MakeCode Arcade Help: Jump, Gravity, Levels and Saving

In short

To make a MakeCode Arcade sprite jump, move it left and right only, set its ay (vertical acceleration) to a positive number for gravity, and on the A button set vy to a negative number if isHittingTile(Bottom) is true. Levels are tilemaps drawn in the editor and loaded with setTilemap. Modern Age Coders teaches game coding live, ages 8 to 18.

Keep going with a teacher

Three courses for students who outgrow the school unit

Each starts from the game the student has already made, blocks or typed code.

MCA / 01

Game development for kids

Kids 8 to 12 build platformers, scores and levels, then Roblox and Minecraft.

Open the syllabus →

MCA / 02

Coding for kids

Kids 6 to 12 go from blocks to games, apps and AI.

Open the syllabus →

MCA / 03

JavaScript for teens

Teens 13 to 18 learn the language behind Arcade’s JavaScript view.

Open the syllabus →

The number one question

How to make a sprite jump and add gravity in MakeCode Arcade

A jump is two numbers working together: an upward speed that starts the jump and a steady pull that ends it. MakeCode Arcade gives every sprite properties for both.

Sprite motion properties, from the MakeCode Arcade reference (read 17 October 2026)
Property	What it controls	Unit	Direction
vx	Horizontal speed	Pixels per second	Positive moves right
vy	Vertical speed	Pixels per second	Positive moves toward the bottom
ax	Horizontal acceleration	Pixels per second, per second	Changes vx over time
ay	Vertical acceleration	Pixels per second, per second	Positive speeds the sprite toward the bottom

Stop the up and down buttons from moving the hero. Use move sprite with a horizontal speed and a vertical speed of 0, so up and down no longer fight gravity.
Add gravity. Set the hero’s ay to a positive number, such as 350. The docs explain that a positive value increases the speed toward the bottom, which is exactly what gravity does.
Give it a floor. Draw a tilemap and mark the ground tiles as walls, so the hero lands instead of falling through.
Jump on a button. In an on A button pressed event, set vy to a negative number, such as -150. Negative vy moves the sprite toward the top.
Jump only from the floor. Wrap the jump in an if that checks is hitting tile, bottom. Without it, a student can press A in mid air and fly.

Program 1 · run and jumptypescript

// A hero who runs and jumps (ours, JavaScript view)
let box = image.create(16, 16)
box.fill(5)
let hero = sprites.create(box, SpriteKind.Player)
tiles.setTilemap(tilemap`level1`)

controller.moveSprite(hero, 80, 0) // left, right
hero.ay = 350 // gravity, pulling down
scene.cameraFollowSprite(hero)

controller.A.onEvent(
    ControllerButtonEvent.Pressed,
    function () {
        // jump only from the floor
        if (hero.isHittingTile(CollisionDirection.Bottom)) {
            hero.vy = -150
        }
    })

Paste this into the JavaScript view; the editor can also show JavaScript as blocks, so try switching views. It needs a tilemap named level1 with wall tiles for a floor, drawn in the tilemap editor, because tilemaps are not written in code.

The jump, worked out (our calculation)

The docs give the rule for acceleration: a sprite at speed 0 with an acceleration of 2 is moving at 2 pixels per second after one second, and 4 after two. Our jump starts at 150 pixels per second upward, and gravity of 350 takes that away each second.

So the hero reaches the top after 150 / 350 = 0.43 seconds. The height of the jump is 150 x 150 / (2 x 350) = 22,500 / 700, about 32 pixels: two tiles of 16 pixels, the tile size the documentation’s own examples use.

Tuning it

A floaty jump has gravity too weak for its speed. A jump that barely leaves the ground has speed too low for its gravity. Change one number at a time and press play.

A useful classroom target is a jump that clears exactly the gap or wall in your level. Work out the height first, then test it, and the numbers stop being guesses.

Practice 1 (ours)

Keep ay at 350 and jump with vy = -200. About how high does the hero go? (Answer: 40,000 / 700, about 57 pixels.)

Practice 2 (ours)

You want a jump of 48 pixels, three tiles, with ay = 350. Which speed works? (Try vy = -183: 183 x 183 / 700 is about 48.)

Practice 3 (ours)

Double ay to 700 and keep vy at -150. What happens to the height? (It halves, to about 16 pixels.)

Levels

How to make levels in MakeCode Arcade with tilemaps

In MakeCode Arcade a level is a tilemap: a grid of tiles drawn in the editor and stored in the project’s assets. The docs say a game can have more than one tilemap, and changing the tilemap changes the level.

Tilemap tools, from the MakeCode Arcade reference (read 17 October 2026)
Block or function	What the documentation says it does
set tilemap	Sets a tilemap as the current tilemap for the game scene
set wall at	Makes a tile a barrier, so sprites cannot pass through it, or turns it back
on overlap tile	Runs code when a sprite of a chosen kind overlaps a tile
place on random tile	Moves a sprite to a random tile of a chosen type; with only one such tile, always that one
camera follow sprite	Moves the scene so a sprite stays in view in a scene bigger than the screen
game over	Stops the game and shows the current and highest scores; win can be true or false

Program 2 · a goal tile that loads level 2typescript

// Two levels and a goal tile (ours)
let level = 1
scene.onOverlapTile(
    SpriteKind.Player,
    assets.tile`goal`,
    function (sprite, location) {
        if (level == 1) {
            level = 2
            tiles.setTilemap(tilemap`level2`)
            tiles.placeOnRandomTile(sprite,
                assets.tile`start`)
        } else {
            game.over(true)
        }
    })

It assumes two tilemaps named level1 and level2, a tile named goal at the end of each level, and a tile named start where level 2 begins. Draw them in the editor first; the names in the code must match the names in the assets.

Why a level variable

Without the level variable, touching the goal on level 2 would load level 2 again forever. One number that remembers where the player is turns a loop into a sequence.

This is the same idea as a save slot in a big game: the program keeps a little state and decides what happens next from it.

Designing a level that works

Draw the floor first and mark it as walls, then place the start and the goal, then add hazards. A level that cannot be finished is a classic bug, and it is a design bug, not a code bug.

Play your own level start to finish after every change. If you need to jump a gap, use the jump height from the section above to size it.

Common problems

Why your MakeCode Arcade game is not doing what you expected

These are classic MakeCode Arcade problems. Each cause comes from a documented rule, so the fix is not a guess.

Symptoms and fixes (our table, each rule from the MakeCode Arcade reference)
What happens	The documented rule behind it	Fix
The jump button does nothing	is hitting tile returns false unless the sprite is moving	Make sure gravity (ay) is set so the hero keeps pressing on the floor
The hero flies with each press	Nothing stops a jump in mid air	Wrap the jump in the is hitting tile, bottom check
The hero walks off the screen	A moving sprite leaves the screen unless something stops it	Use camera follow sprite, or set stay in screen
The hero falls through the floor	Wall tiles are what create a barrier for sprites	Mark floor tiles as walls in the tilemap editor
Up and down fight gravity	move sprite sets vertical speed from the buttons	Set the vy value in move sprite to 0 in a platformer
An event runs again and again	A button event can be pressed, released or repeated	Choose pressed, not repeated, for a single jump

The rule behind a classic jump bug

The docs put it plainly: the sprite must be in motion, with a vx or vy that is not 0, before the check for a tile hit; otherwise false is returned even though the sprite is touching the wall tile.

Our reading of that rule: with no gravity, a hero standing still has a vy of 0, so the check fails and the jump never fires. Gravity keeps a little downward motion going, and the check works.

How to find a bug yourself

Make the sprite tell you what it knows. A say block showing vy, or whether is hitting tile is true, turns an invisible number into something you can watch while you play.

Then change one thing, play again, and note what changed. That habit is what our teachers practise with students in every class, whatever the tool.

Lost work

Where MakeCode Arcade saves your projects, and how to keep them

The most painful MakeCode question is the one asked after a project disappears. The documentation explains exactly where projects live, which also explains how they get lost.

Saving and sharing, from the MakeCode documentation (read 17 October 2026)
Question	What the documentation says
Where is my project?	In the browser’s local indexed data store, named or as an Untitled project
What is in a project?	Four files: main.ts, main.blocks, README.md and pxt.json
What deletes it?	Clearing browsing data removes all saved projects and the offline files
What survives?	A project you shared to the public cloud is still there
Who can see a shared project?	Anyone who has its shared URL
Can I go back a version?	Yes, with GitHub: History, then View commits
How do I keep a copy?	The Save icon downloads a PNG that also encodes your game

Why school projects vanish

Because projects live inside one browser on one computer, a project made on a school laptop is not on the home computer, and a laptop that clears its browsing data at the end of the day takes the project with it.

Signing in to a different browser profile has the same effect. The project is not deleted; it is in a browser you are not using.

A habit that prevents it

At the end of every session, download the project file with the Save icon and keep it in your school drive or email it to yourself. Opening that file later brings the whole game back.

For work you share with a teacher, use the Share button. Remember that anyone with the link can see it, so share it only with the people it is meant for.

Sources, read 17 October 2026: Saving projects, the MakeCode Arcade FAQ and Publishing games. We are not connected with Microsoft.

At school

MakeCode Arcade at school: blocked sites, offline use and the three views

MakeCode Arcade appears in US high school courses that Microsoft lists on its own courses page, including an AP Computer Science Principles course and a full-year introduction to computer science, plus activities for grades 5 to 12.

If the editor will not load at school

School networks sometimes block the sites MakeCode needs. The FAQ lists domains to unblock, among them https://makecode.com, https://cdn.makecode.com, https://api.github.com and https://immersivereaderprod.cognitiveservices.azure.com, alongside the editor’s own address.

A student cannot change a school network. Show that list to the teacher or the school’s technology staff, who can.

Working without internet

The docs describe two routes. The web editor is cached in the browser the first time it loads, so it can keep working offline; adding a new extension needs a connection again.

There is also an offline app that installs on a Windows or Mac computer and works the same way as the web editor.

The three ways to write an Arcade game (from the MakeCode docs; the last column is our advice)
View	What the docs say	Who it suits
Blocks	Blocks snap into each other; the on start event runs first	Beginners, and anyone planning a game
JavaScript	JavaScript along with the Static TypeScript language	Students ready to type, and AP CSP students
Python	Python along with the JavaScript language	Students who already use Python in class

Sources, read 17 October 2026: MakeCode Arcade courses, Using MakeCode offline, JavaScript and Python.

Class assignments

Help with a MakeCode class project, without doing it for you

Some students come to us in the middle of a graded MakeCode unit. Here is how we handle that.

What we teach

We teach the idea the assignment is testing: events, variables, velocity and acceleration, conditions, tilemaps. Students practise it on a different small game, then go back and solve their own assignment.

That way the grade reflects what the student can do, and the next unit is easier rather than harder.

What we will not do

We do not write or finish graded assignments, and we do not provide answer keys. If a student asks for the answer, the teacher asks the question that leads to it.

If your class has rules about outside help, follow them, and tell your teacher you are learning with a tutor.

Ready for more after Arcade? Our Scratch coding classes suit younger students, the guide to coding games and platforms compares the options, and Minecraft coding classes use a MakeCode editor too.

From blocks to typed code

Four stages of an Arcade game maker

Where a student might be after a school unit, and what comes next.

Stages of a young MakeCode Arcade coder (ours)
Stage	What it looks like
1. Follower	Finishes the built-in tutorials step by step
2. Tinkerer	Changes speeds and images to see what happens
3. Designer	Plans a level, sets jump numbers on purpose, adds a second level
4. Typist	Switches to JavaScript or Python view and writes code directly

For parents

Arcade is a real foundation. Velocity, events and conditions are the same ideas used in professional game engines.

The step from stage 3 to stage 4 is where a teacher helps most, because typed code brings typing errors with it.

For students

Switch to JavaScript view now and then, even if you write in blocks. Reading your own program as text is the fastest way to stage 4.

Finish small games. A one-level game that works teaches more than a ten-level plan.

The catalogue

Nine courses after MakeCode Arcade

Every one is live, with a regular teacher, in a group batch or private lessons.

I

Kids

Ages 6 to 12

MCA / KID / 01

Scratch coding

More blocks, bigger games.

Open the syllabus

MCA / KID / 02

Minecraft coding

MakeCode blocks in a 3D world.

Open the syllabus

MCA / KID / 03

Python for kids

From Arcade’s Python view to real Python.

Open the syllabus

II

Teens

Ages 13 to 18

MCA / TEN / 01

JavaScript for teens

Browser games written by hand.

Open the syllabus

MCA / TEN / 02

Python for teens

Games, data and AI projects.

Open the syllabus

MCA / TEN / 03

Game development for teens

From 2D sprites to Unity.

Open the syllabus

III

Going further

Teens and adults

MCA / PRO / 01

Roblox coding in Luau

The jump to 3D and real players.

Open the syllabus

MCA / PRO / 02

C++ for teens

The language of game engines.

Open the syllabus

MCA / PRO / 03

Vibe coding for teens

Building with AI, carefully.

Open the syllabus

How lessons run

Live classes that start from your own game

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

A batch after school, in your own time zone.

Weekends

Weekend mornings for longer building sessions.

1-on-1

Times you choose, around school.

Open your project

Arcade runs in the browser, so class starts there.

Blocks or text

We work in whichever view you use.

Same teacher

Week after week, one person.

Concepts, not answers

You solve your own assignments.

All fifty states

Online, from any US time zone.

Batch or private

A group of fifteen to twenty, or one to one.

Student work

Projects our students went on to build

A few finished projects by our students. See more on the student labs page.

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

MakeCode Arcade costs nothing, and the first lesson is free too. Regular classes are paid for a month at a time, in US dollars, and you can stop after any month.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

A free first lesson
Bring your Arcade game
No card asked for

Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

Fifteen to twenty in a batch
A regular teacher
You choose the batch
Billed monthly

Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

Private lessons
Scheduled around school
Built on your project

Enquire

What families say

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

Parent reviews from Google, unchanged.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

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★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

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"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

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"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

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Parent of Dhairya

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"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Questions from students and parents

MakeCode Arcade: common questions

How do you make a sprite jump in MakeCode Arcade?

Set a positive ay on the sprite for gravity, then in an on A button pressed event set vy to a negative number, such as -150, but only if is hitting tile, bottom is true, so the sprite jumps from the floor.

How do you add gravity in MakeCode Arcade?

Set the sprite's ay property, its vertical acceleration in pixels per second per second. A positive value speeds the sprite toward the bottom of the screen, which works as gravity.

Why does my jump not work in MakeCode Arcade?

The docs say is hitting tile returns false unless the sprite is moving, even when it touches a wall tile. Set gravity so the sprite keeps pressing on the floor, and make sure the floor tiles are walls.

How do you make levels in MakeCode Arcade?

Draw each level as a tilemap in the tilemap editor, then load it with set tilemap. A game can have several tilemaps, and setting a different one changes the level, for example when the player touches a goal tile.

Where are my MakeCode Arcade projects saved?

In your browser's local data store on that computer. Clearing browsing data removes them, so download a copy with the Save icon or share the project before you leave a school computer.

Can I get a deleted MakeCode project back?

If the browser data was cleared, only a copy saved elsewhere can bring it back: a downloaded project file, a shared link, or a GitHub repository with its commit history.

Can MakeCode Arcade work offline?

Yes. The web editor is cached the first time it loads, and Microsoft also offers an offline app for Windows and Mac computers. Adding a new extension needs an internet connection.

Does MakeCode Arcade use real code?

Yes. Besides blocks, it has a JavaScript view, using JavaScript with Static TypeScript, and a Python view. Students can switch views and see the same program as text.

Can you do my MakeCode assignment?

No. We never write graded work or give answer keys. We teach the concept behind the assignment, such as velocity or tilemaps, so the student can complete it on their own.

When are classes for US students?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

What do game coding classes cost?

The first lesson is free. After that, classes are paid monthly, and the fees part of this page states that monthly price in US dollars.

Elsewhere on this site

Related pages

More for US students who like making games.

Scratch coding classes

Block coding for younger game makers.

Minecraft coding classes

Another MakeCode editor, in 3D.

Coding games and platforms

How the popular tools compare.

Coding classes in the USA

Our full set of pages for US families.

Coding for 10 year olds

What fits at that age.

How we teach

A look inside a live class.

Roblox Studio errors fixed

Roblox Studio errors from the Creator docs: 403, 502, HTTP, endless waits.

Khan Academy CS vs live classes

Khan Academy CS or live classes? A fair comparison, built from Khan Academy descriptions of its course.

CodeHS help for students

CodeHS help: resets, debugger, unit tests, autograder messages and login fixes.

Start here

Book a free first lesson

Send us the share link to your Arcade game, or just describe it. The teacher plays it before the lesson and plans the next step from there.

Want to know what a lesson is like first? Read how our classes run, or open any syllabus on our course list.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · connect@modernagecoders.com

Our teaching team works from India, entirely over live video, so families in every US state join the same way. WhatsApp is the quickest channel for questions.

Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off.

Book a priority demo

Three courses for students who outgrow the school unit

Game development for kids

Coding for kids

JavaScript for teens

How to make a sprite jump and add gravity in MakeCode Arcade

The jump, worked out (our calculation)

Tuning it

Practice 1 (ours)

Practice 2 (ours)

Practice 3 (ours)

How to make levels in MakeCode Arcade with tilemaps

Why a level variable

Designing a level that works

Why your MakeCode Arcade game is not doing what you expected

The rule behind a classic jump bug

How to find a bug yourself

Where MakeCode Arcade saves your projects, and how to keep them

Why school projects vanish

A habit that prevents it

MakeCode Arcade at school: blocked sites, offline use and the three views

If the editor will not load at school

Working without internet

Help with a MakeCode class project, without doing it for you

What we teach

What we will not do

Four stages of an Arcade game maker

For parents

For students

Nine courses after MakeCode Arcade

Kids

Scratch coding

Minecraft coding

Python for kids

Teens

JavaScript for teens

Python for teens

Game development for teens

Going further

Roblox coding in Luau

C++ for teens

Vibe coding for teens

Live classes that start from your own game

Open your project

Blocks or text

Same teacher

Concepts, not answers

All fifty states

Batch or private

Projects our students went on to build

NutriLife

Misti

GuardianX

SkyCast

Fees

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

MakeCode Arcade: common questions

How do you make a sprite jump in MakeCode Arcade?

How do you add gravity in MakeCode Arcade?

Why does my jump not work in MakeCode Arcade?

How do you make levels in MakeCode Arcade?

Where are my MakeCode Arcade projects saved?

Can I get a deleted MakeCode project back?

Can MakeCode Arcade work offline?

Does MakeCode Arcade use real code?

Can you do my MakeCode assignment?

When are classes for US students?

What do game coding classes cost?

Related pages

Book a free first lesson

Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

Keep exploring Modern Age Coders

Related courses and guides

Free resources

From the blog

Start here