Recipe: Open a UI Screen

Outcome: a button pushes an instructions screen and Back returns to the previous screen.

Execution model

• Authority — none for screen navigation; gameplay actions initiated by UI still require authority validation.
• Prediction — the screen may display pending intent but must not invent confirmed gameplay state.
• Replicated — only the gameplay data being presented, not the navigation stack itself.
• Local only — screen stack, widget instances, animations, focus, button sounds, and layout.

1. Create the widget

Create a prefab derived from ScreenWidget. Add the content and a Back button. Store it through a typed AssetReference on the screen that opens it.

2. Push the screen

[SerializeField]
private AssetReference<InstructionsWidget> instructions = new();

public void OpenInstructions()
{
    if (instructions.IsValid)
        WidgetSubsystem?.ShowScreen(
            instructions,
            new ScreenShownParameters(openMode: EScreenOpenMode.Push));
}

Bind the Back button to WidgetSubsystem.CloseCurrentScreen(). Push disables the previous screen and resumes it after the instructions screen closes.

Verify

Open and close the screen several times. Confirm it does not create duplicate visible instances and that each Multi-Peer view shows UI only for its selected game instance.

Understand the system

Continue with Manual: UI for screen modes, windows, notifications, state objects, variables, and loading screens.