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How do I recreate the movement Phantom Puppet does in FNaF 3

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HG

HorrorGameDev

Posted on July 16, 2025 • Intermediate

👻 Complex movement mechanics question

Hey everyone! I’m working on recreating a specific movement effect from Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 - specifically how the Phantom Puppet moves.

The behavior I’m trying to replicate has two simultaneous effects:

  • Every 0.5 seconds: The character glides smoothly toward the center of the screen
  • Continuously: The character’s position also changes based on the office camera’s position

I need both effects to work together seamlessly. The challenge is combining the periodic gliding movement with the continuous position tracking. Any ideas on how to implement this dual movement system? 🤔

AM

AnimationMaster_Pro

Replied 2 hours later • ⭐ Best Answer

Excellent question @HorrorGameDev! This is a great example of layered movement systems. The key is to separate the different movement components and combine them properly.

🎭 Movement System Architecture

Here’s how the dual movement system works:

flowchart TD A[🎮 Game Loop] --> B[Update Camera Position] A --> C[Check Glide Timer] B --> D[Calculate Base Position] C --> E{Time for Glide?} E -->|Yes| F[Start New Glide] E -->|No| G[Continue Current Glide] F --> H[Set Target to Screen Center] G --> I[Update Glide Progress] D --> J[Apply Camera Offset] H --> K[Calculate Glide Offset] I --> K J --> L[Combine Positions] K --> L L --> M[👻 Final Phantom Position] style A fill:#e1f5fe style M fill:#fce4ec style F fill:#fff3e0 style L fill:#e8f5e8

🔧 Step 1: Basic Position Tracking System

First, let’s create the camera-following component:

    when flag clicked
set [base offset x v] to [0]
set [base offset y v] to [0]
forever
// Calculate base position relative to camera
set [camera x v] to ([x position v] of [Office Camera v])
set [camera y v] to ([y position v] of [Office Camera v])

// Apply camera offset to phantom position
set [phantom base x v] to ((camera x) + (base offset x))
set [phantom base y v] to ((camera y) + (base offset y))
end

👻 Step 2: Gliding Movement System

Now add the periodic gliding behavior:

    when flag clicked
set [glide timer v] to [0]
set [glide progress v] to [1] // 1 = glide complete
set [glide start x v] to [0]
set [glide start y v] to [0]
set [glide target x v] to [0]
set [glide target y v] to [0]

forever
// Update glide timer
change [glide timer v] by (1)

// Check if it's time for a new glide (30 frames = 0.5 seconds at 60 FPS)
if <(glide timer) > [30]> then
// Start new glide
set [glide timer v] to [0]
set [glide progress v] to [0]

// Set starting position (current phantom position)
set [glide start x v] to (phantom base x)
set [glide start y v] to (phantom base y)

// Set target (screen center, adjusted for camera)
set [glide target x v] to (camera x)
set [glide target y v] to (camera y)
end

// Update glide progress
if <(glide progress) < [1]> then
change [glide progress v] by [0.05] // Adjust speed as needed
if <(glide progress) > [1]> then
set [glide progress v] to [1]
end
end
end

🎯 Step 3: Smooth Interpolation Function

Create a custom block for smooth movement:

    define smooth lerp (start) (end) (progress)
// Ease-out interpolation for smoother movement
set [eased progress v] to (1 - ((1 - (progress)) * (1 - (progress))))
set [lerp result v] to ((start) + (((end) - (start)) * (eased progress)))

define calculate phantom position
// Get current glide position
smooth lerp (glide start x) (glide target x) (glide progress)
set [glide offset x v] to (lerp result)

smooth lerp (glide start y) (glide target y) (glide progress)
set [glide offset y v] to (lerp result)

// Combine camera tracking with glide movement
set [final x v] to ((phantom base x) + ((glide offset x) - (phantom base x)) * (glide progress))
set [final y v] to ((phantom base y) + ((glide offset y) - (phantom base y)) * (glide progress))

🚀 Step 4: Complete Implementation

Put it all together in the main phantom sprite:

    when flag clicked
// Initialize phantom
set [phantom visible v] to [true]
set [base offset x v] to [100] // Phantom appears 100 pixels right of camera center
set [base offset y v] to [0]

forever
if <(phantom visible)> then
calculate phantom position
go to x: (final x) y: (final y)

// Optional: Add some spooky effects
set [ghost effect v] to (50)
change [color effect v] by (2)
else
hide
end
end

🎮 Step 5: Advanced Features

Add some extra polish for a more authentic feel:

    // Variable glide timing for unpredictability
define random glide timing
set [next glide time v] to (random (25) (35)) // 0.4 to 0.6 seconds

// Phantom appearance/disappearance
define phantom behavior
if <(phantom visible)> then
// Chance to disappear
if <(random (1) (300)) = [1]> then
set [phantom visible v] to [false]
set [disappear timer v] to (random (60) (180)) // 1-3 seconds
end
else
// Count down to reappearance
change [disappear timer v] by (-1)
if <(disappear timer) < [1]> then
set [phantom visible v] to [true]
// Reset position when reappearing
set [glide progress v] to [1]
end
end

// Glide with easing variations
define advanced glide
// Different easing for different moods
if <(random (1) (3)) = [1]> then
// Sudden movement
set [glide speed v] to [0.15]
else
// Slow creep
set [glide speed v] to [0.03]
end

💡 Pro Tips for Horror Game Feel

  • Timing variation: Don’t make the glides exactly 0.5 seconds - add slight randomness
  • Easing curves: Use different easing for different emotional effects (sudden vs. creeping)
  • Visual effects: Add transparency, color shifts, or distortion during movement
  • Sound integration: Trigger audio cues when glides start or when phantom reaches center

This system gives you the dual movement effect you’re looking for - the phantom tracks the camera position while also periodically gliding toward the screen center! 👻

HG

HorrorGameDev

Replied 45 minutes later

@AnimationMaster_Pro This is absolutely incredible! 🤯 The layered approach makes perfect sense now!

I implemented the basic version first and it works exactly like the original FNaF 3 effect. The smooth interpolation function really makes the movement feel natural and spooky. I love how you separated the camera tracking from the gliding system - it’s so much cleaner than trying to do everything in one script.

The advanced features section is pure gold too - the random timing and easing variations add so much personality to the movement! Thanks for the detailed breakdown! 🎉

FG

FNaFGameDev

Replied 1 hour later

Amazing solution @AnimationMaster_Pro! 👏 As someone who’s recreated several FNaF mechanics, I can confirm this approach is spot-on.

One additional tip for authenticity: In the original FNaF 3, the Phantom Puppet’s movement also has a slight “drift” effect where it doesn’t always glide to the exact center. You can add this by:

    // Add slight randomness to target position
set [glide target x v] to ((camera x) + (random (-20) (20)))
set [glide target y v] to ((camera y) + (random (-15) (15)))

This makes the movement feel more organic and less predictable! 🎮

VB

Vibelf_Community

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