Power-Up System

Unlock and upgrade various abilities:

• Speedster Surge - Enhanced movement speed
• Apple Attraction - Magnetic apple collection
• Apple Avalanche - Increased apple spawn rate
• Iron Interceptor - Auto-block protection
• Magnetic Mistral - Block repulsion field

Character Customization

Choose from 30 unique animal skins including Bear, Buffalo, Chick, and many more!

Dynamic Audio System

Features include:

• Adaptive music that intensifies during gameplay
• Sound effects for interactions and achievements
• Death and collection audio feedback

Progress System

Comprehensive gameplay features including:

• Save system to track progress
• Currency system for upgrades
• Unlockable skins and abilities

Score & Achievement System

Features an engaging scoring system with:

• Real-time score tracking during gameplay
• High score tracking with persistent storage
• Audio feedback system including:
• Special sound effects for new high scores
• Achievement notification sounds
• Visual feedback for score milestones

Save System Implementation

The game features a robust save system using JSON serialization:

• JSON was chosen over binary serialization for:
• Better cross-platform compatibility
• Human-readable format for easier debugging
• Standardized data structure
• Flexible data modification and versioning
• The system persistently stores:
• Player progress and statistics
• Unlocked character skins
• Purchased upgrades and abilities
• Currency and achievements

Technical Architecture

Block Dodge implements robust software design patterns including:

• Game Manager Singleton - Coordinates core game systems and state
• Audio Manager - Handles adaptive music and sound effects
• Save Manager - Manages persistent data and player progress
• Upgrade Manager - Controls power-up system and unlocks
• Skin Manager - Handles character customization and unlocks

Custom UI Framework & Technical Solutions

Due to Unity's UI limitations, several custom systems were developed:

• Dynamic UI Scaling System:
• Custom InheritGUIScale script for runtime-modified content
• Automatic vertical size calculation for dynamic content
• Adaptive grid scaling for varying item counts
• UI Content Loaders:
• Specialized prefab instantiation systems for upgrades
• Dynamic skin loader with runtime UI updates
• Component-based architecture for modular UI elements
• Performance Optimization:
• Custom framerate management using Coroutines
• Precise frame timing for consistent mobile performance
• Resolution-independent scaling system
• Mobile Adaptability:
• Dynamic game area scaling for various device resolutions
• Responsive UI layout system
• Cross-device compatibility optimization

Core Technical Implementations

Key custom scripts that power Block Dodge's functionality:

Frame Rate Manager

Custom frame rate control system that ensures consistent performance across mobile devices:

// FrameRateManager.cs
// Maintains consistent frame timing using coroutines and thread sleep
using System.Collections;
using System.Threading;
using UnityEngine;
public class FrameRateManager : MonoBehaviour
{
    [Header("Frame Settings")]
    int MaxRate = 9999;
    public float TargetFrameRate = 60.0f;
    float currentFrameTime;
    void Awake()
    {
        QualitySettings.vSyncCount = 0;
        Application.targetFrameRate = MaxRate;
        currentFrameTime = Time.realtimeSinceStartup;
        StartCoroutine("WaitForNextFrame");
    }
    IEnumerator WaitForNextFrame()
    {
        while (true)
        {
            yield return new WaitForEndOfFrame();
            currentFrameTime += 1.0f / TargetFrameRate;
            var t = Time.realtimeSinceStartup;
            var sleepTime = currentFrameTime - t - 0.01f;
            if (sleepTime > 0)
                Thread.Sleep((int)(sleepTime * 1000));
            while (t < currentFrameTime)
                t = Time.realtimeSinceStartup;
        }
    }
}
                    

I acquired this code from TechGeeker's amazing video on the topic.

Dynamic UI Scaling System

Solves Unity's UI limitations with runtime content adjustment:

// InheritGUIScale.cs
// Automatically adjusts UI container height based on dynamic content
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.UI;

[RequireComponent(typeof(RectTransform))]
public class InheritGUIScale : MonoBehaviour
{
    private RectTransform rectTransform;

    void Start()
    {
        rectTransform = GetComponent();
        AdjustHeight();
    }

    void AdjustHeight()
    {
        if (transform.childCount == 0) return;

        float minY = float.MaxValue;
        float maxY = float.MinValue;

        foreach (RectTransform child in transform)
        {
            float childMinY = child.localPosition.y - (child.rect.height * child.pivot.y);
            float childMaxY = child.localPosition.y + (child.rect.height * (1 - child.pivot.y));

            if (childMinY < minY) minY = childMinY;
            if (childMaxY > maxY) maxY = childMaxY;
        }

        float totalHeight = maxY - minY;
        rectTransform.sizeDelta = new Vector2(rectTransform.sizeDelta.x, totalHeight);
    }

        void Update()
        {
            AdjustHeight();
        }
}
                    

Disclaimer: I am aware this code is not the best, but for my usecase (the small amount of upgrades/skins) it's more that sufficient and does not cause performance degradation.

These implementations showcase:

• Custom solutions for Unity's UI framework limitations
• Real-time dynamic UI scaling
• Mobile-specific optimizations