KA-L08 Conditionals: Platforms & Collectibles

1

New Platform Tiles

Building a proper platformer level with jumps

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These tiles let you build floating platforms at different heights so the player has somewhere to jump to. Mix grass, stone, and castle styles for visual variety.

Platform Tile Files

File	Location	Purpose
grassHalf.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Thin floating platform (middle)
grassHalfLeft.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Thin platform left edge
grassHalfMid.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Thin platform middle section
grassHalfRight.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Thin platform right edge
stoneMid.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Stone platform (visual variety)
stoneLeft.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Stone platform left edge
stoneRight.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Stone platform right edge
stoneHalf.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Thin stone platform
castleMid.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Castle platform
castleLeft.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Castle platform left
castleRight.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Castle platform right

Import Steps

Drag all platform tile PNGs into Assets/Sprites/Tiles/ in your Unity Project window
Place tiles in the Scene to build floating platforms at different heights
Select each platform tile in the Scene → Add Component → Box Collider 2D
In the Inspector, set Tag to "Ground" for every platform tile

⚠ Every platform tile needs a Box Collider 2D so the player can stand on it, and must be tagged "Ground" so the jump detection (isGrounded) works correctly.

2

Hazard Sprites

Dangers that test the player's platforming skill

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Hazards give the platformer stakes. Spikes and lava punish missed jumps, while springboards add bounce mechanics.

Hazard Files

File	Location	Purpose
spikes.png	Base pack/Items/	Visual danger indicator
springboardUp.png	Base pack/Items/	Bounce pad (up position)
springboardDown.png	Base pack/Items/	Bounce pad (pressed)
liquidLavaTop.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Lava surface
liquidLava.png	Base pack/Tiles/	Lava body

Setup Steps

Drag hazard PNGs into Assets/Sprites/Tiles/ (or create an Assets/Sprites/Hazards/ subfolder)
Place spikes on top of platforms where you want danger zones
Select spikes in the Scene → Add Component → Box Collider 2D
In the Box Collider 2D, tick Is Trigger: ON
Set the Tag to "DeathZone" (or create a custom "Hazard" tag)

☠ Is Trigger must be ON for hazards. A regular collider would block the player like a wall. A trigger lets the player enter it, which fires OnTriggerEnter2D in your script so you can respond (e.g., respawn).

💡 Spikes are visual -- the player sees them and knows to avoid that area. The invisible trigger collider underneath is what actually detects the collision.

3

First Collectibles

Extension challenge -- collecting coins and gems

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Collectibles reward exploration and give the player a reason to reach every platform. These become important when we build Prefabs in L10.

Collectible Files

File	Location	Purpose
coinGold.png	Base pack/Items/	Standard collectible
gemBlue.png	Base pack/Items/	Bonus collectible

Setup Steps

Drag coinGold.png and gemBlue.png into Assets/Sprites/Items/
Place a coin in the Scene above a platform (somewhere the player has to jump to reach)
Select the coin → Add Component → Circle Collider 2D
In the Circle Collider 2D, tick Is Trigger: ON
Set the Tag to "Coin"

★ We use a Circle Collider 2D for coins (not Box) because coins are round. The trigger detects when the player overlaps the coin, and your script can then destroy the coin and add to the score.

💡 In L10 (Prefabs), you will turn coins into reusable prefabs so you can scatter dozens across the level without setting each one up individually.

4

Platform Level Layout

How to arrange tiles into a proper platformer level

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Here is a sample multi-platform layout showing how tiles, collectibles, and hazards work together. Use this as a starting reference for building your own level.

coinGold ═══════════════ stoneHalf (elevated) coinGold ═══════════════ grassHalf (mid-height) coinGold ═══════════════════════════════════════ main ground (grassMid) spikes spikes ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ DeathZone (invisible, below)

⚠ Tag ALL platform tiles as "Ground" so the jump mechanic (isGrounded) works. If you forget, the player can't jump! This includes grassHalf, stoneHalf, castleMid, and every other platform piece.

💡 The DeathZone at the bottom is an invisible trigger collider that spans the entire level width, placed below the lowest visible platform. If the player falls off, they hit this zone and respawn.

5

Tag Cheat Sheet

Quick reference for all tags used so far

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Tags are how your C# scripts identify what the player has collided with. Here is every tag you should have set up by the end of Lesson 8.

Tag	Apply To	Created In
"Ground"	All grass tiles, stone tiles, castle tiles, platforms	L05 / L08
"DeathZone"	Invisible trigger below level, spikes	L08
"Coin"	coinGold.png, gemBlue.png	L08 extension

⚠ Tags are case-sensitive in Unity! "Ground" is not the same as "ground". Make sure the tag in the Inspector matches exactly what your script checks for.

★ To create a custom tag: select any GameObject → Inspector → Tag dropdown → Add Tag... → click + → type the tag name → Save. Then go back and assign it to your object.

CONDITIONALS: PLATFORMS & COLLECTIBLES

Platform Tile Files

Import Steps

Hazard Files

Setup Steps

Collectible Files

Setup Steps