Cinematic Editor

Cinematics are scripted cut-scene sequences. While a cinematic plays, normal player input is suspended and the runtime executes each step in order before handing control back to the player (or transitioning the game state).

Cinematics are triggered via the Event Editor using the play_cinematic action.


Creating a Cinematic

  1. Open Cinematic Editor from the sidebar.
  2. Click + Add Cinematic.
  3. Give it a Name and optional Description.
  4. Choose the Scene it runs in — characters are placed and movement is relative to that scene.
  5. Add steps (see below).
  6. Set the Completion Action (what happens after the last step finishes).

Cinematic Steps

Steps execute sequentially, one after the other. Each step involves an optional character and one of the following types:

walk_to

Move a character to a specific position using pathfinding.

Field Description
Character main-character or an NPC id
Target X / Y Destination pixel coordinates on the scene canvas

The character pathfinds around blocked zones. Facing direction updates automatically based on movement direction.


talk

Display a speech line associated with a character.

Field Description
Character Who is speaking
Text The dialogue line

Waits for player acknowledgement (click/tap) before advancing to the next step.


action

Display a short action label on screen (e.g., “attacks”, “gives gift”).

Field Description
Character The acting character
Action Label Short action description

wait

Pause for a fixed duration.

Field Description
Duration Seconds to wait before advancing

show_dialog

Display a full-screen overlay text (not tied to a character).

Field Description
Text Dialog or narration text

Waits for player acknowledgement before advancing.


set_variable

Set a game state variable mid-cinematic.

Field Description
Variable name=value format (e.g., gate_unlocked=true)

play_sound

Play an audio asset.

Field Description
Asset Select an audio asset from the library

Completion Actions

After the final step completes, one of the following happens:

Action Description
return_to_game Resume normal gameplay in the current scene
navigate_scene Transition to a different scene
show_dialog Show a final dialog box before returning
set_variable Set a variable, then return to gameplay

Tips

  • Chain a walk_to + talk to have a character walk up before speaking.
  • Use set_variable steps to track that a cinematic has been seen, then disable the triggering event so it doesn’t replay.
  • NPCs controlled by a cinematic override their autonomous movement for the duration — they resume their movement instruction afterwards.
  • Use wait steps to time audio and action labels with each other.

CAPAB — Click and Point Adventure Builder

This site uses Just the Docs, a documentation theme for Jekyll.