How to make a Double Jump Game in Scratch | Platformer game in Scratch | Step by Step Coding

Introduction: How to make a Double Jump Game in Scratch

Watch the full tutorial here – How to make a Double Jump Game in Scratch | Rabbit jumping game in Scratch | Platformer Game

Scratch is a fantastic platform for beginners to learn programming by making games, animations, and interactive stories. Among the many kinds of games, platformers (games where a character jumps over obstacles, possibly across platforms) are especially fun and rewarding.

In this blog post, you will learn:

How to make a game in Scratch with smooth movement and obstacles
How to create a double jump game in Scratch — allowing the player to jump once, and then again in mid-air for extra reach
How to add scoring, game over / winning states, sound, and polish
How to handle edge cases and enhancements to make the game feel more professional

This tutorial is based on a Scratch game built by Omaansh Aggarwal at Kodex Academy, with rabbits, rocks, trees, and nighttime city backdrops.

Double Jump Game in Scratch: Step‑by‑Step Coding

Here is the complete process, combining the transcript with code snippets you can plug directly into your Scratch project.

Prerequisites

A Scratch account (scratch.mit.edu) or the offline editor
Basic familiarity with Scratch: sprites, costumes, backdrops, events, motion blocks, variables
Optional: graphics / sound assets (but you can use built‑in ones)

1. Setting Up Sprites & Backdrops

Remove Unneeded Sprites
Delete default or extra sprites you won’t use.
Add Main Character (Rabbit)
- Choose a rabbit sprite
- Resize it (e.g. size = 30%)
- Keep two costumes (for running animation). Delete extra costumes.
Add Obstacle Sprites
- Trees: resize (e.g. size = 40%)
- Rocks: resize (e.g. size = 25%)
Set Up Backdrops
- Use a “Night City with Street” backdrop (or whatever you prefer)
- Duplicate the backdrop to create separate “You Win” and “You Lose” screens
- Add text in those backdrops: “You Win” (in light blue, curly font), “You Lose” (in red)

2. Variables

Create the following variables:

Points (For all sprites) – tracks score
Jumps (For this sprite only) – tracks how many jumps left (to implement double jump)
Y Speed (For all sprites) – to handle gravity and vertical motion

3. Basic Motion, Gravity, and Double Jump

Here’s how to implement gravity, jump logic, and movement:

Gravity & Ground Detection

when green flag clicked
set [Y Speed] to (0)
set [Jumps] to (0)
go to x: (67) y: (0)
switch backdrop to [Night City with Street]

forever
  change [Y Speed] by (-1)       // gravity pulling down
  change y by (Y Speed)
  
  if <touching color [road color]?> then
    set [Y Speed] to (0)
    set [Jumps] to (2)            // Reset jump count when on ground
  end
end

Use the “touching color” block to detect the ground (road color).
Reset Jumps to 2 so the player can use double jump.

Movement / Horizontal & Respawn

when green flag clicked
forever
  if <key [right arrow] pressed?> then
    change x by (some speed, e.g. 5)
  end

  if <touching edge?> then
    set [Y Speed] to (0)
    go to x: (-167) y: (0)        // Respawn position
  end
end

4. Double Jump Logic

when [space] key pressed
if <(Jumps) > (0)> then
  change [Jumps] by (-1)
  set [Y Speed] to (15)           // launch upward
end

This lets the player press space to jump, up to two times before touching the ground.

5. Animation (Running)

To make the rabbit look like it’s running:

when green flag clicked
forever
  switch costume to [Rabbit A]
  wait (0.5) seconds
  switch costume to [Rabbit B]
  wait (0.5) seconds
end

6. Obstacles: Trees & Rocks

Each obstacle sprite (tree or rock) needs scripts like:

when green flag clicked
hide
wait (2) seconds
show
forever
  go to x: (240) y: (3)
  glide (4) secs to x: (-240) y: (93)  // or adjust as needed
end

This makes them appear after a delay, then glide across the screen toward the player.

7. Collision Detection & Game Over

We need to detect collision between rabbit and obstacles (trees, rocks), and trigger game over:

when green flag clicked
forever
  if <touching [tree sprite]?> or <touching [rock sprite]?> then
    switch backdrop to [You Lose]
    stop [all v]
  end
end

Do similar logic in both obstacle sprites or centralized in the rabbit sprite.

8. Scoring & Win Condition

To reward players who avoid obstacles / survive long enough:

when green flag clicked
set [Points] to (0)

forever
  // Could be tied to obstacle passed or time survived—here, space key usage is in example but better is time‑based or passing obstacles
  wait (1) second
  change [Points] by (1)

  if <(Points) = (5)> then
    wait (0.8) seconds
    switch backdrop to [You Win]
    stop [all v]
  end
end

You can customize “5” to any target score.

9. Sound & Feedback

When backdrop switches to “You Lose”, play a sound such as Connect, Game Over, etc.
When the rabbit wins or at some milestone, play celebratory sound: Dance Celebration, Great, etc.

when backdrop switches to [You Lose]
play sound [Connect] until done

// At win
when backdrop switches to [You Win]
play sound [Dance Celebrate] until done

Additional Scenarios & Edge Cases

To make your game robust, handle these scenarios:

Prevent infinite jumping
If the player holds the space key, avoid repeated jumps beyond the double-jump count. Use if <key pressed> and (Jumps > 0) rather than a “forever if”.
Peak of jump moment
At the top of a jump, vertical velocity may be zero for a short moment. If logic is based solely on Y Speed = 0 to reset jump count, that might accidentally allow a third jump. Better to use touching ground or touching floor color/sprite to reset Jumps.
Falling through ground / glitching
Make sure ground detection is solid (good color picking, or using a “floor” sprite). If using color detection, ensure at all ground pixels the color matches, and the sprite’s shape overlaps enough.
Obstacle spawning collision
Avoid obstacles spawning right on top of the player. Delay, spawn positions, or gliding from edges help.
Difficulty scaling
As the user’s score increases, you may want to increase speed, reduce wait times, add more obstacles, etc.

Full Script Example (Rabbit Sprite)

Putting many things together in one script (rabbit):

// In Rabbit sprite

when green flag clicked
  switch backdrop to [Night City with Street]
  go to x: (67) y: (0)
  set [Y Speed] to (0)
  set [Jumps] to (0)
  set [Points] to (0)

forever
  // Gravity and vertical movement
  change [Y Speed] by (-1)
  change y by (Y Speed)

  // Ground detection (road color)
  if <touching color [road color]?> then
    set [Y Speed] to (0)
    set [Jumps] to (2)
  end

  // Horizontal movement
  if <key [right arrow] pressed?> then
    change x by (5)
  end

  // Respawn if outside edge
  if <touching edge?> then
    set [Y Speed] to (0)
    go to x: (-167) y: (0)
  end

  // Animation (running)
  // Could be separate script, or inside a timer
end

when [space] key pressed
  if <(Jumps) > (0)> then
    change [Jumps] by (-1)
    set [Y Speed] to (15)
  end

forever
  if <touching [tree sprite]?> or <touching [rock sprite]?> then
    switch backdrop to [You Lose]
    stop [all v]
  end
end

forever
  wait (1) seconds
  change [Points] by (1)
  if <(Points) = (5)> then
    wait (0.8) seconds
    switch backdrop to [You Win]
    stop [all v]
  end
end

Enhancement Features & Their Code

1. Health System (Lives Instead of 1-Hit Death)

Why? Allows players to make a few mistakes instead of instant game over. Adds forgiveness and challenge.

How to implement:

Create a variable: Lives (for all sprites)
Set initial lives to 3
Decrease by 1 when touching obstacle
Only show “You Lose” when Lives = 0

Scratch Code:

when green flag clicked
set [Lives v] to (3)

forever
  if <touching [tree v] ?> or <touching [rock v] ?> then
    change [Lives v] by (-1)
    wait (0.5) seconds    // prevent multiple hits at once
    if <(Lives) = [0]> then
      switch backdrop to [You Lose v]
      stop [all v]
    end
  end
end

2. Variable Game Speed / Difficulty Increase

Why? Keeps the game interesting. It gets harder the longer you survive or the higher your score.

How to implement:

Create a variable: Speed
Increase Speed over time or per score milestone
Use this to move obstacles faster

Scratch Code:

when green flag clicked
set [Speed v] to (4)

forever
  if <(Points) mod 5 = 0> then   // every 5 points
    change [Speed v] by (1)
    wait (1) seconds
  end
end

In obstacle sprite (e.g., Tree):

go to x: (240) y: (3)

repeat until <x position < -240>
  change x by ((-1) * Speed)
  wait (0.05) seconds
end

3. Power-Ups (Shield, Extra Jump, Speed Boost)

Why? Adds fun & strategy. Power-ups can help avoid obstacles or reach score faster.

How to implement:

Add a power-up sprite (e.g., star, bubble)
When touched, set Shield = true
Temporarily disable collisions or add benefits

Scratch Code:

Create variable: Shield (for all sprites)

Power-up Sprite:

when green flag clicked
forever
  go to x: (240) y: (random -50 to 50)
  glide (4) secs to x: (-240) y: (random -50 to 50)
end

when green flag clicked
forever
  if <touching [Rabbit v] ?> then
    set [Shield v] to [true]
    wait (5) seconds
    set [Shield v] to [false]
  end
end

Rabbit Sprite: Collision Logic

if <<touching [tree v]> or <touching [rock v]>> and <(Shield) = [false]>> then
  change [Lives] by (-1)
  wait (0.5)
end

4. Parallax Background Effect

Why? Makes the background scroll at different speeds, giving the illusion of depth.

How to implement:

Add two or more background layers as sprites
Move them at different speeds

Scratch Code (Background Layer Sprite):

when green flag clicked
go to x: (0) y: (0)

forever
  change x by (-1)    // slower than foreground
  if <x position < -480> then
    set x to (480)
  end
end

Add multiple layers: front layer (trees) moves faster, back layer (stars, mountains) moves slower.

5. Jump Indicator (Show Remaining Jumps)

Why? Makes it easier for player to understand double-jump mechanic.

How to implement:

Create a visual representation of jumps left (e.g., circles, text, number)

Scratch Code (Text Label Sprite):

when green flag clicked
forever
  if <(Jumps) = (2)> then
    switch costume to [2 jumps]
  else if <(Jumps) = (1)> then
    switch costume to [1 jump]
  else
    switch costume to [no jumps]
  end
end

Or use a text sprite that updates Jumps:

when green flag clicked
forever
  set [JumpsDisplay v] to (join [Jumps Left: ] (Jumps))
end

6. Start / Restart Game Button

Why? Gives players control to start again without reloading the game.

How to implement:

Add a button sprite
When clicked, broadcast “Restart”
Add “When I receive Restart” to all sprites to reset

Button Sprite:

when this sprite clicked
broadcast [Restart v]

In Rabbit and Other Sprites:

when I receive [Restart v]
go to x: (67) y: (0)
set [Y Speed] to (0)
set [Points] to (0)
set [Lives] to (3)
set [Jumps] to (0)
switch backdrop to [Night City with Street]

You can hide “Game Over” text and show again after restart.

7. High Score Tracker

Why? Adds replay value. Players can try to beat their best.

How to implement:

Use a variable: High Score
Compare after game over or win

Scratch Code:

when backdrop switches to [You Win v] or [You Lose v]
if <(Points) > (High Score)> then
  set [High Score v] to (Points)
end

Summary of Enhancements & Keywords

Feature	Value	Related Keywords
Health system	Game longevity, difficulty	scratch games, scratch game tutorial
Speed scaling	Replayability	how to make games in scratch
Power-ups	Engagement	scratch programming games
Parallax scrolling	Visual quality	scratch programming animation
Jump indicator	Clarity for players	double jump in scratch
Restart button	User control	platformer game in scratch
High score	Competition	scratch games tutorial easy

Conclusion

Creating a Double Jump Platformer Game in Scratch not only teaches foundational game development concepts like motion, gravity, and collision detection, but also opens the door to creative enhancements that turn a simple game into a polished, fun experience.

In this blog, we’ve walked through the step-by-step process of building the game as explained in the YouTube tutorial by Kodex Academy, and extended it with advanced features like:

Health and Lives System
Dynamic Difficulty Scaling
Power-Ups and Temporary Abilities
Parallax Background Scrolling
Jump Indicators for Clarity
Game Restart Functionality
High Score Tracking

Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate Scratch user, these additions will make your game more exciting, engaging, and professional.

Final Takeaways

Use Scratch not just to replicate games, but to innovate and make them your own.
Keep your game engaging with progressive challenges.
Always provide feedback to the player — visual, auditory, and interactive.
Don’t forget to test and polish — small bugs or glitches can affect gameplay experience

Call to Action

Don’t forget to check out the full video tutorial: How to make a Double Jump Game in Scratch | Rabbit jumping game in Scratch | Platformer Game
Like, comment & share the video
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