Level Up Your Platformer: How to Add Wall Jumps and Double Jumps to Your Game

Ready to take your 2D platformer to the next level? In this post, we’ll add cool new movement mechanics like wall jumping and double jumping, along with a few enhancements that make your jumping system smarter and more realistic.

These additions will give players more control, make your game more fun, and bring you one step closer to a polished platformer.

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1. Detecting Wall Contacts

📌 Why It Matters:

To allow wall jumps, you first need to detect when the player is touching a wall.

🧠 Code Snippet:

def is_touching_wall(player_rect, walls):
    for wall in walls:
        if player_rect.colliderect(wall):
            return True
    return False

Use this check in your main loop to enable wall jump logic:

on_wall = is_touching_wall(player_rect, wall_rects)

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2. Adding Wall Jump Mechanics

📌 Why It Matters:

Wall jumps let players scale vertical spaces and add more freedom in level design.

🧠 Code Snippet:

if on_wall and keys[pygame.K_SPACE]:
    player_velocity_y = -10  # Jump force upward
    player_velocity_x = -player_direction * 5  # Push off in opposite direction

📝 You’ll need to track player_direction as -1 or 1 based on movement.

💡 Tip:

You might want to temporarily disable gravity or reduce it slightly for a short time after a wall jump to give players a boost.

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3. Implementing Double Jump Logic

📌 Why It Matters:

Double jumps are fun and allow mid-air correction, giving your platformer a modern feel.

🧠 Code Snippet:

can_double_jump = True
if keys[pygame.K_SPACE]:
    if on_ground:
        player_velocity_y = -10
        can_double_jump = True  # Reset when grounded
    elif can_double_jump:
        player_velocity_y = -10
        can_double_jump = False

📝 This lets the player jump once in the air, then disables further jumps until they touch the ground.

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4. Jump Cooldown / Prevent Jump Spamming

📌 Why It Matters:

Without a short delay, players might “spam” jumps unrealistically or accidentally double-tap.

🧠 Code Snippet:

JUMP_COOLDOWN = 10  # In frames
jump_cooldown_timer = 0
# Count down
if jump_cooldown_timer > 0:
    jump_cooldown_timer -= 1
# When space is pressed
if keys[pygame.K_SPACE] and jump_cooldown_timer == 0 and (on_ground or can_double_jump or on_wall):
    player_velocity_y = -10
    jump_cooldown_timer = JUMP_COOLDOWN

📝 This simple delay adds polish and prevents unrealistic rapid jumping.

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5. Ceiling Collision Detection

📌 Why It Matters:

Without this, your player might shoot up through platforms or ceilings when jumping.

🧠 Code Snippet:

def check_ceiling_collision(player_rect, ceilings):
    for ceiling in ceilings:
        if player_rect.colliderect(ceiling):
            return True
    return False
# Stop upward movement if there's a ceiling
if check_ceiling_collision(player_rect, ceiling_rects) and player_velocity_y < 0:
    player_velocity_y = 0

📝 This halts the jump when the head hits a ceiling, just like in classic platformers.

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6. Resetting Jump States After Landing

📌 Why It Matters:

To make wall jumps and double jumps reusable, you need to reset their state when the player touches the ground.

🧠 Code Snippet:

if on_ground:
    can_double_jump = True
    jump_cooldown_timer = 0

📝 This ensures everything resets properly after each jump cycle.

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Final Thoughts

By adding wall jumps, double jumps, cooldowns, and ceiling detection, your jump system now feels far more advanced—without being overly complicated. Here's what your platformer now supports:

🧱   Wall contact detection

🧗   Wall jumping
🪂   Double jumping
⏱️   Jump cooldowns
🚫   Ceiling collision
🔁   Smooth jump resets

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👣 What’s Next?

In the next blog post, we’ll explore platform interactions like moving platforms, slippery surfaces, and maybe even bouncy trampolines. These interactive elements will make your levels feel alive and challenging.

Let’s keep climbing the game dev ladder together!

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💫   Related Article

Game Physics 101: Adding Gravity and Jumping to Your 2D Game
Mastering Jump Mechanics: How to Create Satisfying Movement in 2D Games