Skip to contentTalk to us
العربيةLog inStart free

How do I make a platformer game?

Updated October 12, 2026

The short answer

A platformer needs four things: a character that runs and jumps, floors and platforms to stand on, a danger that makes you lose such as spikes and enemies, and a clear goal at the end of the level. Tune the jump until it feels good before anything else, then build a short level that teaches one new move at a time, and only then add coins, enemies and checkpoints.

People also ask this as
  • how to make a platformer game
  • how do I make a game like Mario
  • how to design platformer levels
  • make a jumping game without coding

The steps in the right order

  1. 1
    Tune the jump first

    Jump height, run speed and gravity are the heart of the game. Try different values on an empty floor until control feels light and precise.

  2. 2
    Draw a teaching level

    A small gap, then a higher platform, then a gap with a hazard above it. The player learns from the level itself, with no text.

  3. 3
    Add danger and reward

    Spikes and enemies that patrol a fixed path, and coins that point to the right route.

  4. 4
    Place checkpoints and a goal

    A checkpoint before each hard stretch, and a flag or a door at the end so the player knows they won.

  5. 5
    Test it on a phone

    Touch buttons change the feel. Make sure the hard jumps are possible with a thumb.

Level design: do and don't

Don't
  • Jumps where the player cannot see the landing.
  • Three new hazards in one stretch.
  • Punishing a death by replaying the whole level.
Do
  • Show a hazard somewhere safe before it gets hard.
  • Raise difficulty gradually, then give a short rest.
  • Make a hazard's hitbox slightly smaller than its drawing.

People also ask

What makes a game fun to play?

A game is fun when the controls feel good, the feedback is clear and the difficulty rises gradually. This is called game feel, and it comes from small numbers you tune: jump height, movement speed, how quickly a button responds, and the sound and shake on every action. If your game is boring, the fix is usually not more features but tuning those numbers and testing them again and again.

Read the full answer
How can I make a game without coding?

You can make a game without coding in three ways: a game engine with visual tools where you drag objects and wire up rules, a ready template whose art and levels you change, or an AI builder where you describe the game in plain words and play it in the browser within minutes. Whichever you pick, start tiny: one character, one goal, one level.

Read the full answer
Should my first game be 2D or 3D?

Make your first game 2D. Two-dimensional games are simpler to draw, animate and collide, they get finished sooner, and they run smoothly on most phones. Choose 3D only when the idea itself needs depth and a place to move around in, such as a showroom tour, an obstacle course or a race, and accept that performance depends on the player's device.

Read the full answer
How do I share my game with people?

The easiest way to share a small game is a link that opens it in the browser: you send it on WhatsApp or post it on your account and people play at once, with nothing to download or install. App stores and PC game platforms require developer accounts, review and rules, and suit a mature game rather than a first experiment. Start with a link, listen to players, then decide.

Read the full answer

Terms used in this answer

TilemapHitboxLevel designSprite

Read the full guide

Making games

How to make a platformer game: levels, jumps and enemies

A platformer looks like the simplest game and is the most exacting. This guide teaches jump, level and enemy design the way designers do it, then how to build one with no code.

October 12, 202611 min readMaking games

Why your game feels wrong, and how to fix it by tuning

The gap between a game that works and a game that is fun is a handful of numbers. This guide explains what each one does and how to find it with your hands, not by guessing.

October 12, 202610 min readMaking games

How to make a 2D game with AI and play it in minutes

AI builds a 2D game from your description in minutes, but how good it gets depends on what you write and what you do after the first version. A practical guide to both.

October 12, 202610 min read