--- key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ladders type: mechanic id: game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ladders lang: en title: Climbing ladders summary: >- A ladder connects different heights along a clear route. Players should recognize its entry, exit and fall risk in advance. updatedAt: '2026-10-21' status: active url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ladders/ jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ladders.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ladders.md aliases: [] tags: - Game design techniques - Movement sourceIds: - source-15f1e4d9773d2943 - source-55bb971d87d7d8fd - source-5ca04c4f9f60283d - source-3bf63241e6dd4985 - source-a4e149462e833f26 - source-f6e3c49d512bcec1 - source-56a5ce5262f4e922 - source-8acd296040247f95 sources: - id: source-15f1e4d9773d2943 title: 'Game Mechanics: Climbing ladders' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders' verifiedAt: null - id: source-55bb971d87d7d8fd title: Montezuma's Revenge (1984) url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/montezumas-revenge verifiedAt: null - id: source-5ca04c4f9f60283d title: Tomb Raider II (1997) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/tomb-raider-ii' verifiedAt: null - id: source-3bf63241e6dd4985 title: Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001) url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/return-to-castle-wolfenstein verifiedAt: null - id: source-a4e149462e833f26 title: Doom 3 (2004) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/doom-3' verifiedAt: null - id: source-f6e3c49d512bcec1 title: 'F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (2009)' url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/f-e-a-r-2-project-origin verifiedAt: null - id: source-56a5ce5262f4e922 title: Far Cry 3 (2012) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/far-cry-3' verifiedAt: null - id: source-8acd296040247f95 title: Spelunky url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/' verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: game-mechanics id: gm-climbing-ladders title: Game design techniques url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-climbing-ladders' categoryIds: - gm-category-movement supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-21' title: Climbing ladders description: >- A ladder connects different heights along a clear route. Players should recognize its entry, exit and fall risk in advance. image: src: images/mechanics/spelunky-ladder.webp width: 1280 height: 720 game: Spelunky sourceUrl: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/' originalUrl: >- https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/239350/ss_8fb56a4fb17d6c777c12952d6642652b063b5528.1920x1080.jpg?t=1632912566 credit: Mossmouth rights: © Mossmouth. All rights reserved. caption: A ladder between cave levels alt: >- Spelunky: the explorer is below a ladder connecting two cave levels, with an explosion overhead. markers: - x: 49 'y': 31 label: A vertical route between levels tips: - Distinguish grabbing the ladder from an ordinary jump. - Check that both ladder exits work without snagging. examples: - title: Spelunky url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/' endsAt: null provenance: >- Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification. license: CC-BY-4.0 codeLicense: MIT attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors catalogKey: catalog/game-mechanics --- # Climbing ladders id: game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ladders type: mechanic key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ladders lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ladders/ A ladder connects different heights along a clear route. Players should recognize its entry, exit and fall risk in advance. ## At a glance ![Spelunky: the explorer is below a ladder connecting two cave levels, with an explosion overhead.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/spelunky-ladder.webp) [Spelunky](https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/) · © Mossmouth. All rights reserved. 1. A vertical route between levels - Distinguish grabbing the ladder from an ordinary jump. - Check that both ladder exits work without snagging. - [Spelunky](https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/) ## How it works A ladder provides a controllable route between elevations. ## Variants ### How the technique works - A ladder provides a controllable route between elevations. ## Context and limits All 199 Game Mechanics entries at the check date: player actions, systems, presentation techniques and contested patterns. Entries are grouped by their first source-card category; all categories appear in their descriptions. Definitions use original wording. References link to game-specific galleries; images and videos remain at the source. ## Connected materials ## Sources and provenance Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification. - [Game Mechanics: Climbing ladders](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders) (id: source-15f1e4d9773d2943) - [Montezuma's Revenge (1984)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/montezumas-revenge) (id: source-55bb971d87d7d8fd) - [Tomb Raider II (1997)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/tomb-raider-ii) (id: source-5ca04c4f9f60283d) - [Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/return-to-castle-wolfenstein) (id: source-3bf63241e6dd4985) - [Doom 3 (2004)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/doom-3) (id: source-a4e149462e833f26) - [F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (2009)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/f-e-a-r-2-project-origin) (id: source-f6e3c49d512bcec1) - [Far Cry 3 (2012)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ladders/game/far-cry-3) (id: source-56a5ce5262f4e922) - [Spelunky](https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/) (id: source-8acd296040247f95) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors