Jumping
Learning paths through this topic
Coyote Time
Players judge a ledge by eye and often press jump a moment too late. Without coyote time they fall and feel the game ignored them. With it, they get the jump they meant.
Jump Buffering
Players often press jump a little before they land. Buffering keeps that press, so the character jumps as soon as it can, and fast movement flows on instead of stalling on the ground.
Variable-Height Jump
One button gives the player a whole range of jumps, from a short hop to a full leap, just by how long they hold it. So every jump is in their hands.
Double Jump
A second jump gives the player control in the air: a way to fix a misjudged jump, reach further or recover from a fall.
Bouncing and arcs
The math of things that fly: it works out the throw that lands exactly on a target, follows the arc and bounces off walls and floors. A ball bounces the same at any frame rate.
Wall Slide
A slow slide down a wall gives the player time to look, aim and choose, and it turns a wall from a dead end into a place to stop and think.
Wall Jump
A jump off a wall lets the player climb between walls, rescue a fall and reach places no ground jump reaches, with the wall as the one thing to push against.
Ledge Grab
Players misjudge jumps by a hand's width all the time. A ledge grab turns a near miss into a save, and it makes every edge a place to climb.
Ground Pound
A slam gives the player a heavy, committed move: a short wait, a fast drop and a landing with weight. It trades a moment of safety for force and a way to hit what is below.
Glide
A glide lets the player cross gaps that a jump cannot, and gives time to aim a landing. It rewards planning, and it forgives a jump that was a little too short.
Charge Jump
A jump the player shapes with the button itself: a tap for a small hop, a long hold for a big leap. It makes a jump a decision, because a big one costs time before it starts.
One-Way Platforms
A ledge that is open from below and solid from above. It lets the player climb through platforms by jumping, stand on them, and drop back down on purpose, so a level can stack floors without walls and ceilings getting in the way.