Introducing Abilities: A New Dimension To Gameplay

Our first set of Abilities will debut in Alpha Season 5 and enable avatars to Air Dance, Double Jump, and Fly!

Avatar-centric gameplay is at the core of player experience in The Sandbox, allowing you to move and interact skillfully as you discover new worlds. Building on the innovations to our Avatar Mobility System in our Game Maker 0.11 update, we’re excited to introduce Abilities in Alpha Season 5.

Abilities grant unique behaviors to specific items you can find and equip in-game, allowing you to embark on more expressive and challenging gameplay. Both players and creators will have the ability to interact with this new system within the Game Maker or Game Client. Many experiences in Alpha Season 5 will feature at least one of the initial three new Abilities so that you can try them for yourself as you play your way through the season.

Here’s a closer look at the three new Abilities coming soon in The Sandbox:

Flight

Equip a Jet Pack and experience the thrill of Flight! This ability allows you to defy gravity, effortlessly traverse distances, and gain a whole new perspective on your game world. Jet Packs can be set with time limits, so make sure you plan your flight wisely. Once a Jet Pack has been equipped to your Avatar, simply press ‘F’ on your keyboard to start flying!

Air Dance

By equipping special Gauntlets, you can perform gravity-defying Air Dance moves. This ability brings fluidity and flair to movement, enabling stylish mid-air maneuvers that add a new dimension to exploration and expression. Press ‘CTRL’ on your keyboard to perform an Air Dance and cover distances in style!

Double Jump

Strap on a pair of special shoes and unlock the power of Double Jump. Whether dodging obstacles, reaching high platforms, or enhancing agility in fast-paced gameplay, this ability will give you the extra boost you need to conquer challenges and discover new areas! Press SPACE twice to initiate a Double Jump.

Abilities: Coming Soon to Alpha Season 5 and the Game Maker

Abilities will debut in the Alpha Season 5 Hub, where you’ll learn how to use each one. From there, you can explore more Alpha Season 5 experiences that showcase different Abilities.

Creators will be able to access the initial set of Abilities for the first time on March 31 (alongside the season launch) in the Game Maker and implement one or more of the Ability-granting gear in their experiences. These new Abilities are just the beginning, with more Abilities to be introduced in the future as we continue to enable new forms of gameplay and make existing ones even more expressive and exciting.

Want to learn how to build with Abilities? Over the next few weeks, we’ll publish detailed blog posts on adding them to your experience!