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Animated Timers in UEFN: Tips, Best Practices, and Creative Use Cases

Here are some essential tips, things to know, and inspiring examples of how you can use an animated timer in your UEFN Game!

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4 days ago

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Animated timers are more than just a visual countdown; they’re powerful tools for enhancing gameplay tension, player focus, and overall experience. Before you dive into building your own animated timer using UEFN, here are essential tips, things to know, and inspiring examples to maximize their impact.

Things Creators Should Know Before Starting:

  1. Familiarity with UI Basics is Key
    • Before attempting an animated timer, you should be comfortable creating User Widgets, adding basic widgets (Overlay, Text Box, Size Box), and setting properties like alignment and padding.
  2. Understand the Importance of Animation Timing
    • Subtle timing adjustments (when text grows, when color shifts) can make your animation feel exciting rather than chaotic. Smooth keyframes make a big difference.
  3. Plan the Role of the Timer Early
    • Ask yourself: Is the timer meant to stress players, guide pacing, or simply inform them? Your design and animation should reflect the emotional tone you want.
  4. Performance Matters
    • Complex or heavily layered animations can increase performance costs. Keep your timer lightweight to avoid issues on large maps or during intense gameplay.
  5. Link to Gameplay Logic Thoughtfully
    • Set up Viewmodel bindings carefully to avoid glitches, especially when switching between regular mode and urgency mode.
  6. Test in Different Game States
    • Make sure your timer behaves correctly when the match resets, when urgency is triggered, and when the timer completes.

Best Use Cases for Animated Timers:

  1. High Stakes Final Countdown
    • Make the last 10 seconds of a match pulse and turn red to add adrenaline.
  2. Puzzle Games or Escape Rooms
    • Use animated timers to build suspense as players try to solve puzzles before time runs out.
  3. Race or Parkour Challenges
    • Show a bold animated timer to pressure players to finish courses faster.
  4. Zone Control and Capture Points
    • Let teams visually see how much time is left to hold a point, with urgency flashing when time is nearly up.
  5. Survival and Defense Modes
    • When players must defend an area for a set time, the animated timer keeps them informed and heightens tension.

Creative Ideas and Examples:

  • Disappearing Circle: Add a shrinking ring around your timer, dissolving as time runs out.
  • Moving Timer: Make the timer shake or jiggle subtly when urgency mode starts.
  • Clock-Themed UI: Style the background image to look like a classic clock face or a sci-fi timer.
  • Color Transition Over Time: Animate the timer to gradually change color as time passes (e.g., green to yellow to red).

Pro Tip:

If you use multiple timers in your map (for different objectives), differentiate them visually by size, color, or animation style. This avoids player confusion and keeps your HUD clean and effective.

TCB Community Projects Featuring Animated Timers:

Check out this awesome community-made example that creatively used an animated timer:

  • “Cyber City Turf” by Digital Mushroom — Map Code: 8490-5754-8712


And get inspired by how others have integrated timers into their gameplay loops!

Ready to build your own animated timer? Check out the Official tutorial on the EDC here: Making an Animated Timer in UEFN

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