    public readonly renderEveryN?: number,
+    public readonly beatsPerFrame?: number,
   ) {}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client/graphics/layers/PerformanceOverlay.ts b/src/client/graphics/layers/PerformanceOverlay.ts
index 0fc50ffdf..3cd688449 100644
--- a/src/client/graphics/layers/PerformanceOverlay.ts
+++ b/src/client/graphics/layers/PerformanceOverlay.ts
@@ -234,6 +234,8 @@ export class PerformanceOverlay extends LitElement implements Layer {
         event.tickDelay,
         event.backlogTurns,
         event.inCatchUpMode,
+        event.renderEveryN,
+        event.beatsPerFrame,
       );
     });
   }
@@ -429,11 +431,19 @@ export class PerformanceOverlay extends LitElement implements Layer {
   @state()
   private inCatchUpMode: boolean = false;
 
+  @state()
+  private renderEveryN: number = 1;
+
+  @state()
+  private beatsPerFrame: number = 1;
+
   updateTickMetrics(
     tickExecutionDuration?: number,
     tickDelay?: number,
     backlogTurns?: number,
     inCatchUpMode?: boolean,
+    renderEveryN?: number,
+    beatsPerFrame?: number,
   ) {
     if (!this.isVisible || !this.userSettings.performanceOverlay()) return;
 
@@ -477,6 +487,12 @@ export class PerformanceOverlay extends LitElement implements Layer {
     if (inCatchUpMode !== undefined) {
       this.inCatchUpMode = inCatchUpMode;
     }
+    if (renderEveryN !== undefined) {
+      this.renderEveryN = renderEveryN;
+    }
+    if (beatsPerFrame !== undefined) {
+      this.beatsPerFrame = beatsPerFrame;
+    }
 
     this.requestUpdate();
   }
@@ -628,6 +644,12 @@ export class PerformanceOverlay extends LitElement implements Layer {
           <span>${this.backlogTurns}</span>
           ${this.inCatchUpMode ? html`<span> (catch-up)</span>` : html``}
         </div>
+        ${this.inCatchUpMode
+          ? html`<div class="performance-line">
+              Render every <span>${this.renderEveryN}</span> frame(s),
+              heartbeats per frame: <span>${this.beatsPerFrame}</span>
+            </div>`
+          : html``}
         ${this.layerBreakdown.length
           ? html`<div class="layers-section">
               <div class="performance-line">