Juice & Game Feel

Overview

Game feel (juice) for satisfying player feedback. Combines visual, audio, and haptic responses to make gameplay feel impactful and responsive.

When to Use

•Use when actions feel flat/unresponsive
•Use when adding impact/feedback
•Use when polishing core mechanics
•Use when improving UI responsiveness
•Use when creating satisfying loops

Juice Pillars

code

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    GAME FEEL PILLARS                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐   │
│  │  VISUAL  │  │  AUDIO   │  │  HAPTIC  │  │  TIMING  │   │
│  ├──────────┤  ├──────────┤  ├──────────┤  ├──────────┤   │
│  │ Squash   │  │ SFX      │  │ Rumble   │  │ Hitstop  │   │
│  │ Stretch  │  │ Pitch    │  │ Vibrate  │  │ Slowdown │   │
│  │ Shake    │  │ Layers   │  │ Impulse  │  │ Anticipat│   │
│  │ Flash    │  │ Reverb   │  │          │  │ Follow-  │   │
│  │ Particles│  │ Ducking  │  │          │  │ through  │   │
│  └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘   │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Feedback Types

Type	Elements	When
Impact	Shake, flash, particles	Hit/damage
Success	Scale punch, SFX, glow	Pickup/complete
Fail	Shake, red flash, buzz	Error/damage
Anticipation	Wind-up, charge glow	Before action
Follow-through	Settle, trail, dust	After action

Tweening Essentials (DOTween)

Tween	Use
`DOScale`	Punch, pop effects
`DOShakePosition`	Screen/object shake
`DOColor`	Flash, fade
`DOPunchScale`	Elastic feedback
`DOJump`	Bouncy movement

Best Practices

•✅ Layer multiple feedback types
•✅ Use easing curves (EaseOutElastic, EaseOutBounce)
•✅ Keep effects short (< 0.3s)
•✅ Scale feedback to action importance
•✅ Use hitstop for impact (2-5 frames)
•❌ NEVER overdo effects (less is more)
•❌ NEVER use linear easing for organic motion
•❌ NEVER block input during feedback

Few-Shot Examples

Example 1: Button Press

User: "Make button press feel satisfying."

Agent:

csharp

public void OnButtonPress()
{
    transform.DOPunchScale(Vector3.one * -0.1f, 0.15f, 5, 0.5f);
    _audioSource.PlayOneShot(_clickSound);
    // Optional: Haptic.Generate(HapticType.Light);
}

Example 2: Hit Impact

User: "Add juice to enemy hit."

Agent:

csharp

public void OnHit(float damage)
{
    // Visual
    _spriteRenderer.DOColor(Color.white, 0.05f)
        .SetLoops(2, LoopType.Yoyo);
    transform.DOShakePosition(0.1f, 0.2f, 20);
    
    // Particles
    _hitVFX.Play();
    
    // Audio
    _audioSource.pitch = Random.Range(0.9f, 1.1f);
    _audioSource.PlayOneShot(_hitSound);
    
    // Hitstop
    Time.timeScale = 0.1f;
    DOVirtual.DelayedCall(0.05f, () => Time.timeScale = 1f);
}

Example 3: Coin Pickup

User: "Satisfying coin collect."

Agent:

csharp

public void OnCollect()
{
    // Pop and fly to UI
    transform.DOScale(1.3f, 0.1f).SetEase(Ease.OutBack);
    transform.DOMove(_uiTarget.position, 0.5f)
        .SetEase(Ease.InBack)
        .OnComplete(() => {
            _coinCounter.DOPunchScale(Vector3.one * 0.2f, 0.2f);
            _collectSound.Play();
            Destroy(gameObject);
        });
}

Hitstop Implementation

csharp

public static async UniTask Hitstop(float duration = 0.05f)
{
    Time.timeScale = 0f;
    await UniTask.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(duration), true);
    Time.timeScale = 1f;
}

Related Skills

•@vfx-graph-shuriken - Visual feedback
•@audio-soundscape-architect - Audio feedback
•@cinemachine-specialist - Camera shake