Wow. Another platforming guide. Seems generic, doesn’t it?
Well, I’ve been searching through platformer related guides here, and noticed that most of them are either for something very specific or not actual guides. Sooooo since I’m insane, I decided to write my own!
Gameplay
1. Start Simple
All platformer maps should start relatively simple or “easy.” If the very first jump of your map is very complex or difficult, people will be less likely to continue playing.
2. Scale Difficulty Properly
As the game goes on, the gameplay should get more intense and/or difficult. This should also be consistent, instead of the difficulty oscillating up and down. Another option would be to make the entire map generally the same difficulty, but this could make it seem less rewarding to beat.
3. Change Directions
Never make repetitive gameplay like shown in the following image.
Instead, change up how the platformer goes. You can make the player drop down, loop around previous parts of the map, or make some jumps going straight up. Sometimes, you can add buttons to force the player to go in different directions and spice up the gameplay.
4. Do’s and Dont’s
Never make jumps/falls where the player can’t see the outcome. If you’re going to do so, add an arrow to signify where the player should go. If you’re going to make any jump remotely confusing, add and arrow or a notification telling where the player should go. If a player gets to a point where they don’t know where to go, they’ll most likely be confused and annoyed. (this will be updated in the future)
Visuals
1. Prop Variety
ALWAYS USE DIFFERENT PROPS!!! There are hundreds of props in Gimkit Creative, way too much for anyone to not have prop variety. Some props, like shown below, work for almost any theme.
You can always flip and slightly rotate props, but don’t do so for every prop. I don’t recommend tinting props.
Some props that are severely underused:
2. Decoration Style Consistency
Keep your decoration style consistent. If you have a bunch of floating props like in Don’t Look Down, keep it that way. If you have props grounded on terrain or other props, keep it that way. If you like decorating with barriers, be sure to maintain this style of decoration throughout the entire game.
3. Change Themes
Change the theme of your platformer once in a while. Even if you want your game to be set in some specific biome, you can still vary the theme. I’ll use Ascent of Mt. Snowy as an example. In the beginning, I added more artificial props. Later on, the props shift to become more natural. Including varying signs of human/gim interaction is a easy way to change the theme, such as outposts and buildings.
4. Structuring
Terrain is a good way to make decoration. Unless you’re really stingy with terrain, you shouldn’t make too many one-block thick platforms. Making sky islands like shown below is a good option. You could experiment with different structures such as giant terrain pillars.
5. Responsible Decoration
Please don’t spam props all over the screen, completely obstructing the player’s vision. Also, try not to confuse players with props that do and don’t have collision. I like to make every single prop have no collision, unless necessary for gameplay.
Miscellaneous
1. Communication Variety
Vary how text is shown in your game. Use popups for large amounts of text, notifications for environment changes or small pieces of text, and actual text devices
for… signs.
2. Unique Mechanics
Add some lore or NPCs. Whatever doesn’t directly impact you in a normal top-down game, you can add to platformers. You could also add collectibles, like coins.
3. Scoring
Most games should have some form of scoring. Whether its a simple point system to keep track of how far someone is, or another type of score that’s completely separate from the platformer, you should always add something for players to compete for. Why? So people have an incentive to play longer!
4. Lobby
The lobby of your game is important. Very important. Chances are, if you have a mediocre lobby, people will see it and think the rest of the game isn’t worth playing. Try to use eye catching colors, big text (not too big), and a good amount of props. However, you shouldn’t flood the entire floor of your lobby with props, because it’ll make your game seem cluttered.
Yay, end of guide. If you really read all that, thanks!
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