About Platformer Physics Calculator

Calculate jump height, gravity, velocity for platformer feel. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the Game Dev collection.

Use Cases

• Indie developers tuning jump feel for 2D platformer prototypes
• Game designers calculating gravity values from desired jump arcs
• Physics programmers balancing air control and fall speed ratios
• Game jam developers quickly setting up satisfying movement physics

Tips

• Set jump height and duration — gravity is calculated automatically
• Test variable jump height by adjusting gravity on button release
• Tune coyote time for forgiving edge-of-platform jumps

Fun Facts

• Super Mario Bros. (1985) uses asymmetric jump physics — gravity is stronger when falling than rising, creating the 'floaty rise, snappy fall' feel that became the gold standard.
• The term 'coyote time' comes from Wile E. Coyote running off cliffs — it gives players a few extra frames to jump after leaving a platform edge, typically 6-10 frames (100-167ms).
• Celeste's developer Matt Thorson shared that the game uses over 10 physics assists including coyote time, jump buffering, and corner correction — all invisible to players but essential to feel.

FAQ

What variables does it compute?

Given jump height and duration, derives gravity and initial velocity. Or from jump properties, derives movement feel.

Why is this useful?

Tuning platformer feel by numbers. You can describe 'want 3-tile jump in 0.5s' and get exact gravity/velocity values to plug into your physics engine.

Double jump?

Yes — chained jumps each with their own tuning. Plus air control (horizontal movement while airborne) and coyote time (grace period after leaving ground).

Which engine format?

Generic numbers you plug into any engine. Specific output for Unity (Rigidbody2D.velocity), Godot (velocity vector), and plain JS game loops.