If you're trying to add a bit of tactical depth to your shooter, getting a roblox custom peeking system script up and running is one of the best moves you can make. It's one of those features that separates a basic "run and gun" game from something that feels more polished and strategic, like Rainbow Six Siege or Ready or Not. Let's be real, nobody wants to just walk fully out into a hallway and get their head clicked on. Being able to lean around a corner by just tapping a key makes the gameplay feel way more responsive and professional.
Writing your own script for this isn't as intimidating as it might sound. You don't need to be a math genius to handle the CFrame offsets, though a little bit of vector knowledge helps. Most people try to overcomplicate it by overthinking the character's skeleton, but usually, it all comes down to two main things: shifting the camera and tilting the character's torso.
Why a Custom System Is Better Than a Plugin
You could probably find a pre-made model in the toolbox, but those are usually buggy or filled with someone else's messy code. When you build your own roblox custom peeking system script, you have total control over how it feels. Do you want the lean to be snappy and instant? Or should it have a bit of weight to it?
If you code it yourself, you can also ensure it works perfectly with your specific gun engine. Some of those toolbox scripts mess up your Aim Down Sights (ADS) logic, which is a nightmare to fix later. By keeping it custom, you make sure the camera offset doesn't break your crosshairs or make your gun models look like they're floating in mid-air.
Setting Up the Logic
At its core, a peeking system relies on UserInputService to detect when a player hits the Q or E keys. Most devs map Q to "Lean Left" and E to "Lean Right."
The logic usually follows a simple flow: 1. Detect the key press (Q or E). 2. Check if the player is already leaning in that direction (if so, stop leaning). 3. If they aren't leaning, move the Humanoid.CameraOffset. 4. Rotate the RootJoint or the Waist joint of the character model so other players can actually see them leaning. 5. Reverse everything when the key is released or toggled off.
The trickiest part is usually the math involved with Lerp or TweenService. You don't want the camera to just "teleport" six inches to the left. That looks janky and might actually give your players motion sickness. You want a smooth transition that takes maybe 0.2 seconds.
Writing the Core Script
You'll want to put your code in a LocalScript inside StarterCharacterScripts. This ensures the script runs specifically for the player controlling the character.
You'll start by defining your variables—things like the player's character, the humanoid, and the root part. You'll also need a couple of booleans to track whether the player is leaning left or right. It's a good idea to create a "Reset" function right away because you'll be calling it a lot. This function just sets the CameraOffset back to (0, 0, 0) and resets any joint rotations.
When the player presses "E," you'll want to change that CameraOffset to something like (2, 0, 0). While the camera moves, you also need to tilt the character. If you only move the camera, you're essentially "cheating" because your hitboxes are still behind the wall while you can see everything. By rotating the LowerTorso or Waist CFrame, your character actually physically leans, which keeps the game fair.
Making It Feel Smooth with TweenService
A lot of beginners use a while loop to move the camera, but honestly, TweenService is your best friend here. It handles the "easing" for you. Instead of a linear move, you can use an Elastic or Cubic easing style to make the lean feel more natural.
When you trigger the lean, you create a new Tween for the Humanoid.CameraOffset. If the player suddenly decides to lean the opposite way mid-transition, you should cancel the current tween and start the new one. This prevents the "vibrating camera" bug that happens when two scripts try to move the same object at once.
Replicating the Lean to Other Players
Here is where a lot of people get stuck. Since a LocalScript only runs on your computer, other players won't see you leaning. They'll just see you standing still while you're actually peeking around a corner. To fix this, your roblox custom peeking system script needs to talk to the server.
You'll need a RemoteEvent in ReplicatedStorage. Every time the lean state changes, the LocalScript fires that event to the server. The server then tells everyone else in the game, "Hey, Player 1 is leaning right now, update their character model."
Just a word of advice: don't send the camera data to the server every single frame. That's a fast way to lag your game. Just send the "Lean Left," "Lean Right," or "Neutral" state. Let the other players' clients handle the actual animation part.
Handling Wall Clipping
One annoying issue with custom peeking is that sometimes, if you're standing too close to a wall, leaning will push your camera right through the bricks. It looks bad and lets players see through the map.
To solve this, you can use a quick Raycast. Before the camera moves, cast a ray from the player's head in the direction they are leaning. If the ray hits a wall within 2 or 3 studs, you can shorten the lean distance or stop the lean entirely. This adds a layer of realism—you can't lean if there's a giant concrete pillar in your way.
Refining the User Experience
Think about how you want the controls to work. Some players prefer "Toggle" (tap once to lean, tap again to stop), while others prefer "Hold" (lean while holding the key, stop when you let go). If you're feeling fancy, you could even add a setting in your game's menu to let players choose which one they like best.
You might also want to slow down the player's walk speed while they're leaning. It's hard to sprint while you're tilted at a 45-degree angle, right? Dropping the WalkSpeed by about 30% or 50% while peeking adds a nice balance to the mechanic, preventing it from being too overpowered in fast-paced gunfights.
Wrapping It Up
At the end of the day, a roblox custom peeking system script is all about those small details. Once you get the CFrame math working and the RemoteEvents syncing, you'll notice a huge difference in how your game plays. It encourages players to slow down, check their corners, and play more tactically.
Don't be afraid to experiment with the angles and offsets. Maybe a 15-degree tilt is perfect for your game, or maybe you want something more extreme. The best part about writing the code yourself is that you can tweak a single number and completely change the "vibe" of your combat system. Just keep testing it, get some feedback from friends, and keep polishing it until it feels just right. Happy scripting!