7.3 Building Game Mechanics

Game mechanics are the core systems that define your gameplay experience.

Health and Damage Systems

Use a script to manage the player’s health:

public class HealthSystem : MonoBehaviour {
    public float maxHealth = 100f;
    private float currentHealth;

    void Start() {
        currentHealth = maxHealth;
    }

    public void TakeDamage(float amount) {
        currentHealth -= amount;
        if (currentHealth <= 0) {
            Die();
        }
    }

    void Die() {
        Debug.Log("Player has died!");
    }
}

Connect the health system to visual indicators (e.g., health bars).

Collectibles and Scoring

Create collectible items with trigger colliders.

Use a script to increase the score when the player collects items:

void OnTriggerEnter(Collider other) {
    if (other.CompareTag("Collectible")) {
        UpdateScore(10);
        Destroy(other.gameObject);
    }
}

Timer-Based Challenges and Level Progression

Add a countdown timer:

public Text timerText;
private float timeRemaining = 60f;

void Update() {
    timeRemaining -= Time.deltaTime;
    timerText.text = "Time: " + Mathf.Round(timeRemaining).ToString();

    if (timeRemaining <= 0) {
        EndLevel();
    }
}

void EndLevel() {
    Debug.Log("Time's up!");
}

Create checkpoints or goals to progress between levels.

Activity: Build a level with health, collectibles, and a timer-based challenge to test progression mechanics.