Why does my CharacterController stop on small ledges?

Step Offset is too low or Skin Width is eating the offset. Set Step Offset to ~0.3 (typical), Skin Width to 0.04, and ensure the offset is less than the capsule radius.

Steps with slight roundovers register as slopes. Slope Limit at 45 is the default; raise to 50-55 if your geometry has chamfered step edges. Above 60 introduces wall-climbing artifacts.

Radius too large: capsule sits proud of small steps and can't snap up. Match radius to geometry: 0.4 for typical 0.5m wide step landings.

Fix: CharacterController Catches On Tiny Ledges

Quick answer: Step Offset 0.3, Skin Width 0.04, Slope Limit 50. Capsule radius matched to step landing width. Step Offset must be less than capsule radius for the snap-up to work.

Player walks forward, hits a 10 cm curb, stops dead. CharacterController has a Step Offset, but it’s set too low or Skin Width is masking it.

The Symptom

Movement stalls at small height changes. Or the controller jitters as it tries and fails to snap up.

The Fix

CharacterController:
  Slope Limit:       50      // up from 45
  Step Offset:       0.3     // 30 cm step
  Skin Width:        0.04    // thin: don't bury offset
  Min Move Distance: 0       // don't skip tiny moves
  Center:            (0, 0.9, 0)
  Radius:            0.4
  Height:            1.8

// Constraint: Step Offset < Radius
// 0.3 < 0.4  ✓

That trio (offset / skin / slope) handles 95% of step-snag cases. The radius constraint is enforced by Unity at runtime; violating it silently disables stepping.

Geometry-Side Fix

If your level has many tiny seams between meshes, weld them or place an invisible smooth-walk collision over the joint. CharacterController treats every collider edge as a potential step.

Verifying

Walk into a 30 cm step: snaps up smoothly. Walk into a 50 cm wall: stops. Curbs and stair landings stop snagging.

“Offset under radius. Skin thin. Slope generous. Snags clear.”

Related Issues

For Rigidbody2D mass tipping, see mass tipping. For Cinemachine impulse, see impulse.

Step offset under radius. Snag gone.