Game Development

Game Development Animation

Apply Disney's 12 animation principles to game engines, player feedback, and interactive entertainment.

Quick Reference

| Principle | Game Implementation | |-----------|---------------------| | Squash & Stretch | Character deformation, impact frames | | Anticipation | Wind-up animations, charge indicators | | Staging | Camera focus, environmental cues | | Straight Ahead / Pose to Pose | Procedural vs keyframed animation | | Follow Through / Overlapping | Capes, hair, weapon trails | | Slow In / Slow Out | Animation curves, attack/recovery | | Arc | Projectile paths, jump trajectories | | Secondary Action | Particles, screen shake, audio sync | | Timing | Frame data, hit-stop, response windows | | Exaggeration | Stylized movement, hit reactions | | Solid Drawing | Consistent silhouettes, read at distance | | Appeal | Character personality, satisfying feedback |

Principle Applications

Squash & Stretch: Deform characters on landing impact. Stretch during fast movement. Impact frames freeze and squash for power. Keep volume consistent in deformation.

Anticipation: Attack wind-ups telegraph to players. Jump squats before leaving ground. Charge attacks show buildup. Enemy tells warn of incoming damage.

Staging: Camera frames important action. Environmental lighting guides attention. Enemy placement creates readable combat scenarios. UI doesn't obscure critical gameplay.

Straight Ahead vs Pose to Pose: Procedural animation (ragdoll, physics) is straight ahead. Keyframed attack combos are pose to pose. Blend both—keyframed base with procedural secondary motion.

Follow Through & Overlapping: Secondary elements (hair, cloth, tails) continue after body stops. Weapon trails persist after swing. Landing recovery extends past initial impact.

Slow In / Slow Out: Use animation curves—never linear for character motion. Attack startup fast-out, recovery slow-in. Ease jumps at apex for floatiness control.

Arc: Jumping follows parabolic arc. Sword swings trace curved paths. Projectiles arc naturally unless hitscan. Dodge rolls curve rather than linear translate.

Secondary Action: Screen shake on impact. Particle bursts on hits. Controller rumble synced to action. Sound design reinforces visual timing.

Timing: Hit-stop (freeze frames) emphasizes impact—2-5 frames typical. Attack startup/active/recovery frame data matters for game feel. Response to input under 100ms.

Exaggeration: Game animation reads at distance and speed. Exaggerate poses 20-30% beyond realistic. Hit reactions more dramatic than physics would suggest. Stylization serves clarity.

Solid Drawing: Silhouettes must read at all zoom levels. Consistent character proportions across animations. Strong poses at keyframes. Avoid tangent lines that confuse form.

Appeal: Characters have personality in idle animations. Movement feels satisfying independent of mechanics. Players should enjoy watching their character move.

Engine Patterns

Unity

// Squash and stretch on landing
IEnumerator LandingSquash() {
    transform.localScale = new Vector3(1.2f, 0.8f, 1.2f);
    yield return new WaitForSeconds(0.05f);
    // Ease back to normal
    float t = 0;
    while (t GetFloatValue(NormalizedTime);

Timing Reference

| Action Type | Startup | Active | Recovery | |-------------|---------|--------|----------| | Light attack | 3-6f | 2-4f | 8-12f | | Heavy attack | 12-20f | 4-8f | 16-24f | | Jump | 3-4f | -- | 4-6f | | Dodge | 2-4f | 8-12f | 6-10f |

Frame data at 60fps. Adjust for target framerate.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: dylantarre
• Source: dylantarre/animation-principles
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.