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How to create random character movement in FNAF-style games

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GD

GameDevMaster

Posted on July 16, 2025 • Intermediate

🎮 Random character spawning in horror game

Hey everyone! I’m working on a FNAF-inspired game called “Dogdays” and I need help with implementing random character behavior. Here’s what I’m trying to achieve:

  • Random hide/show mechanics for characters (Hoppy, Joy, Good Boy, Handy Dandy, and Wolfy)
  • Prevent characters from appearing in the office/security room
  • Create unpredictable movement patterns

I’m struggling with the random blocks and how to control where characters can and cannot appear. Any guidance would be super helpful! 🙏

HG

HorrorGameExpert

Replied 3 hours later • ⭐ Best Answer

Great question @GameDevMaster! Creating random character behavior for horror games is all about controlled randomness. Here’s a comprehensive solution:

🎯 Random Character System Flow

Here’s how the random character spawning system works:

flowchart TD A[🚀 Game Start] --> B[Initialize Character States] B --> C[🎮 Main Game Loop] C --> D[Random Timer Check] D --> E{Time to Move Character?} E -->|Yes| F[Pick Random Character] E -->|No| C F --> G[Pick Random Location] G --> H{Is Location Office?} H -->|Yes| G H -->|No| I[Move Character] I --> J[Play Sound Effect] J --> K[Update Character State] K --> C style A fill:#e1f5fe style B fill:#f3e5f5 style F fill:#e8f5e8 style I fill:#fff3e0 style K fill:#fce4ec

🔧 Step 1: Character State Management

First, create variables to track each character’s state:

    when flag clicked
set [Hoppy Location v] to [0]
set [Joy Location v] to [0]
set [Good Boy Location v] to [0]
set [Handy Dandy Location v] to [0]
set [Wolfy Location v] to [0]
set [Movement Timer v] to [0]

🎲 Step 2: Random Movement System

Create the main random movement logic:

    when flag clicked
forever
wait (pick random [3] to [8]) seconds
set [Selected Character v] to (pick random [1] to [5])
set [New Location v] to (pick random [1] to [10])

// Don't allow characters in office (location 1)
if <(New Location) = [1]> then
set [New Location v] to (pick random [2] to [10])
end

broadcast (join [Move Character ] (Selected Character))
end

👻 Step 3: Individual Character Scripts

For each character sprite (Hoppy example):

    when I receive [Move Character 1]
if <(Selected Character) = [1]> then
set [Hoppy Location v] to (New Location)

if <(Hoppy Location) = [2]> then
go to x: [-200] y: [100]
show
end

if <(Hoppy Location) = [3]> then
go to x: [0] y: [50]
show
end

if <(Hoppy Location) = [4]> then
go to x: [200] y: [100]
show
end

// Add more locations as needed

if <(Hoppy Location) = [0]> then
hide
end

play sound [character move v]
end

🚫 Step 4: Office Protection System

Ensure characters never appear in the office:

    // For office/security room backdrop
when backdrop switches to [Security Room v]
broadcast [Hide All Characters v]

when I receive [Hide All Characters v]
hide
set [Hoppy Location v] to [0]

🎮 Step 5: Advanced Random Behaviors

Add more sophisticated AI patterns:

    // Difficulty scaling
when flag clicked
set [Difficulty Level v] to [1]
forever
wait [60] seconds
if <(Difficulty Level) < [5]> then
change [Difficulty Level v] by [1]
end
end

// Faster movement at higher difficulty
when I receive [Move Character 1]
wait (6 - (Difficulty Level)) seconds
// Character movement code here

🔊 Step 6: Audio Cues

Add sound effects for immersion:

    when I receive [Move Character 1]
if <(distance to [Player v]) < [100]> then
play sound [footsteps close v]
else
play sound [footsteps distant v]
end

This system creates unpredictable character movement while keeping them out of restricted areas. The difficulty scaling makes the game progressively more challenging! 🎯

GD

GameDevMaster

Replied 45 minutes later

@HorrorGameExpert This is absolutely perfect! 🎉 The location restriction system is exactly what I needed!

Quick follow-up: How can I make some characters more aggressive than others? Like having Wolfy appear more frequently than the others?

AI

AIBehaviorSpecialist

Replied 2 hours later

@GameDevMaster Great question! You can create weighted random selection for different character aggression levels:

    // Weighted character selection
when flag clicked
forever
wait (pick random [2] to [6]) seconds
set [Random Value v] to (pick random [1] to [100])

// Wolfy: 30% chance (1-30)
if <(Random Value) < [31]> then
set [Selected Character v] to [5]
else
// Other characters: 17.5% each (31-100)
if <(Random Value) < [49]> then
set [Selected Character v] to [1] // Hoppy
else
if <(Random Value) < [67]> then
set [Selected Character v] to [2] // Joy
else
if <(Random Value) < [85]> then
set [Selected Character v] to [3] // Good Boy
else
set [Selected Character v] to [4] // Handy Dandy
end
end
end
end

broadcast (join [Move Character ] (Selected Character))
end

This gives Wolfy a 30% chance to be selected while others get 17.5% each. Adjust the numbers to fine-tune aggression levels! 🐺

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

🎮 Master Advanced Game AI Systems!

Excellent discussion on random character behavior! For developers looking to create even more sophisticated AI systems, our community can help you implement:

  • 🧠 Adaptive AI that learns from player behavior
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