GuideKit

Game Development

GameMaker Pathfinding for Enemy Pathfinding in Top-Down Games

Set up enemy pathfinding in GameMaker with straight-line pursuit, wall avoidance, and grid-based navigation for top-down games.

GuideKit EditorialEditorial team
6 min read
A GameMaker test window shows a gray maze with bright cyan walls and a green square near the top right and a red square near the lower center, with the GameMaker editor visible behind it.
A GameMaker test window displays a maze room with colored player and enemy squares inside the obstacle course. — footage: Sane Game Studios

Use a basic pursuit function if you just want an enemy to chase the player in a straight line, but this will stop the enemy at walls. For smart pathfinding in a top-down GameMaker game, make a persistent object that builds a room grid and give the enemy a path that updates periodically to follow the player around obstacles, not through them.

What enemy pathfinding needs in GameMaker

prerequisites

  • A room with wall objects, a player object, and an enemy object already placed.
  • Enemy object is blank before adding code.

Start with direct AI movement toward the player

Start by giving the enemy simple chase behavior that moves directly toward the player and stops when blocked.

GameMaker Studio is open with the o_enemy object's Step event code editor active and an autocomplete dropdown for mp_linear_path visible.

The o_enemy Step event is open while the code editor shows an autocomplete list for mp_linear_path. — Sane Game Studios

  • The first two arguments are the player’s X and Y coordinates.
  • The third is speed (enemy set slower than player).
  • The last is the wall object to avoid.

This makes the enemy move straight for the player until a wall blocks the path. The enemy will halt if it collides with a wall.

Switch to path-based NPC navigation

For smarter chasing, switch to a path approach so the NPC can move around single obstacles.

GameMaker Studio shows the o_enemy object open with its Create event code editor active and path autocomplete suggestions displayed.

The enemy object’s Create event is open in GameMaker Studio with path code being entered in the editor. — Sane Game Studios

  1. In the enemy's Create event, declare a path variable:

    path = undefined;
    • mp_potential_path_object tries to find a route from the enemy to the player, avoiding walls.
    • The factor value (2) prevents infinite loops and should be above 1.
    • The path is started using path_start, with speed set to 3, stopping at the path's end, and not using the path editor (absolute set to false).

This approach lets the enemy route around basic obstacles but can still fail with more complex blockades, getting stuck if the direct path is impossible.

Build a room grid for grid pathfinding

For more robust pathfinding that can handle complex arrangements of walls, define a grid that models the room's walkable and blocked areas.

GameMaker IDE with an object event code editor open, showing a Step event and code calling mp_grid_create.

GameMaker shows an object event code window with grid creation code in the Step event. — Sane Game Studios

  1. In its Create event:

    grid = undefined;

  2. In the Step event, add code to create the grid once:

    if (grid == undefined) {
    grid = mp_grid_create(0, 0, room_width / 32, room_height / 32, 32, 32);
    mp_grid_add_instances(grid, o_wall, false);
}
    • The grid covers the room in 32x32 tiles.
    • All instances of the wall object are marked as blocked.

  3. To verify the grid, add temporary drawing code in the Draw event:

    if (grid != undefined) {
    mp_grid_draw(grid);
}

    This visualization helps ensure walls and open spaces are represented properly.

Place an instance of the grid management object anywhere in your room before testing.

Use grid pathfinding for top-down game obstacles

Move enemy pathfinding to use your grid for correct navigation around multiple obstacles.

GameMaker editor with a Step event open showing code that calls mp_grid_path() inside an if statement, with the asset browser listing objects including o_enemy, o_game, o_player, and o_wall.

GameMaker shows an enemy Step event with an mp_grid_path() call in the code editor and the object list on the right. — Sane Game Studios

- This line requests a new path from the enemy’s current position to the player’s, allowing diagonal movement.
- The enemy moves much more intelligently, navigating between walls and around complex obstacles.

Test this by arranging walls in the room to form an obstacle course. The enemy should actively follow the player wherever they move.

Clean up movement logic so it stays fast

GameMaker Studio is open with the o_enemy object selected, a context menu expanded to the Alarm event submenu, and code in the editor showing a path refresh delayed by alarm[0]. GameMaker Studio shows the o_enemy object event menu open on Alarm and the delayed path refresh code in the editor.

FAQ

GameMaker enemy pathfinding tutorial

This guide demonstrates step-by-step approaches to get enemies to follow the player with direct movement, path-based avoidance, and full grid pathfinding for top-down games.

how to make enemies follow the player in GameMaker

Give the enemy object code to move toward the player's coordinates, first by direct step, then using pathfinding functions to avoid walls and follow the player around obstacles.

pathfinding for top-down GameMaker games

Use a grid system based on room dimensions and wall locations, then call the grid pathfinding function to update enemy paths as the player moves. Trigger path updates intermittently for efficiency.

GameMaker AI navigation tutorial

Set up a central persistent object to create and manage the room grid, marking walls as blocked. Have enemies check this object for the grid before building a path to the player, enabling smarter movement patterns.

GameMaker Studio 2 pathfinding basics

Start with direct linear pursuit, advance to simple path variables, and upgrade to grid-based pathfinding using built-in grid and path functions to allow dynamic navigation and real gameplay challenges.

Official reference: GameMaker manual.

Related guides

Sources

Screenshots on this page are frames from the videos below, used to illustrate the steps they describe. All rights remain with their creators.

Checked against:

On this page

Continue reading

Game Development

GameMaker RPG Movement and Enemies for a First RPG

Build a top-down RPG player that moves and animates, then add enemies that roam, follow the player, avoid stacking, and draw in the correct order.

Read

Game Development

Godot Collision and Physics Movement: Push RigidBody2D Objects Without Breaking the Level

Set up Godot collision layers for a CharacterBody2D, then fix rigid body pushing by applying an impulse in code instead of letting the player plow through physics objects.

Read

Game Development

Unity Tutorial: First Project, Scenes, and Player Movement

Set up a new Unity project, place your first scene objects, and wire up basic player movement in the editor. Learn how scenes, prefabs, the inspector, and the input system fit together in a beginner workflow.

Read