Build a Canabalt-Style Infinite Runner From Scratch
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Build a Canabalt-Style Infinite Runner From Scratch

on Jul 31st 2012 with 29 comments
Tutorial Details
  • Experience Level: Beginner
  • Platform Used: Multimedia Fusion 2
  • Estimated Completion Time: One Hour
Download Source Files

With this screencast tutorial, you’ll create an infinitely scrolling, Canabalt-style platformer, from start to finish. The final game has randomly generated levels, player movement, death conditions and basic scoring. No previous programming or game development experience is required and graphics are provided for you, so all you need is a copy of Multimedia Fusion 2 (which has a free demo).

Note: Although this tutorial is aimed at beginners using MMF2, you should still find it useful if you’re a more experienced game developer using another platform; you can take the basic process and techniques and apply them to your own toolset.

Play the Game

Click here to play the game.

Watch the Screencast

Watch in full screen at 720p (use the Cog icon) for best quality. Don’t like streaming? Download the MP4.

Additional Resources

 
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Matt Luard is an independent game developer behind Cranktrain, whose games have been licensed to a number of companies, including Nickelodeon. He writes a game development blog, and tweets about game development over here.  

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  • NR Sabbir

    Its realy helpfull… :D ….. and this new site also…… i want to be a game devloper….. bt i dont know how to start…. so want some kick start begainer tutorial :)

  • grattacazzo

    Y NO ONLINE DEMO ?

  • http://themeforest.net/user/themelot Kwame

    It’s awesome but “buggy”…If you do nothing and allow the penguin to fall in the first pit, the score still runs…Also, “Game Over” does not always show when you are “dead”.

    But still a starting point for me :). Thanks. Much appreciation!

    • JoeMoe

      hi Kwane,

      I only watched the video as I have a mac and didn’t feel like using crossover to use Multimedi fusion. So I will try to explain this as best as possible.

      What is happening is there doesn’t seem to be a check for when the player falls down below the screen. I think what you want to do is an always check to see if the players Y coordinate is higher then the windows heigh. If it is higher then end the game.

  • http://crakken.com Crakken

    It sucks… When I fall, I don’t loose. I keep scoring points!

  • Tanner

    Is there any way I can do this tutorial on a Mac without installing windows?

    • http://gamedev.tutsplus.com Michael James Williams

      This video says that you can use CrossOver to run MMF2 on OS X.

  • Anthrax

    In the game, if you jump and land between the glaciers (or whatever they are) without crashing into one, the game will endlessly run.

  • Terry

    Nice, except that when I get the Game Over screen, the words are behind the scenery.

    • AyreGuitar

      Yeah, I noticed that too! Simply add an action to Bring to Front for the Game Over object on line 30 Death=1

  • XPreNN

    This is an excellent tutorial and starting point, thank you very much.

  • http://www.joestrong.co.uk Klikmaster

    As part of the MMF2 community, I was a nice surprise to see this tutorial using Multimedia Fusion 2, it really is a great tool!
    Looking forward to seeing what else gamedevtuts can bring :)

  • Gavin steele

    What a great introduction to building a game. I have recorded a few tutorials in my time, and worried about mistakes etc… But in game development, I think the more we see what you are doing, the mistakes you make, the better. This tutorial was great, you explained your thinking out loud.

    Would love to see more little game projects like this.

  • Dom

    Score 38.000 ;D

  • http://www.automotive-management-services.com Lyka Hayes

    NIce Tutsplus for gaming developement , more gaming development to introduce ,

  • Letauf

    Thanks for this tuto. I find it very very cool. Hope you will make some others tuto like : how to place some trees (i see in the end of the tuto but my english is too poor to understand). Now, i will try with other graphism.
    Thank for this. :)

  • http://rcdmk.com RCDMK

    Thanks for reviving Multimedia Fusion 2. It’s an awesome app for building simple games and prototypes very fast. I was used to make some mini games with it some years ago and love it.

  • Vincent

    The tutorial sucks, and using MMF2 for it? Ridiculous!

    • http://gamedev.tutsplus.com Michael James Williams

      No need to be rude. What didn’t you like about it?

  • http://www.iamchad.com Chad

    Great tutorial for a brand new noobie. I am a frontend WordPress developer by day, and I am always looking for something to tinker with outside of web dev. This was great to see how a basic game can be constructed in a relatively short amount of time. Thanks for this tutorial and I hope you produce some more :-)

  • http://improfitstudio.com Dhiera

    Great Tutorial for make a game , i wanna learn how to make game like this before . now i guess i found the new places for study .. :D
    Hope you guys , give us some more and more tuttorial ..

  • Fapamara

    Awsome tutorial. I just finished it. Game looks very good.

    Btw: for that “bug” that u fall and the game keeps going u can add to the death conditions an option for the player called “test player position”, and u select the bottom. Then make it to change death to 1. And problem solved.

    • http://gamedev.tutsplus.com Michael James Williams

      Thanks for the tip!

  • Redsquirrel

    Thanks I am sure this will help me sometime. I was going to say just check for the character falling off screen and change death=1 but Fapamara already explained.

  • http://www.jochenkaercher.com JoKa

    Great tutorial, thanks for sharing!

  • Ky_dang

    看不懂啊，我晕。very very good

  • http://www.facebook.com/prathap.parameswar Prathap Parameswar

    i got 29000 points. there is a bug in the starting point. :). even i fall down ,counter still running

  • Bawsz

    Great tutorial, but very hard to follow as a complete beginner to Multimedia Fusion.

    Even with two monitors I had to constantly pause the video to see what you just clicked. It would be good if you read aloud every option you selected, or slowed down the pace a tad.