Levelwick guide
How to make a platformer game with AI
Make a platformer that feels good with an AI game maker: jump tuning, coyote time, text-grid levels, touch controls and collision bug fixes.
Steps
- Describe the movement precisely. Specify run speed, jump height in tiles, stronger gravity when falling, and variable jump height.
- Add forgiveness features. Ask for coyote time and jump buffering of about 0.1 seconds each.
- Build levels from text grids. Write small level maps with characters for ground, coins, hazards and the goal.
- Test and fix collision. Run, jump and land on every edge. Fix falling through floors or sticking to walls with targeted prompts.
- Add touch controls. Request left, right and jump buttons with multi-touch for phones.
- Add levels and polish. Add more grids, checkpoints, a level select, particles and sounds once the first level plays well.
The jump is the game
Players judge a platformer within seconds by how the jump feels. Before asking for levels, enemies or menus, get movement right. Describe it with numbers and named techniques:
Run speed 200 px per second, jump height about 3 tiles. Gravity is stronger when falling than when rising. Releasing the jump key early cuts the jump short. Add coyote time and jump buffering of 0.1 seconds each.
Coyote time lets players jump a moment after leaving a ledge. Jump buffering remembers a jump pressed just before landing. Both are invisible to players but make the controls feel responsive and fair.
Draw levels as text
AI tools follow text maps very reliably. A small grid like this:
..........C.......F .......####....#### ..####....C........ #########.####.####
with a key (# ground, C coin, F flag) gives you exact control. You can edit the grid yourself later, without regenerating the game.
Fix collision before adding content
Test every kind of contact: landing on edges, hitting ceilings, running into walls, falling fast from high up. The two most common bugs have reliable fixes:
- Falling through platforms: ask for movement in small steps with collision checks after each, and a cap on the time step.
- Sticking in walls or corners: ask for collision resolved one axis at a time, X then Y, with a slightly smaller hitbox than the drawing.
Make it playable on phones
Ask for on-screen left, right and jump buttons that only appear on touch devices, at least 64 px, with multi-touch so players can run and jump at once. Also ask the game to prevent page scrolling while playing.
Grow the game in small steps
Once one level plays well, add:
- A second level and a "Next level" button.
- Checkpoints for longer levels.
- One enemy type with simple patrol behaviour.
- Particles on landing, a coin sound and a level complete jingle generated in the browser.
Add one feature per prompt and test after each one. If something breaks, describe exactly what happened and ask for only that bug to be fixed.
FAQ
Why does my character feel floaty?
Gravity is probably the same going up and down. Ask for stronger gravity while falling and a capped fall speed.
What is coyote time?
A short grace period, around 0.1 seconds, where the player can still jump after running off a ledge.
How do I design levels without coding?
Write them as text grids with one character per tile type, and ask the game to build levels from those grids.
Why does the player fall through the floor sometimes?
Usually the player moves too far in one frame. Ask for movement in smaller steps with collision checks and a capped time step.
Can I add my own character art?
Yes, once the movement works. Use a transparent PNG with one clear character, and keep the hitbox separate from the image size.