State Machine Platformer

This project is a 2D platformer where I've learned a lot about improving movement and game structure. It all started with me wanting to create a proper state machine. I also wanted to improve my skills in movement and animation. This game is intended to become a precision platformer with many possibilities for momentum and speed.

State Machine

13/01/2025

This is where all the state machine magic happens! The image above shows a visual sheet of all the states and their transitions. The icons on the left indicate the conditions required to switch from one state to another. The player starts in the idle state, which is called from "Start" in the Player class/script.

Movement

12/12/2024

Most people tend to underestimate how complex movement in platformer games can be. They don't realize that making a proper platformer involves much more than a simple jump and walk script. For smooth gameplay, many additional mechanics need to be added. One of these is called a "Coyote Jump," which allows the player to jump for a short moment after walking off a platform, this makes the game feel more forgiving. Another useful feature is the "Jump Buffer," which gives players a short window to press the jump button before landing. This results in the player jumping immediately upon landing, making the controls feel more responsive which reduces frustration from missed inputs.

Pixel Snapping

21/11/2024

My game uses pixel art, and one issue I wanted to avoid from the beginning was the player standing “between pixels” while moving. I solved this by setting the game window resolution to match the desired pixels per unit (48). Now, the player snaps to the pixel grid (as shown on the right), even though in the editor, their position might not align exactly (as shown on the left).

Tile Rules

18/11/2024

I decided to create a tile rule system because I expect to place a lot of tiles while building levels for this platformer. Setting up the system took quite a bit of time, but I believe it will be worth it once I start designing levels. Hopefully, it will save me time in the long run—but we’ll see!

Animations!

14/11/2024

I created some animations for the main character to make the movement feel more fluid!