What's input buffering in platformers?

Storing a recent input press for a short window so it can apply when conditions are met — e.g., player presses jump 50ms before landing; the input is remembered and executes on landing rather than being lost.

What about coyote time?

Coyote time is the inverse: allow the player to jump for a short window after walking off a ledge. Pair input buffer (early presses) with coyote time (late presses) for a forgiving jump feel.

How long should the buffer be?

100–150ms is the sweet spot. Less and players still miss; more feels disconnected from input. Tune to your game’s pace; faster games favor shorter buffers.

Fix: Godot Input Buffer for Forgiving Jump Press

Quick answer: Store the time of the most recent jump press. On each physics tick, if the player is grounded and the press is within 100ms, consume it. Combine with coyote time for full forgiveness.

Players press jump 1 frame before they land. The press is lost; the character doesn’t jump on contact. Frustrating. Pro platformers buffer presses for a short window.

The Pattern

extends CharacterBody2D

const JUMP_BUFFER = 0.12   # 120 ms
const COYOTE_TIME = 0.10   # 100 ms

var jump_buffer_timer: float = 0.0
var coyote_timer: float = 0.0

func _physics_process(delta):
    if Input.is_action_just_pressed("jump"):
        jump_buffer_timer = JUMP_BUFFER

    if is_on_floor():
        coyote_timer = COYOTE_TIME
    else:
        coyote_timer = max(0, coyote_timer - delta)

    jump_buffer_timer = max(0, jump_buffer_timer - delta)

    if jump_buffer_timer > 0 and coyote_timer > 0:
        velocity.y = JUMP_VELOCITY
        jump_buffer_timer = 0
        coyote_timer = 0

    move_and_slide()

The press is buffered. Each tick: if the player is (or was recently) grounded and a recent press is queued, jump. Both timers consume on jump.

Why It Feels So Much Better

Player presses jump 100ms before landing: with buffer, the input takes effect on the landing frame instead of being lost. Player walks off a ledge and presses jump 50ms later: with coyote time, the jump still executes.

Both windows operate on perception thresholds. Players almost never consciously notice the buffering — they just experience “the game does what I meant.”

Tuning

Slow puzzle platformers: 150–200ms windows. Players are deliberate; generous buffer.
Standard action: 100–120ms.
Speedrun / precision: 60–80ms. Too much buffer makes timing tricks unreliable.

Verifying

Test the pattern: hold jump while character is falling; should jump on landing. Step off a ledge then press jump; should still jump within the coyote window. Both feel responsive without exposing the underlying mechanic.

“Forgiving controls aren’t cheating. They’re respecting the human nervous system’s timing variance.”

Add input buffer day one to any platformer. Cost: 20 lines. Win: significantly tighter feel.