Time a row of spike traps so there is always a safe way through

A corridor of traps that all fire together is a coin flip, and one that fires at random can be impossible. Here is how to give each trap a warning and a delay in the row, and how to check in advance that a running player can get through.

Why this works

A challenge is fair when the designer has checked that at least one way through exists. Fixing the delay between neighbours means the runner meets every trap at the same point of its rhythm, so one good start passes the whole row, and you can test that ahead of time.

When not to use it

Avoid it where the player can change speed, stop or jump freely, because the check only holds for one pace. Then make the traps slower and more forgiving, or add a safe spot between them.

In the full entry

• What to build, step by step
• Starting values and the reason for each
• 3 common mistakes and the fix
• 39 lines of example code with 4 checks that pass
• How your AI shows you that it works

Say this to your AI

Use the Spielerando entry "Time a row of spike traps so there is always a safe way through" (read_entry trap-rows-staggered-so-a-runner-can-pass) in my game. Build it step by step, and show me how you checked that it works.

Or skip this and connect the MCP: your AI then finds all of this by itself.Connect the MCP