Lobby and matchmaking basics in Unity - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Lobby and matchmaking basics

Player opens game

↓

Connect to server

↓

Create or join lobby

↓

Wait for players

↓

Matchmaking starts

↓

Players matched

↓

Start game session

This flow shows how a player connects, joins or creates a lobby, waits for others, and then matchmaking pairs players to start a game.

Execution Sample

Unity

void Start()
{
    ConnectToServer();
    JoinOrCreateLobby();
    StartMatchmaking();
}

This code connects the player to the server, joins or creates a lobby, then starts matchmaking.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Condition/Check	Result/State Change	Output/Next Step
1	Call ConnectToServer()	Is server reachable?	Connected to server	Proceed to lobby
2	Call JoinOrCreateLobby()	Is lobby available?	Joined existing lobby	Wait for players
3	Wait for players	Enough players joined?	Players ready	Start matchmaking
4	Call StartMatchmaking()	Match found?	Players matched	Start game session
5	Start game session	Game ready?	Game started	Gameplay begins

💡 Game session started, matchmaking and lobby process complete

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After ConnectToServer	After JoinOrCreateLobby	After Wait for players	After StartMatchmaking	Final
isConnected	false	true	true	true	true	true
lobbyStatus	none	none	joined	joined	joined	joined
playersReady	0	0	0	enough	enough	enough
matchFound	false	false	false	false	true	true
gameStarted	false	false	false	false	false	true

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we check if the server is reachable before joining a lobby?

Because joining a lobby requires a connection to the server. As shown in step 1 of the execution_table, if the server is not reachable, we cannot proceed to join or create a lobby.

What happens if there are not enough players in the lobby?

The matchmaking does not start until enough players join. Step 3 shows waiting for players; matchmaking only starts when playersReady is 'enough'.

Can the game start before matchmaking finds a match?

No, the game starts only after matchmaking finds a match, as shown in step 4 and 5 where matchFound must be true before gameStarted becomes true.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the variable_tracker table, what is the value of 'lobbyStatus' after JoinOrCreateLobby?

A none

B connected

C joined

D waiting

💡 Hint

Check the 'lobbyStatus' row under 'After JoinOrCreateLobby' column in variable_tracker.

At which step in the execution_table does matchmaking start?

A Step 4

B Step 3

C Step 2

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look for the action 'Start matchmaking' in execution_table.

If the server is not reachable, what happens to 'isConnected' variable?

A It stays false

B It becomes null

C It becomes true

D It becomes 'connected'

💡 Hint

Refer to 'isConnected' in variable_tracker after 'ConnectToServer' step.

Concept Snapshot

Lobby and matchmaking basics in Unity:
- Connect to server first
- Join or create a lobby
- Wait for enough players
- Start matchmaking to find matches
- Begin game session after match
Use server connection and lobby status variables to track progress.

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows the basic steps of lobby and matchmaking in Unity. First, the player connects to the server. Then they join or create a lobby. The system waits until enough players join the lobby. After that, matchmaking starts to find suitable players to play together. Once a match is found, the game session starts and gameplay begins. Variables like isConnected, lobbyStatus, playersReady, matchFound, and gameStarted track the state at each step. Key moments include ensuring server connection before lobby join, waiting for enough players before matchmaking, and starting the game only after a match is found.