Learning 2D Game Development with Unity®: A Hands-On Guide to Game Creation

Creating Checkpoints

Most games involve some sort of fail state for the player, be it taking too much damage, falling off a cliff, or missing a “press X not to die” moment. As designers, we need to consider how we will handle these fail states in the context of the kind of experience we want the player to have.

Let’s look at the idea of falling off a cliff. Our map can have watery pits in it, and there’s always a chance that the player will fall into one. How should we handle that? Is it the proverbial “Game Over,” or are we going to treat it with more leniency?

For the purposes of this exercise, and in the interest of a more forgiving gameplay experience, we’re going to take a respawn approach. Players who fall into a pit will be returned to ...