How to Build an Obby Parkour Game
Vibe code a jumping course with moving platforms, coins and a checkpoint flag, then tune the jumps until the course feels fair.
About this tutorial
An obby is an obstacle course you play with a jump button. Platforms, gaps, moving blocks and a finish line. The whole game lives in one skill: judging a jump.
This tutorial teaches you to build a level one block at a time and to test constantly. You will add a player, a floor, a jump, then a platform that is just out of reach, then a double jump so it becomes reachable. Every addition is a small prompt followed by a play test.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Describe the game
Prompt: build a 3D obby with a red cube player on a grey grid platform
- 2
Add movement
Add arrow key movement forwards, backwards, left and right
- 3
Add a jump
Add a jump on space with gravity so the player falls back down
- 4
Add a coin
Place a spinning gold coin with a shadow under it so you can tell where it floats
- 5
Collect it
When the player touches the coin, play a particle burst and respawn the level
- 6
Add a platform
Add a solid 3 by 3 platform the player cannot walk through, with the coin on its centre square
- 7
Raise the bar
Make the platform four times taller so a single jump is not enough
- 8
Add a double jump
On the second tap the player jumps higher and does a flip before landing
- 9
Add moving blocks
Add a platform that slides side to side so timing matters
- 10
Add a checkpoint
Add a flag halfway that respawns the player there instead of the start
- 11
Test the difficulty
Play the course five times and widen any gap you keep failing
- 12
Publish it
Publish your obby and see who can finish it fastest
Screenshots
Fun facts
How do you design a fair obby level?
Use a grid and keep jumps to distances you have already proven possible. Introduce one new idea at a time: first a plain gap, then a moving block, then both together. Give the player a safe spot to breathe every few obstacles, and add a checkpoint before the hardest section so failure costs seconds, not minutes.
Why do platformer controls need so much tuning?
Jump height, gravity, air control and landing all interact. Change one and the whole game feels different, which is why studios spend weeks on it. When vibe coding, change a single value at a time and play immediately, otherwise you will not know which change caused the new feel.
What does building an obby teach about 3D games?
You meet coordinates, collision, gravity, camera follow and game state. You also learn that most of a 3D game is invisible rules rather than art, and that a grey box level that plays well beats a beautiful level that does not.
How do you make your obby stand out?
Give it a theme and a twist. Lava that rises, blocks that vanish after you step on them, or a low gravity moon section all change how players think. One memorable mechanic is worth more than twenty ordinary platforms.
Need help?
My player falls straight through the platform, how do I fix it?
Tell the chat the player passes through the platform instead of landing on it, and ask it to add solid collision on the top and sides so the player stops when walking into it.
The jump feels floaty or too weak, what should I change?
Ask for a slightly higher jump and stronger gravity together. Floatiness is usually low gravity, not low jump height, so changing both at once fixes the feel.
How do I know if my level is too hard?
Play it five times in a row. If you fail the same jump more than half the time, widen the platform or shrink the gap. Your own frustration is the best difficulty meter you have.
Can I add a timer or a leaderboard?
Yes. Ask for a run timer that starts at the first move and stops at the flag, then show a best time so players race themselves.
