From workflows
Build 2D platformers with polished run/jump feel: coyote time, jump buffering, variable height, tiled levels, hazards, and camera. For Mario-like or Celeste-like games or tuning jump feel.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/workflows:platformerThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
A playbook for 2D platformers — the run/jump controller "feel", level structure, hazards,
A playbook for 2D platformers — the run/jump controller "feel", level structure, hazards, and goals. This is a compositional skill: it wires an engine movement skill, a tilemap skill, and design skills into a working game. It does not re-teach physics or tilemaps; it tells you what to build and how to make jumping feel good.
When not to use: top-down movement with no gravity → use the engine movement skill
directly. 3D first-person traversal → fps-shooter. Grid/turn movement → roguelike.
For the raw kinematic body API, use godot-2d-movement (or your engine's controller skill).
Observe a gap/hazard → commit to a jump or move → land safely (or die) → reach the next checkpoint/goal. A platformer lives or dies on the moment-to-moment feel of that single jump, repeated thousands of times. Tighten the controller first; everything else is content.
Tune these by outcome (height in tiles, time to apex in seconds), not by raw numbers.
| Knob | Effect | Sane starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Max jump height | reach | 3–4 tiles |
| Time to apex | "weight"/snappiness | 0.30–0.40 s |
| Fall gravity multiplier | snappy, non-floaty fall | 1.5–2.0× rise gravity |
| Coyote time | jump just after leaving a ledge | 0.08–0.12 s (~5–7 frames @60) |
| Jump buffer | press just before landing still jumps | 0.10–0.15 s |
| Variable jump cut | tap = short hop, hold = full | cut upward velocity ×0.4–0.5 on release |
| Apex hang | brief float at the top for air control | reduce gravity ×0.5 near ` |
| Ground accel / friction | responsiveness vs. ice | reach top speed in 0.05–0.1 s |
| Corner correction | nudge past a ledge clipped by 1–2 px | nudge up to ~4 px sideways |
Derive gravity and jump velocity from the feel values rather than guessing — see Pattern 1.
# Pseudocode. Pick the FEEL you want, then derive the physics. y-axis points DOWN.
# From kinematics: h = (g * t^2) / 2 and v0 = g * t.
JUMP_HEIGHT = 3.5 * TILE # how high, in world units
TIME_TO_APEX = 0.35 # seconds to reach the top
gravity = (2 * JUMP_HEIGHT) / (TIME_TO_APEX ** 2) # rising gravity
jump_velocity = -(2 * JUMP_HEIGHT) / TIME_TO_APEX # negative = upward
fall_gravity = gravity * 1.8 # heavier on the way down → less floaty
# Pseudocode in the per-frame update. dt = seconds since last frame.
# Timers count DOWN; refresh coyote while grounded, buffer on a fresh press.
if on_floor:
coyote_timer = COYOTE_TIME # 0.1
if jump_pressed_this_frame:
buffer_timer = JUMP_BUFFER # 0.12
coyote_timer -= dt
buffer_timer -= dt
# A jump is allowed if we pressed recently AND were grounded recently.
if buffer_timer > 0 and coyote_timer > 0:
velocity.y = jump_velocity
buffer_timer = 0
coyote_timer = 0 # consume both so we can't double-jump
# Variable height: releasing jump early while still rising cuts the arc short.
if jump_released_this_frame and velocity.y < 0:
velocity.y *= 0.45
# Asymmetric gravity: snappier fall than rise.
g = fall_gravity if velocity.y > 0 else gravity
velocity.y += g * dt
Solid from above, pass-through from below. Most engines expose a "one-way collision" flag on the tile/collider; enable it and let the player drop through by disabling that collision for a few frames when the player holds Down + Jump. Do not re-implement collision math.
dt → speed changes with frame rate. Every velocity
integration and timer must use dt. (See physics-tuning.)physics-tuning).godot-2d-movement (Godot CharacterBody2D); for other engines use
the engine core + physics skill (unity-physics, phaser-arcade-physics, pygame-core).godot-tilemap / unity-tilemap-2d for geometry; level-design for layout,
pacing, and teaching order.physics-tuning for timestep, CCD, and stability.input-systems for buffering, rebinding, and gamepad support.audio-design for SFX/music; the engine animation skill for squash/stretch.prototype-fast to greybox the controller before building content.references/feel-tuning.md.npx claudepluginhub gamedev-skills/awesome-gamedev-agent-skills --plugin gamedevOutlines 2D game development principles for sprites, animations, tilemaps, physics, cameras, genre patterns like platformers, and anti-patterns.
Orchestrates game development projects by providing core principles (game loop, patterns, input abstraction, performance budgeting) and routing to platform-specific sub-skills for web, mobile, PC, VR/AR, 2D/3D, game design, multiplayer, art, and audio.
Adds game feel techniques like screen shake, hit-stop, easing, squash/stretch, knockback, and layered audio-visual feedback to make actions feel satisfying. Works engine-neutral with examples in GDScript and C#.