CharacterBody2D Implementation

Expert guidance for player-controlled 2D movement using Godot's physics system.

NEVER Do

• NEVER use RigidBody2D for standard player controllers — RigidBody is for physics-simulated objects. For responsive, feel-driven player movement, always use CharacterBody2D.
• NEVER multiply velocity by delta before move_and_slide() — move_and_slide() handles delta internally. Manual multiplication makes movement framerate-dependent [12].
• NEVER use global_position updates for movement — Use velocity and move_and_slide(). Direct position updates bypass collision detection and floor snapping.
• NEVER ignore the return value of move_and_slide() — While optional, checking is_on_floor() or get_last_motion() immediately after is critical for state logic.
• NEVER rely on default floor_snap_length for fast stair-climbing — Default snapping is too small for high-velocity characters. Use custom raycast-based stair logic for smooth transitions.
• NEVER apply gravity while is_on_floor() is true — Constant downward force on the floor can cause "micro-jitter" or prevent floor-snap from working correctly. Reset velocity.y to 0 or a small constant.
• NEVER use Area2D for ground detection — Real collisions (rays/shapecasts) are more precise. is_on_floor() is highly optimized; only augment it if necessary.
• NEVER forget Ceiling Bonk detection — If you don't reset velocity.y to 0 when is_on_ceiling(), the player will "float" against the ceiling until gravity pulls them down.
• NEVER use high-precision physics for pixel art visuals — Keep physics math high-precision, but round your Sprite nodal positions in _process to avoid visual sub-pixel jitter.
• NEVER use queue_free() on characters every frame — Use object pooling for bullets or enemies to avoid SceneTree performance spikes.

Available Scripts