Night Mode / Flashlight Mode

[PixelG-t]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Not a problem, but a new visual gameplay option. Currently, the map is always fully bright, and adding a darker mode could make the game feel more immersive and strategic at night.

Describe the solution you'd like
Add a Night Mode setting that makes the entire map dark, except for a small circular area around the **mouse cursor like a flashlight.
It would be a client side visual effect only, so it doesn’t affect gameplay balance.

How it could work:

• Overlay a dark layer over the map.
• Add a circular light mask around the cursor that reveals the area beneath.
• Toggle Night Mode from the Settings menu.

Describe alternatives you've considered

• A weather system that sometimes triggers low visibility or fog instead of full night mode.
• Making it a special “Challenge Mode” map type for fun or events.

Additional context
This feature would add atmosphere, especially for players who want a bit more challenge or realism.
It’s lightweight, safe for new contributors, and can be extended later with extra effects (e.g., lamps, base lights, etc.).

[TheGiraffe3]

Related: #2277

[PixelG-t]

Thanks for mentioning my Night Mode / Flashlight Mode idea

[kkissdev]

I'll attempt this!

[PixelG-t]

@kkissdev I’ve made a working prototype of the Night Mode / Flashlight effect.

In the main menu, under the language selection, there’s a sun emoji bar clicking it toggles Night Mode on/off

It’s a basic client-side demo fully visual and safe to test happy to share the code if you’re interested

Update: Since the light follows the cursor, it works perfectly with touch screens too

[kkissdev]

I don't see your commit under the main branch. Where did you push the change?

[PixelG-t]

@kkissdev I pushed the prototype to a separate branch called flashlight mode you can check it there it's a client side visual effect only and safe to test let me know if you want me to create a PR from this branch

[kkissdev]

Ah that's nice! I'm surprised you managed to do it all in one file. I think you might have to use layers though, because the stats and info (leaderboard, chat box, nation info) also get darkened. Adding lights to cities would be cool.

Edit: Oh and adding fire fx to the missiles and sams would also be nice

[PixelG-t]

Hey @kkissdev the flashlight effect is working
I’m trying to make cities, ports, and factories light up in flashlight Mode but I’m not sure how to target them in the code
Could you point me to where these buildings are defined, or how the game draws them?
Are they HTML elements, or is it all canvas rendering?

[kkissdev]

I haven't really gotten that far yet sorry, I'm still messing around with the numbers for the flashlight to make it look okay. Although, if I had to make a hasty guess, I assume it would have to do with the UnitGrid class in ~/src/core/game/UnitGrid.ts.

I haven't really checked the code inside of it too carefully but it handles removing structures and updating them.

[kkissdev]

I've opened a pull request with my current code.

[kkissdev]

#2364