What units should I use?

Use consistent units throughout — pixels/s², meters/s², or any other unit. The calculator is unit-agnostic; whatever unit you enter for gravity and height, results come back in the same unit family.

Why is the arc symmetric?

Under constant gravity with no air resistance, the ascent and descent are mirror images. Real engines sometimes add variable gravity (faster fall) — use the "fall gravity" field to model that asymmetry.

How do I match another game's jump feel?

Enter that game's gravity value and measure (or estimate) its jump height in game units. The calculator gives you the initial velocity to replicate that jump in your own engine.

What is "time to apex"?

The time from the moment the character leaves the ground until they reach the highest point of the arc. Total airtime is twice this value for a symmetric jump.

Can I use this for 3D games?

Yes. The vertical axis of a 3D jump follows the same kinematic equations. Enter your 3D gravity (e.g. 9.8 m/s² or whatever your engine uses) and desired peak height.

Game Jump Height Calculator

Name: Game Jump Height Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter gravity and target jump height to instantly get initial velocity, hang time, and full jump arc for your 2D platformer character.

Jump Parameters

Rise Gravity (units/s²)

e.g. 9.8 m/s² real-world, 20–50 for snappy platformers

Target Apex Height (units)

Height from ground to the top of the jump arc

Asymmetric fall gravity

Results appear here after you calculate.

Summary

Enter gravity and target jump height to instantly get initial velocity, hang time, and full jump arc for your 2D platformer character.

How it works

Enter your game gravity (units per second squared) and the desired jump apex height.
Optionally set the time to apex instead of gravity to work backwards from a feel.
The calculator applies kinematic equations: v₀ = sqrt(2 × g × h) and t_apex = v₀ / g.
Total hang time is 2 × t_apex (symmetric arc under constant gravity).
Results update instantly so you can tweak values until the jump feels right.

Use cases

Tune how high a platformer hero jumps for a given gravity setting.
Match jump feel to a reference game by reverse-engineering its velocity.
Calculate hang time so you can set animation frame budgets.
Compare how gravity changes affect jump arc without writing code.
Prototype physics constants before wiring them into your game engine.
Check whether a jump clears a specific platform gap at a given height.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Reviewed by Nham Vu