Saltearse al contenido

Creating a device selection menu for cross-platform games

Esta página aún no está disponible en tu idioma.

💡 Need help creating device-specific menus? Want to optimize for different platforms? 🚀 Get Help Now

CP

CrossPlatformDev

Posted on July 25, 2025 • Intermediate

📱 Need help creating a “Choose Your Device” menu

Hey everyone! I’m working on a snowboarding game and want to add a device selection screen at the start. Players should be able to choose between:

  • 📱 Mobile/Phone controls
  • 📟 Tablet/iPad controls
  • 💻 Desktop/Laptop controls

This would make the game more fair since different devices have different control methods. I want it to look professional and set up the right control scheme for each device type.

Anyone know how to implement this kind of menu system? Looking for a clean, user-friendly design! 🎮

UI

UIDesigner_Pro

Replied 8 hours later • ⭐ Best Answer

Great idea @CrossPlatformDev! A device selection menu is essential for cross-platform games. Here’s a complete implementation:

🎯 Device Selection Flow

Here’s how the device selection system works:

flowchart TD A[🚀 Game Start] --> B[Show Device Menu] B --> C{User Clicks Device?} C -->|Mobile| D[📱 Set Mobile Mode] C -->|Tablet| E[📟 Set Tablet Mode] C -->|Desktop| F[💻 Set Desktop Mode] D --> G[Configure Touch Controls] E --> H[Configure Tablet Controls] F --> I[Configure Keyboard Controls] G --> J[Hide Menu] H --> J I --> J J --> K[🎮 Start Game] K --> L[Apply Device Settings] L --> M{During Gameplay} M --> N[Use Device-Specific Controls] M --> O[Show Device-Appropriate UI] style A fill:#e1f5fe style D fill:#e8f5e8 style E fill:#fff3e0 style F fill:#f3e5f5 style K fill:#e0f2f1

🎨 Step 1: Create Device Selection Sprites

First, create button sprites for each device type:

    // Device Menu Sprite
when flag clicked
go to [front v] layer
go to x: [0] y: [0]
show
set [device selected v] to [false]

// Show title
set [menu text v] to [Choose Your Device]
broadcast [show title v]

// Show device buttons
broadcast [show device buttons v]

📱 Step 2: Mobile Button

Create the mobile device button:

    // Mobile Button Sprite
when flag clicked
switch costume to [mobile button v]
go to x: [-120] y: [50]
show

when this sprite clicked
set [device type v] to [mobile]
set [control scheme v] to [touch]
set [button size v] to [large]  // Bigger buttons for touch
broadcast [device selected v]
play sound [click v]

📟 Step 3: Tablet Button

Create the tablet device button:

    // Tablet Button Sprite
when flag clicked
switch costume to [tablet button v]
go to x: [0] y: [50]
show

when this sprite clicked
set [device type v] to [tablet]
set [control scheme v] to [touch]
set [button size v] to [medium]  // Medium-sized buttons
broadcast [device selected v]
play sound [click v]

💻 Step 4: Desktop Button

Create the desktop device button:

    // Desktop Button Sprite
when flag clicked
switch costume to [desktop button v]
go to x: [120] y: [50]
show

when this sprite clicked
set [device type v] to [desktop]
set [control scheme v] to [keyboard]
set [button size v] to [small]  // Smaller UI for precise mouse
broadcast [device selected v]
play sound [click v]

⚙️ Step 5: Configure Game Based on Device

Set up different control schemes:

    // Main Game Controller
when I receive [device selected v]
// Hide menu
broadcast [hide menu v]

// Configure controls based on device
if <(device type) = [mobile]> then
// Mobile: Large touch buttons, simplified controls
set [jump sensitivity v] to [high]
set [control layout v] to [mobile]
broadcast [show touch controls v]
else
if <(device type) = [tablet]> then
// Tablet: Medium touch buttons, full controls
set [jump sensitivity v] to [medium]
set [control layout v] to [tablet]
broadcast [show touch controls v]
else
// Desktop: Keyboard controls, small UI
set [jump sensitivity v] to [low]
set [control layout v] to [desktop]
broadcast [show keyboard hints v]
end
end

// Start the game
wait [1] seconds
broadcast [start game v]

🎮 Step 6: Device-Specific Controls

Implement different control schemes:

    // Player Movement (in player sprite)
when I receive [start game v]
forever
if <(control scheme) = [touch]> then
// Touch controls for mobile/tablet
if <touching [left button v] ?> then
change x by [-5]
end
if <touching [right button v] ?> then
change x by [5]
end
if <touching [jump button v] ?> then
if <(on ground) = [true]> then
set [y velocity v] to [15]
end
end
else
// Keyboard controls for desktop
if <key [left arrow v] pressed?> then
change x by [-5]
end
if <key [right arrow v] pressed?> then
change x by [5]
end
if <key [space v] pressed?> then
if <(on ground) = [true]> then
set [y velocity v] to [15]
end
end
end
end

🎨 Step 7: Dynamic UI Sizing

Adjust UI elements based on device:

    // UI Controller
when I receive [show touch controls v]
if <(device type) = [mobile]> then
// Large buttons for phones
set size to [150] %
go to x: [-180] y: [-120]
else
if <(device type) = [tablet]> then
// Medium buttons for tablets
set size to [120] %
go to x: [-150] y: [-100]
end
end
show

when I receive [show keyboard hints v]
// Small keyboard hints for desktop
set size to [80] %
go to x: [150] y: [150]
switch costume to [keyboard hints v]
show

💡 Pro Tips for Device Selection

  • Visual feedback: Highlight selected device with animation
  • Device icons: Use clear, recognizable device icons
  • Save preference: Remember user’s choice with cloud variables
  • Auto-detection: Try to detect device type automatically as default
  • Settings menu: Allow users to change device type later
    // Enhanced Selection with Animation
when this sprite clicked
// Animate selection
repeat [3]
change [brightness v] effect by [25]
wait [0.1] seconds
change [brightness v] effect by [-25]
wait [0.1] seconds
end

// Save preference (if using cloud variables)
set [☁ preferred device v] to (device type)

// Provide feedback
say (join [Selected: ] (device type)) for [1] seconds

This creates a professional, user-friendly device selection that makes your game accessible across all platforms! 🌟

CP

CrossPlatformDev

Replied 15 hours later

@UIDesigner_Pro This is EXACTLY what I needed! 🎉 The step-by-step breakdown makes it so easy to implement.

I especially love the dynamic UI sizing - that’s going to make such a difference for mobile players. Already started implementing this in my snowboarding game and it looks amazing! 🏂

MG

MobileGamer_Lisa

Replied 4 hours later

As someone who plays mostly on mobile, THANK YOU for thinking about device optimization! 📱

Here’s an additional tip - consider adding haptic feedback for mobile devices:

    // Add vibration feedback for mobile
when I receive [jump v]
if <(device type) = [mobile]> then
// Simulate haptic feedback with sound
set volume to [30] %
play sound [vibrate v]
set volume to [100] %
end

It makes the game feel so much more responsive on touch devices! ✨

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

📱 Master Cross-Platform Game Design

Fantastic discussion on device optimization! For those looking to create truly universal games, our community can help with:

  • 🎮 Advanced control schemes
  • 📱 Mobile-first design principles
  • 🖥️ Desktop optimization techniques
  • ♿ Accessibility features

📚 Related Topics

Ready to make games that work perfectly on every device? Get expert guidance from our UI/UX specialists!