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## Hidden Objects
Objects with `hidden: true` don't appear in the room's object listing. Players discover them by reading room descriptions or trying commands. The object is still fully interactable — `push gate`, `look gate`, etc.
```yaml
# data/objects/secret_lever.yaml
id: secret_lever
name: stone lever
hidden: true
description: "A cleverly concealed lever behind a loose stone."
use_interactions:
- condition:
flag: secret_passage_open
value: true
not: true
message: "You pull the lever. A grinding sound echoes from the east."
action:
set_flags:
secret_passage_open: true
```
Room description hints at it:
```yaml
description: "A dusty corridor. One of the wall stones looks slightly out of place."
```
### Multiple names (`aliases`)
By default an object matches its `name` (word-prefix matching) and the words in
its `id`. Add `aliases` to accept extra names:
```yaml
id: 1002_shuttle
name: landing craft # matches "landing", "craft", "landing craft"
aliases: [shuttle, ship] # also matches "shuttle" and "ship"
hidden: true
```
If a player's input matches more than one distinct object, `look` lists the
candidates ("That's ambiguous, which one?") instead of guessing — so keep aliases
specific enough to avoid overlap between objects in the same room.
### Descriptions that react to flags
An object can show different `look` text depending on the looking player's flags,
using a `descriptions` list (first matching condition wins). This is the simplest
way to fake per-player scenery — a crowd that becomes a queue, an NPC that
"appears" partway through a scene — without spawning real objects or mobs.
**If none of the variants match, the object is treated as absent for that
player** — `look <it>` reports nothing is there. Combined with `hidden: true`, the
same shared object can appear only while a player's flags warrant it (e.g. during
an intro) and vanish on return visits.
```yaml
id: 1002_crowd
name: crowd of people
aliases: [people, crowd, passengers]
hidden: true
descriptions:
- condition: # after the pilot arrives
all_of:
- player_flag: boarded
not: true
- player_flag: lined_up
text: "The passengers have formed a single-file line."
- condition: # before the pilot arrives
all_of:
- player_flag: boarded
not: true
- player_flag: lined_up
not: true
text: "A couple dozen anxious passengers mill about the pad."
# once `boarded` is set, no variant matches -> the crowd is gone
```
A plain `description:` (with no `descriptions:` list) is always present, as before.
### Safespot Objects
Safespot objects should always be `hidden: true`. They only become visible in `look` when the player's effective safespot tier meets the object's `safespot.tier` requirement. This creates a natural discovery mechanic: completing quests and achievements reveals new coverage opportunities.
Players can discover safespots by:
- Reading room descriptions for hints
- Trying `hide <object_name>` (name matching works even for hidden objects)
- Using `look <object>` once they know the name
- Gaining tier through progression, which reveals safespots in `look`
See [Safespots](objects.md#safespots) for the full YAML format.
---
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