Firesafe Friend

Contributions

Dynamic Upgrade System

House upgrades are the core mechanics of this game, so I developed a modular and efficient upgrade system that manages material properties and visual updates dynamically. Each upgrade affects the fire simulation outcome, making material selection a strategic decision.

To achieve this, I used Scriptable Objects to store and manage material properties (e.g., Class A, Class B fire resistance). When swapping materials, the system references the associated Scriptable Object rather than instantiating or destroying GameObjects at runtime, ensuring better performance and scalability. This approach also allows for easier balancing and modification of material attributes without modifying core game logic.

Fire Simulation System

To create a realistic and dynamic fire simulation, I designed a graph-based house structure where each house part is treated as a node. This allows the fire to spread naturally by checking neighboring nodes, making it easier to track combustible connections and apply fire propagation rules efficiently.

To enhance realism, I implemented a burning stage system where each combustible object progresses through different states:

• Ignition: The object starts catching fire.
• Burning: The fire intensity increases, affecting nearby objects.
• Destruction: The object weakens and eventually turns into ashes or collapses.

Each stage influences heat transfer and fire spread based on material properties. For instance, some materials may smolder for longer, while others burn out quickly, adding depth to the strategy.

For better code structure and reusability, I implemented an inheritance-based combustibility system:

• A base combustibility class handles fundamental fire spread behavior and burning stages.
• Specialized subclasses (e.g., house parts, plants, props) extend the base class, allowing flexible expansion for different fire interactions without duplicating logic.

This modular design ensures that new combustible types can be easily added while maintaining optimized performance and structured gameplay logic.

Two-Player Mode (Turn-Based System)

Since Firesafe Friend is a local multiplayer game, I developed a turn-based player management system that switches between two houses seamlessly. This includes:

• A dynamic inventory and budget system that tracks individual players’ upgrades and resources separately.
• Ensuring game state persistence so that players can resume their turns without losing progress.

Tutorial System

To improve accessibility and onboard new players effectively, I implemented a step-by-step tutorial system that guides players through core mechanics. The tutorial system consists of:

• A Tutorial Manager that oversees progression, ensuring that players complete key steps before moving forward.
• Scripted tutorial events that prevent players from skipping critical instructions, ensuring they understand the game mechanics before starting.
• UI animations and smooth transitions using DoTween, creating an intuitive and polished user experience.