In this tutorial, let’s build three gimmicks you see all the time — “a block that breaks when you headbutt it from below”, “a platform you can pass through”, and “a platform that moves along a course” — using the dedicated objects that make them easy to create.
Part 1: Let’s Make a “Block That Breaks When You Headbutt It From Below” with a Gimmick Object!
There is something called a “gimmick object” for things that only perform simple motions in response to player contact or attacks. Let’s use it to make a breakable block.
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First, let’s prepare the image. In the “Assets” view, click “Import official assets”.
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Select D_011_brickblock_01.png under Environment Assets > Destructible Objects and press “Import”.
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Go to the “Map” view, press the + button next to “base layer” and add a “GimmickObject2D”.
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First, let’s change the name. Right-click the added “GimmickObject2D” and choose “Rename”.
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Let’s call it something like “Breakable Block”.
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Next, let’s configure it, starting with the image. In the Inspector on the right, press the “Quick Load” button to the right of under Image > Texture.
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Type “brick” in the filter search bar at the top and click the D_011_brickblock you just imported.
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The block image is set, so now let’s work through the detailed settings. First, expand the gimmick group and check “Blocking Enabled”. This makes the gimmick act as a wall.
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Next, expand the “Contact Trigger” group and set it as follows:
Contact Enabled: on
Contact Group Enabled: on
Contact Group Bit: Player
Contact Direction Bit: Down
Now the gimmick takes 1 damage when the player hits it from below. Its HP is set to 1, so a single hit breaks it.
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Next, set the on-destruction presentation a little further down as follows. (*Not the on-damage one.)
Destroy Audio Data ID: Blow1
Destroy Shake Enabled: on
Destroy Effect Scene: E_002_attack
Now a sound and an effect play when it breaks.
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Finally, the collision size (the orange part) sticks out, so let’s adjust it. Select GimmickCollision under “Breakable Block” in the map layers and the handles become draggable, so fit it to the block.
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That is it. Test play and check that the player can break it with a headbutt.
Checklist for when it does not work
- You pass right through it: check that Blocking Enabled in step 8 is set correctly.
- Nothing happens when you headbutt it: check that the contact trigger in step 9 is set correctly.
- It breaks but there is no presentation: check in step 10 that you set the “on destruction” settings, not the “on damage” ones.
- Since you are here, feel free to place a lot of them. You can duplicate a placed gimmick object by right-clicking it and choosing Duplicate, or by pressing Ctrl+D. You can also select several and duplicate them all at once.
Making the Most of Gimmick Objects
By turning Blocking Enabled off, setting the contact direction to all directions, and changing a coin variable under the on-destruction settings, you can also make coins.
Part 2: Let’s Make a “Platform You Can Climb From Below and Drop Through with the Down Key” Using a Pass-Through Platform!
Next, let’s make a pass-through platform. Like gimmick objects, pass-through platforms can be made with a dedicated node.
- First, import the images. Open Assets view > Import official assets and “Import” these three from Environment Assets > Interactive Objects:
F_016_pass-throughplatform_L
F_016_pass-throughplatform_M
F_016_pass-throughplatform_R
- Go back to the Map view and add a “PassThroughPlatform2D” from the “+” button next to the base layer.
- Let’s set up its appearance first. Select the “StripSprite2D” under “PassThroughPlatform2D”. StripSprite2D is a node that makes it easy to build images that stretch horizontally, like platforms.
- Looking at the Inspector window on the right, there is a section for setting images, so start by using “Quick Load” on the left texture.
- Type “pass” in the search field and click F_016_pass-throughplatform_L. If it is hard to find, you can switch between list view and grid view with the icon in the lower right of the window.
- Next, set the remaining images too.
Repeat Texture: F_016_pass-throughplatform_M
Right Texture: F_016_pass-throughplatform_R
- Once that is set, the platform image is completed automatically. Try dragging the handles at either end to shrink and stretch it — the image and the collision should scale automatically.
- The collision position is slightly off, so let’s fix it. Select the collision shape node under the pass-through platform.
- Drag it up a little and reduce its height.
- The platform is done, so finally let’s set up the drop-through input on the player. Go to the Object view, open Player, and select the “Move and jump” node.
- Scroll the Inspector on the right all the way down, expand Pass Through Drop Conditions at the very bottom, and press “+ Add Input”.
- Press “Add” with the registered key used for input, down, and Being Pressed.
- If it looks like the image below, the setup is complete. Let’s test play. It worked if you can jump up onto the platform from below and drop through it by pressing the down key.
Part 3: Let’s Make a “Platform That Moves Along a Course” with a Course Moving Platform!
As a platform similar to the pass-through platform, you can make one that moves along a course. This is another classic gimmick, so let’s build it.
- First, let’s import the images. From Import official assets in the Assets view, select the following four images under Environment Assets > Interactive Objects and press “Import”.
F_010_platform_01.png (center decoration image)
F_010_platform_02.png (left edge image)
F_010_platform_03.png (repeating image)
F_010_platform_04.png (right edge image)
- Go back to the Map view and add a Course (Platform) from the “+” next to the base layer.
- First, let’s build the course the platform moves along. Select “Add Point” from the point tool in the toolbar at the top.
- Place points however you like. A green line connects them in the order you place them, so go around in a loop and come back to the position of the first point. If you misplace one, use the tools at the top to select or delete points and adjust.
- When you are done placing them, press “Close the Curve”, the second tool from the right. The point nearest the start moves automatically to overlap the start point, and the course is complete.
- Next, set the images. As in Part 2, we use StripSprite2D, so select it.
- Set each image in the Inspector as follows.
Left Texture: F_010_platform_02.png
Repeat Texture: F_010_platform_03.png
Center Texture: F_010_platform_01.png
Right Texture: F_010_platform_04.png
- That completes the setup. Let’s test play — the platform should move along the course.
- Finally, let’s customize it a little so that it “only moves while the player is riding it”. Select the “Course Moving Platform”.
- Expand “Activation” in the Inspector and set the mode to “While Satisfied”. Then click Array[Course… under the conditions to expand it and press “+ Add Element”. These conditions are like a simple visual script dedicated to course platforms.
- An entry called Course Platform appears, so click to expand it and set the rider group inside it to “Player”. Now the platform should move “only while Player is riding it”. Test play, and once it works properly, you are done.
Object Types and Recommended Uses
In ACTION GAME MAKER, you generally create objects using game objects.
However, because a game object can do anything, it is relatively heavy to process and complex to configure.
So for things you place in large numbers on a stage — breakable blocks, moving platforms, and so on — we recommend using other objects like the ones above.
Here is a table of the object types available as of 2.0, along with recommended uses.
| Type | Overview | Cost and rough limits | Example uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| GameObject | The top-tier object that can do anything | Very high (up to about 100 is safe) | Player characters, enemies |
| Area2DGameObject | A game object that cannot make physical contact, but is a little lighter to process | High (up to about 150 is safe) | UI, items with complex processing |
| GimmickObject2D | An object that performs simple motions in response to contact or attacks | Low (can be placed by the thousand) | Blocks broken by headbutts, coins placed on a stage, walls broken by specific attacks, walls that break in a chain, etc. |
| PassThroughPlatform2D | An object dedicated to platforms you can pass through | Low (can be placed by the thousand) | One-way platforms, pass-through platforms, platforms you want to place at an angle |
| CoursePlatform2D | An object dedicated to platforms that move along a course, with configurable activation conditions | Low (can be placed by the thousand) | Moving platforms, platforms activated by a switch, platforms that move when the player rides them |
| ScoreDrops2D | Objects such as experience points or money that scatter in large numbers and can be picked up when a character approaches | Very low (thousands can appear at once) | Score items that move toward the player, experience orbs and money that scatter when you defeat an enemy |