Connected Games Blog – Week 1.5: Prototyping Interactable Objects

Posted byViktor YankulchovskiPosted inUncategorized

Experimenting with Interactivity

Building on the foundation from Week 1, I dedicated the next day to exploring basic interactivity within our prototype. My goal was to implement and test simple interactable objects, laying the groundwork for more complex cooperative mechanics in the future.

To start, I introduced a set of cubes into the scene, each designed to respond to player interaction in different ways. One of the key features I wanted to prototype was a “trigger and response” system-similar to a classic door and key puzzle-where interacting with one object would cause another object to move or change state.

Interactable Object Script

I created an interactableObject script to handle these interactions. The script links the interactable object (such as a key or button) to a target object (such as a door or wall). When the player interacts with the primary object, the target object animates (in this case, moving downward to simulate a door opening) and is then destroyed, along with the original interactable.

Above is the core implementation of the interactableObject script:

Integrating Interaction with Player Movement

To enable player-triggered interactions, I updated the playerMovement script. Now, when the player enters a trigger collider tagged as “interactable,” the script checks the interaction type. If it’s a wall, the interaction sequence is triggered, causing the wall to move and disappear. Otherwise, the object simply changes color, providing immediate feedback to the player.

Above is the TriggerEnter implementation of the playerMovement script:

Design Thinking

This iteration was focused on rapid prototyping and validating the core logic behind interactable objects. By using simple cubes and basic movement, I was able to quickly test the interaction flow and identify potential issues early. The modular approach-linking interactable objects to targets via script-makes it easy to expand this system for more complex puzzles and cooperative mechanics later in development.

This experiment also helped clarify how player actions can influence the environment, which is central to our goal of creating meaningful cooperation between the 2D and 3D players. The visual feedback (such as color changes and moving objects) reinforces the impact of player choices and will be essential for player engagement as the project evolves.

Reflection and Next Steps

With basic interactable functionality in place, the next step is to:

  • Expand the variety of interactable objects (e.g., switches, pressure plates).
  • Integrate these systems into both 2D and 3D gameplay environments.
  • Begin designing puzzles that require both players to collaborate using these mechanics.
  • Ensure that all interactions are properly networked so both players see the results in real time.

I will continue to iterate on these systems, documenting key changes and insights in future blog posts.

References

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to build and refine our cooperative gameplay systems!

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