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Creating smooth mobile touch controls for platformer games

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💡 Struggling with mobile game controls? Need help with touch interface design? 🚀 Get Expert Help

MA

MobileDev_Alex

Posted on January 22, 2024 • Intermediate

📱 Need help with mobile touch controls

Hey everyone! I’m developing a platformer game that needs to work on both desktop and mobile devices. The keyboard controls work perfectly on desktop, but I’m struggling with creating smooth touch controls for mobile users.

My main challenges are:

  • Creating responsive left/right movement buttons
  • Preventing choppy or laggy movement
  • Making controls work alongside keyboard input
  • Ensuring buttons are properly positioned and sized

I want the mobile experience to be just as smooth as the desktop version. Any help would be greatly appreciated! 🙏

TC

TouchControl_Master

Replied 3 hours later • ⭐ Best Answer

Great question @MobileDev_Alex! Creating smooth mobile controls is crucial for a good user experience. Here’s a comprehensive solution that will give you professional-quality touch controls:

🎮 Mobile Control System Flow

Here’s how the touch control system works:

flowchart TD A[🚀 Game Start] --> B[Create Control Buttons] B --> C[Position UI Elements] C --> D[🎮 Input Detection Loop] D --> E{Input Type?} E -->|Touch Input| F[Check Button Touch] E -->|Keyboard Input| G[Check Key Press] F --> H{Left Button?} F --> I{Right Button?} H -->|Yes| J[Move Left] I -->|Yes| K[Move Right] G --> L{Left Key?} G --> M{Right Key?} L -->|Yes| J M -->|Yes| K J --> N[Update Player Position] K --> N N --> O[Apply Physics] O --> D style A fill:#e1f5fe style B fill:#f3e5f5 style J fill:#e8f5e8 style K fill:#fff3e0 style N fill:#fce4ec

🔧 Step 1: Create Control Button Sprites

First, create two button sprites: “LeftButton” and “RightButton”. Design them with clear arrow icons and make them semi-transparent so they don’t obstruct the game view.

📱 Step 2: Position and Setup Buttons

For the Left Button sprite:

    when flag clicked
go to x: [-180] y: [-120]
set size to [80] %
show
set [transparency v] effect to [30]

For the Right Button sprite:

    when flag clicked
go to x: [-80] y: [-120]
set size to [80] %
show
set [transparency v] effect to [30]

🎯 Step 3: Smooth Movement Detection

In your Left Button sprite, add this responsive touch detection:

    when flag clicked
forever
if <<touching [mouse-pointer v] ?> and <mouse down?>> then
set [LeftPressed v] to [1]
set [transparency v] effect to [10]
else
set [LeftPressed v] to [0]
set [transparency v] effect to [30]
end
end

In your Right Button sprite:

    when flag clicked
forever
if <<touching [mouse-pointer v] ?> and <mouse down?>> then
set [RightPressed v] to [1]
set [transparency v] effect to [10]
else
set [RightPressed v] to [0]
set [transparency v] effect to [30]
end
end

🏃 Step 4: Player Movement System

In your player sprite, create a unified movement system that handles both keyboard and touch input:

    when flag clicked
forever
// Check for left movement (keyboard OR touch)
if <<key [left arrow v] pressed?> or <(LeftPressed) = [1]>> then
change x by [-5]
point in direction [-90]
if <not <(costume name) = [walking]>> then
switch costume to [walking v]
end
end

// Check for right movement (keyboard OR touch)
if <<key [right arrow v] pressed?> or <(RightPressed) = [1]>> then
change x by [5]
point in direction [90]
if <not <(costume name) = [walking]>> then
switch costume to [walking v]
end
end

// Stop animation when not moving
if <<not <<key [left arrow v] pressed?> or <(LeftPressed) = [1]>>> and <not <<key [right arrow v] pressed?> or <(RightPressed) = [1]>>>> then
if <not <(costume name) = [idle]>> then
switch costume to [idle v]
end
end
end

🚀 Step 5: Advanced Features

For even smoother controls, add these enhancements:

Variable Speed Movement:

    // Create a custom block for smooth movement
define move player (direction) (speed)
if <(direction) = [left]> then
change x by (0 - (speed))
point in direction [-90]
else
change x by (speed)
point in direction [90]
end

// Use in main movement loop
when flag clicked
set [MoveSpeed v] to [3]
forever
if <<key [left arrow v] pressed?> or <(LeftPressed) = [1]>> then
move player [left] (MoveSpeed)
end
if <<key [right arrow v] pressed?> or <(RightPressed) = [1]>> then
move player [right] (MoveSpeed)
end
end

Button Feedback System:

    // Add haptic-like feedback
when flag clicked
forever
if <<touching [mouse-pointer v] ?> and <mouse down?>> then
if <not <(ButtonPressed) = [1]>> then
set [ButtonPressed v] to [1]
play sound [button click v]
set size to [85] %
wait [0.1] seconds
set size to [80] %
end
else
set [ButtonPressed v] to [0]
end
end

Responsive Button Sizing:

    // Auto-adjust button size based on screen
when flag clicked
if <(screen width) < [400]> then
set size to [100] %
else
set size to [80] %
end

💡 Pro Tips for Mobile Controls

  • Button Size: Make buttons large enough for comfortable tapping (at least 44x44 pixels)
  • Visual Feedback: Always provide visual feedback when buttons are pressed
  • Positioning: Place buttons in thumb-friendly zones (bottom corners)
  • Transparency: Use semi-transparent buttons so players can see the game
  • Testing: Test on actual mobile devices, not just the computer

This system gives you smooth, responsive controls that work perfectly on both desktop and mobile! 📱✨

MA

MobileDev_Alex

Replied 45 minutes later

@TouchControl_Master This is absolutely perfect! 🎉 The controls are so much smoother now!

One quick question - how can I add jump button support using the same system? I want to have a jump button for mobile users too.

JB

JumpButton_Pro

Replied 1 hour later

@MobileDev_Alex Great question! Here’s how to add a jump button:

    // Jump Button sprite
when flag clicked
go to x: [150] y: [-120]
set size to [80] %
show
set [transparency v] effect to [30]

forever
if <<touching [mouse-pointer v] ?> and <mouse down?>> then
set [JumpPressed v] to [1]
set [transparency v] effect to [10]
else
set [JumpPressed v] to [0]
set [transparency v] effect to [30]
end
end

// In player sprite
if <<key [space v] pressed?> or <(JumpPressed) = [1]>> then
if <touching [ground v] ?> then
set [y velocity v] to [15]
end
end

This creates a jump button on the right side that works just like the movement buttons! 🦘

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

📱 Ready to Master Mobile Game Development?

Excellent discussion on mobile controls! For developers looking to create even more advanced mobile features, our community can help you implement:

  • 🎮 Advanced gesture controls
  • 📱 Multi-touch support
  • 🔄 Adaptive UI layouts
  • ⚡ Performance optimization for mobile

📚 Related Mobile Development Topics

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