Patterns

Problem

The player hits an enemy or object but the action feels weak, unclear, or lacks physical weight.

Recipe preview

Apply a freeze frame / hit-stop of 0.05s to 0.1s + Add screen shake scaled to damage dealt + Spawn directional impact sparks or particles at the contact point

Problem

Jumps feel floaty, static, and lack a sense of power or gravity. The character just moves up and down.

Recipe preview

Squash the sprite vertically before launch + Stretch the sprite horizontally mid-air to emphasise upward velocity + Spawn a small dust cloud at the launch point

Problem

An important player action registers mechanically but feels silent or invisible -- it happened, but the player barely noticed.

Recipe preview

Identify the action + Visual channel: sprite flash, particle burst, UI pop, color change, or screen effect + Audio channel: a sound that matches the weight of the action

Problem

Impacts and explosions lack physical weight. The world feels static even when big things happen.

Recipe preview

On a major impact event, instantly offset the camera by 3-6px in a random direction + Spring the camera back to center over 0.1-0.2s with slight overshoot + For sustained shake

Problem

Menus and buttons feel dead or unresponsive, reducing player trust and increasing perceived latency.

Recipe preview

Scale buttons up to 1.05x on hover with an elastic ease + Play a short high-pitched blip sound on hover, different on click + Change fill color or add a glow outline on hover

Problem

Charged attacks or abilities lack buildup tension. The power fantasy of a charged shot feels flat.

Recipe preview

During charge: play a looping build-up sound that rises in pitch over time + Visually: grow a glow or particle density around the charging point + Apply subtle camera pull-back or vignette as charge nears maximum