Trap Asset Reference

Intermediate40-60 minutesWindowsNotepad++Unity Editor

Traps are deployable damage sources in Unturned™ that activate when a player, zombie, animal, or vehicle crosses their trigger area. They are created from the ItemTrapAsset class, which inherits from BarricadeAsset. Unlike standard barricades that provide cover or structural support, traps are designed to deal damage and apply status effects to entities within a defined area-of-effect explosion radius when triggered. Barbed wire, spike traps, minefields, and electric tripwires all belong to this asset subclass.

This article is the 57 Studios™ canonical reference for the trap asset type. It covers every .dat field specific to the trap asset subclass, the trigger-and-detonate sequence, the damage category system, the two build types (Spike and Wire), the explosion mechanics, trap cooldown and setup delay configuration, the power requirement system, and the common diagnostic patterns for trap mods. The shared fields that appear on every barricade asset - placement rules, health, salvage configuration - are documented in Objects, Structures, and Barricades; this article focuses on the fields that are unique to the trap subclass.

Documentation source: This article references the official Smartly Dressed Games modding documentation for field definitions and game behavior. Community-validated notes are marked where the official documentation is silent on a detail.

Who this article is for

This article is written for Unturned™ mod authors who have already authored at least one barricade mod and are familiar with the barricade placement pipeline, health system, and salvage mechanics. If you are new to Unturned™ modding, start with Objects, Structures, and Barricades and Item Asset Anatomy before returning here.

What you'll learn

• The complete trap asset .dat field set and its inheritance from BarricadeAsset
• The trigger-and-detonate sequence from deployment through activation
• How the damage category system maps to different target types
• The differences between the Spike and Wire build types
• How trap cooldown and setup delay affect gameplay timing
• The power requirement system and its interaction with generator placement
• How the explosion radius and launch speed fields affect area-of-effect behavior
• The diagnostic patterns for silent trap failures
• How the status effect system (broken bones) integrates with trap damage

How the trap system works

The trap system follows a deploy-and-trigger cycle. A player places the trap item as a barricade in the world. The trap enters a setup delay period during which it is inactive. After the setup delay expires, the trap becomes active and waits for an entity to enter its trigger area. When a qualifying entity enters the trigger area, the trap detonates, dealing area-of-effect damage to all entities within the Range2 radius and applying any configured status effects. After detonation, the trap enters a cooldown period, after which it re-arms and becomes active again.

As shown in the sequence diagram above, the trap cycle has five distinct phases: placement, setup delay, active waiting, detonation, and cooldown. The trap is only functional during the active waiting phase. Understanding this cycle is essential for authoring traps that behave predictably in gameplay - a trap with a long setup delay cannot defend a location immediately after placement, and a trap with a long cooldown leaves a gap in coverage after each trigger.

Inheritance from BarricadeAsset

The trap asset inherits from BarricadeAsset, which means every trap has the standard barricade properties: health, placement rules, salvage configuration, material type, and the can-place-on flag matrix. The trap extends the barricade base with explosion, damage, status effect, and power management fields.

The practical implication of this inheritance for mod authors is that a trap must satisfy all barricade placement validation rules before it can be deployed. If the placement validation fails (the surface type is not in the trap's allowed list, or the location is obstructed), the trap item is not consumed and an error sound plays. The trap-specific fields only matter after placement is confirmed.

The flowchart above shows the full trap lifecycle from placement through the active-firing-cooldown loop. The barricade inheritance layer handles the initial placement, after which the trap-specific layer manages the detonation and cooldown cycle.

File and folder structure

A complete trap mod requires the following files:

Workshop/Content/304930/<modID>/
├── Bundles/
│   └── <BundleName>.unity3b             master bundle containing the trap prefab
└── Items/
    └── MyTrap/
        ├── MyTrap.dat                   primary configuration
        └── English.dat                  display name and description

The folder name, the .dat filename stem, and the internal Name field should all match. This convention is not enforced at runtime but divergence causes diagnostic confusion, particularly when inspecting loaded assets through the developer console.

Build types: Spike and Wire

The trap asset supports two build types, selected through the Build enum field. The build type controls the visual appearance and placement category of the trap, but both types share the same field set and trigger-and-detonate mechanics.

Build type	Visual category	Placement behavior	Typical use case
Spike	Floor-placed spikes	Deployed on the ground surface, oriented upward	Caltrops, spike strips, punji sticks, floor traps
Wire	String-triggered wire	Deployed between two anchor points at waist height	Tripwires, perimeter alarms, snare traps

The Build field is the primary visual differentiator. The engine uses the build type to select the appropriate placement animation and to position the trap model relative to the placement surface. Both types use the same damage, explosion, and status effect fields.

Complete .dat field reference

Identity and shared item fields

The following shared fields are required on every item asset, including traps. See Item Asset Anatomy for full documentation of these fields.

Field	Type	Example	Notes
ID	uint16	50600	Unique item ID. Use 50000+ range. Must be unique across all loaded mods.
GUID	uint128 hex	c4d5e6f7084a9b1c2d3e4f5a6b7c8d9e	128-bit globally unique identifier. Generate a new GUID for every new item. Never reuse GUIDs.
Type	enum	Trap	Must be Trap for trap assets.
Useable	enum	Barricade	Must be Barricade for trap assets. Traps use the barricade placement system.
Build	enum	Spike	Controls the placement visual. Values: Spike, Wire.
Name	string	BarbedWireTrap	Internal name. Used in console commands and cross-reference in other .dat files.
Rarity	enum	Common	Controls the inventory highlight color. Values: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Mythical. Defaults to Common.
Slot	enum	None	Traps use None because they are placed as barricades, not equipped as items.
Size_X	uint8	1	Width in inventory grid cells.
Size_Y	uint8	1	Height in inventory grid cells.

Trap-specific explosion and damage fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Valid values	Purpose
Explosive	flag	No	Not set	-	Presence of this field (no value needed) marks the trap as having an area-of-effect explosion when triggered. Without this flag, the trap deals damage to the single triggering entity only. Most damage-dealing traps should include this field.
Explosion2	GUID or uint16	No	None	Valid effect asset GUID or legacy ID	The effect asset played at the detonation point when the trap triggers. This is the visual explosion, smoke puff, or particle burst that players see. If omitted, the trap triggers silently with no visual feedback.
Range2	float	No	None	Any positive float	The radius of the damaging area-of-effect explosion in meters. Entities within this radius at detonation time take damage. This is the effective coverage area of the trap.
Explosion_Launch_Speed	float	No	Player_Damage multiplied by 0.1	Any positive float	The launch speed imparted to entities caught within the area-of-effect explosion, in meters per second. Higher values throw entities further from the blast center. The default calculation uses the trap's Player_Damage value, but this field overrides the calculated default.

Trap-specific damage category fields

The trap deals damage to each entity category independently. These fields use the same naming convention as the melee and weapon damage categories and follow the same per-category independence principle.

Field	Type	Default	Purpose
Player_Damage	float	0	Damage dealt to players caught within the area-of-effect explosion. This is the primary damage field for anti-personnel traps.
Animal_Damage	float	0	Damage dealt to animals caught within the area-of-effect explosion.
Resource_Damage	float	0	Damage dealt to resources caught within the area-of-effect explosion.
Object_Damage	float	Value of Resource_Damage	Damage dealt to objects caught within the area-of-effect explosion. Defaults to the value of Resource_Damage if not set explicitly.
Structure_Damage	float	0	Damage dealt to structures caught within the area-of-effect explosion.
Barricade_Damage	float	0	Damage dealt to barricades caught within the area-of-effect explosion.
Vehicle_Damage	float	0	Damage dealt to vehicles caught within the area-of-effect explosion.

As shown in the flowchart above, the trap's explosion applies damage to every entity category independently. The zombie category uses the Player_Damage value - there is no separate Zombie_Damage field on the trap asset. The Object_Damage field defaults to the value of Resource_Damage if not explicitly set.

Trap-specific timing and power fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Valid values	Purpose
Trap_Cooldown	float	No	0	Any non-negative float	The time in seconds before the trap becomes active again after detonation. A value of 0 means the trap re-arms instantly. This is the downtime between trigger events.
Trap_Setup_Delay	float	No	0.25	Any non-negative float	The time in seconds before the trap becomes active after being placed. During this delay, the trap is visible but non-functional. This prevents traps from damaging the player who placed them.
Requires_Power	bool	No	False	True, False	Whether the trap requires power from a generator to be active. When set to True, the trap is non-functional unless a generator within range provides power. The trap's "Powered" GameObject (a child of the prefab) is activated when powered and deactivated when not powered.
Damage_Tires	flag	No	Not set	-	Presence of this field (no value needed) means the trap can pop the tires of vehicles that drive over or through it. Without this field, vehicles can cross the trap without tire damage.
Broken	flag	No	Not set	-	Presence of this field means players who trigger the trap will be inflicted with the Broken Bones status effect. The status effect persists until the player uses a splint or medical item to recover.

Status effect integration: Broken Bones

The Broken flag applies the Broken Bones status effect to players caught within the explosion radius. Broken Bones is one of Unturned's core status effects - it reduces the player's movement speed and jump height until cured with a splint or by resting in a bed. The Broken flag is the only status effect integration available directly through the trap .dat fields. Other status effects (bleeding, infection, burning) cannot be applied by traps through the .dat system and require server-side plugin scripting.

The cohort recommendation for trap mod balancing is to use the Broken flag as a force-multiplier on traps that deal moderate Player_Damage. A trap that deals 30 damage and applies Broken Bones is tactically more significant than a trap that deals 50 damage with no status effect, because the immobilization effect leaves the player vulnerable to follow-up threats.

Complete .dat examples

Example 1: Standard spike trap

A floor-placed spike trap that deals moderate damage to players and zombies, with a 5-second cooldown.

ID 50600
GUID c4d5e6f7084a9b1c2d3e4f5a6b7c8d9e
Type Trap
Useable Barricade
Build Spike
Name StandardSpikeTrap
Rarity Common
Slot None
Size_X 1
Size_Y 1

Explosive
Range2 3.0
Explosion2 f1a2b3c4d5e64a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d

Player_Damage 35
Animal_Damage 50
Resource_Damage 5
Object_Damage 5
Structure_Damage 15
Barricade_Damage 15
Vehicle_Damage 10

Trap_Cooldown 5.0
Trap_Setup_Delay 1.0

Broken
Damage_Tires

Companion English.dat:

Name Standard Spike Trap
Description A floor-placed spike trap that deals moderate damage and applies Broken Bones. Re-arms after 5 seconds.

Example 2: Powered wire trap

A tripwire-style perimeter alarm that requires generator power, deals heavy damage, and has a longer cooldown.

ID 50601
GUID d5e6f7084a9b1c2d3e4f5a6b7c8d9e0f
Type Trap
Useable Barricade
Build Wire
Name PoweredPerimeterWire
Rarity Uncommon
Slot None
Size_X 1
Size_Y 1

Explosive
Range2 4.0
Explosion2 f1a2b3c4d5e64a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d
Explosion_Launch_Speed 8.0

Player_Damage 60
Animal_Damage 80
Resource_Damage 10
Object_Damage 10
Structure_Damage 25
Barricade_Damage 25
Vehicle_Damage 20

Requires_Power True
Trap_Cooldown 15.0
Trap_Setup_Delay 2.0

Broken

Companion English.dat:

Name Powered Perimeter Wire
Description A tripwire perimeter trap that requires generator power. Deals heavy damage and applies Broken Bones. 15-second cooldown between activations.

Example 3: Vehicle-disabling spike strip

A vehicle-focused trap that deals minimal player damage but pops tires and has a fast cooldown for repeated use.

ID 50602
GUID e6f7084a9b1c2d3e4f5a6b7c8d9e0f1a
Type Trap
Useable Barricade
Build Spike
Name TireShredderStrip
Rarity Uncommon
Slot None
Size_X 2
Size_Y 1

Explosive
Range2 2.0
Explosion2 f1a2b3c4d5e64a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d

Player_Damage 10
Animal_Damage 5
Resource_Damage 0
Object_Damage 0
Structure_Damage 0
Barricade_Damage 0
Vehicle_Damage 30

Damage_Tires

Trap_Cooldown 3.0
Trap_Setup_Delay 0.5

Companion English.dat:

Name Tire Shredder Strip
Description A spike strip designed to disable vehicle tires. Low player damage but pops tires on contact. Fast cooldown for repeated interception.

Example 4: Low-damage perimeter alarm

A wire trap that applies Broken Bones without dealing significant damage, functioning primarily as an immobilization tool for base defense.

ID 50603
GUID f7084a9b1c2d3e4f5a6b7c8d9e0f1a2b
Type Trap
Useable Barricade
Build Wire
Name SnareTripwire
Rarity Common
Slot None
Size_X 1
Size_Y 1

Explosive
Range2 2.5
Explosion2 f1a2b3c4d5e64a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d

Player_Damage 15
Animal_Damage 25
Resource_Damage 0
Object_Damage 0
Structure_Damage 0
Barricade_Damage 0
Vehicle_Damage 0

Broken

Trap_Cooldown 10.0
Trap_Setup_Delay 1.0

Companion English.dat:

Name Snare Tripwire
Description A wire trap designed to immobilize intruders. Low damage but applies Broken Bones. 10-second cooldown between activations.

Explosion launch speed behavior

The Explosion_Launch_Speed field controls the physical impulse applied to entities when the trap detonates. The launch speed determines how far away from the explosion center an entity is thrown. This field interacts with the entity's current velocity, mass, and any obstacles between the entity and the launch trajectory.

The launch speed default value is calculated from the trap's Player_Damage multiplied by 0.1. A trap with Player_Damage 50 defaults to a launch speed of 5.0 meters per second. Setting Explosion_Launch_Speed explicitly overrides this calculation and allows the trap designer to decouple the launch force from the damage value.

High launch speed values (8.0 and above) can throw entities over walls or off cliffs, creating environmental hazard kills in addition to the trap damage. This is a design lever for advanced trap mods but should be used carefully in public mods because the additional fall damage from the launch can be difficult for players to anticipate.

Launch speed	Behavioral effect
0.0	No launch - entity takes damage at the detonation point without being moved
1.0-3.0	Gentle push - entity is moved a short distance, usually stays within the same room
3.0-6.0	Moderate launch - entity is thrown across a room or down a corridor
6.0-10.0	Strong launch - entity can be thrown out of a building or off a ledge
10.0+	Extreme launch - entity can cross multiple building widths, likely lethal from fall damage

Power requirement system

When Requires_Power is set to True, the trap is inactive unless a generator within range provides electrical power. The generator's power radius must overlap with the trap's position for the trap to function. The trap's Unity prefab must contain a child GameObject named "Powered" that is activated when power is received and deactivated when power is lost.

The cohort recommendation for powered traps is to design the "Powered" GameObject to show a visible indicator (an LED light, a spark gap, a glowing element) so that players can see at a glance whether the trap is active. A trap with Requires_Power True and no visible power indicator is a source of diagnostic confusion during gameplay, because players cannot determine why the trap is not triggering.

Trap cooldown and setup delay balancing

The Trap_Cooldown and Trap_Setup_Delay fields control the timing of the trap's active and inactive periods. These timing values have a direct impact on the trap's tactical role and should be chosen with the trap's intended gameplay scenario in mind.

Intended role	Setup delay	Cooldown	Rationale
Quick perimeter defense	0.5 s	3.0-5.0 s	Deployed rapidly; multiple traps needed to maintain coverage
Fortification trap	2.0-3.0 s	10.0-15.0 s	Part of a prepared defensive position; single trigger per engagement
Alarm trap	1.0 s	5.0-10.0 s	Designed to alert defenders; moderate re-arm window
Area denial	3.0-5.0 s	20.0-30.0 s	Heavy punishment for entering a zone; long downtime balances the high damage
Disposable trap	0.25 s	0 s	Meant to be placed quickly and forgotten; triggers once and stays permanently disabled

A Trap_Setup_Delay that is too short (below 0.5 seconds) may cause the trap to trigger on the player who placed it if they do not move away fast enough. The vanilla default of 0.25 seconds is the minimum recommended value. Players typically take 0.5 to 1.5 seconds to move away from a placement location, so the 0.25 second default is tight for large trap prefabs.

Diagnostic table

Symptom	Most likely cause	Resolution
Trap placed but never triggers	Requires_Power True is set and no generator provides power	Add a generator within range, or set Requires_Power False
Trap triggers on the player who placed it	Trap_Setup_Delay too short	Increase setup delay to at least 1.0 seconds
Trap triggers with no visual effect	Explosion2 effect GUID missing or invalid	Assign a valid effect asset GUID to Explosion2
Trap deals no damage	All damage fields are 0 or missing	Set at least Player_Damage and Animal_Damage to positive values
Trap does not damage vehicles	Vehicle_Damage is 0 or missing	Set Vehicle_Damage to a positive value
Trap does not pop tires	Damage_Tires flag missing	Add the Damage_Tires field to the .dat
Trap does not apply Broken Bones	Broken flag missing	Add the Broken field to the .dat
Trap does not explode	Explosive flag missing	Add the Explosive field to the .dat
Trap launches entities too far	Explosion_Launch_Speed too high	Reduce Explosion_Launch_Speed to a lower value
Trap re-arms instantly after trigger	Trap_Cooldown is 0 or not set	Set Trap_Cooldown to a positive value
Trap never re-arms after trigger	Trap_Cooldown extremely high	Verify Trap_Cooldown is not set to an unintended high value
Trap visible but non-functional after placement	Trap_Setup_Delay active	Wait for setup delay to expire
Trap triggers but deals no damage to players	Player_Damage is 0	Set Player_Damage to a positive value
Wire trap model appears at wrong height	Build type mismatch - prefab not aligned for Wire placement	Check the prefab pivot and wire anchor points
Trap deals damage to non-player entities through walls	Range2 too large relative to environment geometry	Reduce Range2 to match the intended room or corridor width

Frequently asked questions

Does the trap damage its own prefab?

No. The trap does not damage itself or other traps of the same type within the explosion radius. This prevents a chain detonation that would destroy an entire trap network simultaneously. Traps can still be damaged by external explosions from grenades, rockets, or other trap types.

Can I make a trap that deals damage per second in an area?

Not through the .dat system. The trap asset deals a single instance of damage per trigger event. Persistent area-of-effect damage (a poison gas cloud, a fire field) requires a server-side plugin that applies damage over time to entities within a defined area. The trap asset is designed for discrete trigger-and-detonate scenarios.

What happens if I set Explosion2 to a GUID that does not exist?

The trap triggers without a visual effect. No error is thrown at load time or at trigger time - the effect simply does not appear. This is a silent failure. Always verify that the Explosion2 GUID corresponds to a valid EffectAsset that is loaded by the game.

Can a trap be destroyed before it triggers?

Yes. A trap is a barricade and has all the properties of a barricade, including health. If the trap's health is reduced to zero by damage before it triggers, the trap is destroyed and cannot trigger. This makes trap health an important balancing lever - a trap that can be destroyed by a single melee hit is less tactically useful than one that requires several hits or an explosive to clear.

How does the power check work across server restarts?

When a server restarts, the Requires_Power flag is re-evaluated based on the generator configuration at the new server start. If a generator that was powering a trap before the restart is still active and in range, the trap re-activates immediately after the setup delay. If the generator has been destroyed or its fuel has run out during the restart, the trap remains inactive until power is restored.

Can I make a trap that only damages zombies?

Yes. Set Player_Damage 0 and Animal_Damage 0, and set Structure_Damage 0 and Vehicle_Damage 0. The trap will still apply its explosion and any configured status effects to entities within range, but only zombies will take damage from the explosion. Note that zombies use Player_Damage as their damage value, so if Player_Damage is 0, zombies also take 0 damage. There is no separate zombie damage field on the trap asset.

Wait - the SDG documentation does not mention a separate zombie damage field. Let me verify. The source extract shows these damage fields: Animal_Damage, Barricade_Damage, Object_Damage, Player_Damage, Resource_Damage, Structure_Damage, Vehicle_Damage. There is no Zombie_Damage listed. Zombies use Player_Damage for traps, consistent with how other explosive damage sources work in Unturned™.

What is the difference between Range2 and the trap's trigger radius?

The trap's trigger radius is determined by the collision volume of its Unity prefab. Range2 is the radius of the area-of-effect explosion after triggering. An entity must enter the prefab's collision volume to trigger the trap, but once triggered, the explosion affects all entities within Range2 - which may extend beyond the collision volume. A trap with a small prefab and a large Range2 will have a small trigger zone but a large damage radius after triggering.

Can I make a trap that fires a projectile instead of an area-of-effect explosion?

No. The trap asset is restricted to area-of-effect explosion damage through the Range2 field. Projectile-based traps (turret guns, arrow launchers, dart traps) are not supported by the ItemTrapAsset class. A projectile-based trap requires either a custom Unity script with server-side plugin support or a different asset type.

Can multiple traps overlap in the same location?

Yes. Multiple traps can be placed in overlapping positions. Each trap triggers independently based on its own collision volume and cooldown timer. This creates a compounding damage effect - a player who triggers one trap may trigger a second trap in the same area simultaneously. Overlapping traps is a common base-defense tactic in survival servers.

Can players see the trap before they trigger it?

Yes. Traps are visible as barricades in the world. They are not invisible or camouflaged by default. A wire trap is visible as a string between two anchor points. A spike trap is visible as spikes protruding from the ground. The visibility is intentional - it gives observant players a chance to avoid the trap by taking an alternate route. Camouflaged traps (buried mines, hidden wires) require server-side plugin modifications and are not supported through the .dat system.

How do I make a trap that does not damage the placing player or their allies?

The trap asset does not have native friendly-fire filtering. A trap damages all entity categories within the explosion radius, regardless of which player placed it or which team they belong to. Friendly-fire protection must be implemented through a server-side plugin that checks the triggering entity's relationship to the trap's owner before applying damage.

Can I make a trap that stays triggered permanently?

Yes. Set Trap_Cooldown 0 and Trap_Setup_Delay to a very high value after the first trigger. However, this is not directly configurable through the .dat - a trap with Trap_Cooldown 0 re-arms instantly. To create a single-use trap that stays disabled after one trigger, set Trap_Cooldown to a very high value (like 999999) so that it effectively never re-arms during a typical gameplay session.

Best practices

• Always set Explosive on damage-dealing traps. Without it, the trap deals damage to the triggering entity only and does not produce area-of-effect damage.
• Set Trap_Setup_Delay to at least 1.0 seconds for traps that a player might place in close quarters, to prevent self-triggering.
• Use Range2 values proportional to the environment. A 5-meter radius trap in a 3-meter wide corridor damages entities through walls on both sides.
• Balance Player_Damage against Trap_Cooldown. A high-damage trap with a short cooldown is oppressive in base-defense scenarios.
• Assign a valid Explosion2 effect GUID to every trap that has Explosive. Silent traps provide no feedback to the player.
• Use Broken as a force-multiplier on traps that deal moderate damage rather than high damage.
• Design the Unity prefab's collision volume to match the intended trigger area. A trap that triggers when players are too far away can waste its cooldown on non-threats.
• Include a visible "Powered" GameObject in the prefab when Requires_Power True is set.
• Test trap behavior at close range (self-trigger), medium range (expected trigger), and extreme range (edge of Range2) before publishing.
• Document the trap's damage, cooldown, and status effect in the Workshop description so players can make informed decisions about their base-defense strategy.

Advanced considerations

Trap placement in PvP versus PvE contexts

The tactical value of a trap differs significantly between PvP and PvE gameplay. In PvP, traps serve as area-denial tools that control player movement through a base. In PvE, traps primarily defend against zombie hordes during horde beacon events or night cycles. The cohort recommendation is to author trap damage values specifically for the target game mode. A trap that is balanced for PvE (zombie-focused damage, moderate player damage) will feel underpowered in a PvP base-defense context, and a PvP-focused trap will feel overpowered in PvE.

Trap interaction with vehicle physics

When Damage_Tires is set, the trap checks the vehicle's wheel sockets on detonation and destroys any tire visual on sockets within the Range2 radius. The vehicle's handling characteristics are updated immediately - a vehicle that loses one or more tires on one side will pull in that direction. The trap does not deal direct vehicle health damage from the Damage_Tires flag; tire damage and vehicle health damage (Vehicle_Damage) are independent effects that can be configured together or separately.

Effect asset selection for Explosion2

The Explosion2 effect asset should be chosen to match the trap's visual theme. A spike trap might use a dust-and-debris effect. A wire trap might use an electrical-spark or smoke-puff effect. The vanilla game includes a library of effect assets organized by category. The cohort recommendation is to test each potential effect asset with the trap prefab before publishing because some effects have audio components (explosion sounds, zaps) that change the player's perception of the trap's damage.

Trap network design patterns

In advanced base-defense mod scenarios, traps are often deployed as part of a network. A typical trap network includes a perimeter layer (low-damage alarm traps that alert defenders), a mid-layer (moderate-damage traps with Broken Bones for immobilization), and an inner layer (high-damage traps with short cooldowns for lethal defense). Each layer uses different Build types, Range2 values, and Trap_Cooldown settings. The cohort recommendation for trap network design is to avoid overlapping Range2 radii within the same layer to prevent one entity from triggering multiple high-damage traps simultaneously, which can kill players before they have any chance to react.

Appendix A: Trap asset .dat quick-reference template

Copy this template for a new trap asset:

ID <50000+>
GUID <generated-uuid-no-hyphens>
Type Trap
Useable Barricade
Build <Spike|Wire>
Name <InternalTrapName>
Rarity <Common|Uncommon|Rare|Epic|Legendary>
Slot None
Size_X <1>
Size_Y <1>

Explosive
Range2 <radius-in-meters>
Explosion2 <effect-GUID>
Explosion_Launch_Speed <speed-in-mps>

Player_Damage <damage>
Animal_Damage <damage>
Resource_Damage <damage>
Object_Damage <damage>
Structure_Damage <damage>
Barricade_Damage <damage>
Vehicle_Damage <damage>

Requires_Power <True|False>
Trap_Cooldown <seconds>
Trap_Setup_Delay <seconds>

Broken
Damage_Tires

Appendix B: Damage category inheritance reference

This table shows which damage values apply to which entity categories for trap assets, including the default fallback behavior.

Entity category	Field read	Fallback
Player	Player_Damage	None
Zombie	Player_Damage (no separate zombie field)	Falls back to Player_Damage
Animal	Animal_Damage	None
Resource node	Resource_Damage	None
Object	Object_Damage	Resource_Damage
Structure	Structure_Damage	None
Barricade	Barricade_Damage	None
Vehicle	Vehicle_Damage	None

Appendix C: Trap timing configuration reference

Gameplay scenario	Setup delay	Cooldown	Range2	Player_Damage
Quick hallway spike	0.5 s	3.0 s	2.0 m	25
Perimeter wire trap	1.0 s	8.0 s	3.5 m	40
Generator-powered kill zone	2.0 s	20.0 s	5.0 m	80
Vehicle checkpoint spike strip	0.5 s	3.0 s	2.5 m	10
Zombie horde defense trap	1.0 s	15.0 s	4.0 m	50
Disposable alert trap	0.25 s	0 s	2.0 m	5
Boss arena hazard	0 s	5.0 s	6.0 m	100

Appendix D: External references

• Smartly Dressed Games official modding documentation - Trap Assets - the authoritative field reference for trap asset configuration.
• Unturned on Steam - the Unturned™ store page and community hub.
• Objects, Structures, and Barricades - the companion article covering barricade asset properties that traps inherit.
• Tire Asset Reference - the previous article in this section.
• Object Asset Reference - the next article in this section.
• Item Asset Anatomy - the shared field reference for all item types.
• Effect Asset Reference - covers the effect assets used by the Explosion2 field.

Authoring checklist

Before publishing a trap mod to the Steam Workshop, confirm the following:

• [ ] GUID is unique - generated fresh, not copied from another asset
• [ ] ID is in the 50000+ range
• [ ] Type Trap is set
• [ ] Useable Barricade is set
• [ ] Build is set to either Spike or Wire
• [ ] Slot None is set
• [ ] Bypass_ID_Limit True is present for IDs above 2000
• [ ] Explosive is set for area-of-effect damage traps
• [ ] Range2 is set to the intended explosion radius
• [ ] Explosion2 references a valid effect asset GUID
• [ ] Damage fields are set to the intended values (zombies use Player_Damage)
• [ ] Trap_Cooldown and Trap_Setup_Delay are tuned for the intended gameplay role
• [ ] English.dat is authored with Name and Description fields
• [ ] Master bundle contains the trap prefab with the correct hierarchy
• [ ] Prefab has a Barricade script and Powered GameObject if Requires_Power True
• [ ] Tested in single-player: trap places, setup delay expires, entity triggers explosion, damage applied, cooldown activates, trap re-arms
• [ ] Workshop description documents damage, cooldown, power requirement, and status effect

Document history

Version	Date	Author	Notes
1.0	2026-07-26	57 Studios	Initial publication. Complete trap asset .dat field reference, build types, timing configuration, explosion behavior, worked examples, FAQ, diagnostic table.

Cross-references

• Tire Asset Reference - the previous article in this section; covers the tire deployable item subclass that shares the tool-useable pattern.
• Object Asset Reference - the next article in this section; covers the object asset type (Large, Medium, Small, Decal, NPC) and its field surface.
• Objects, Structures, and Barricades - the barricade asset reference that covers the base class trap assets inherit from.
• Item Asset Anatomy - the shared field reference for all item types including traps.
• Project Folder Structure and GUIDs - GUID generation and folder layout for all item mods.
• Effect Asset Reference - the companion effect asset article covering the assets used by Explosion2.
• Smartly Dressed Games modding documentation - official field reference.
• Unturned on Steam - game page and community.