--- key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ropes type: mechanic id: game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ropes lang: en title: Climbing ropes summary: >- A rope creates a vertical route through open space. The player grabs it, changes height and chooses when to let go. updatedAt: '2026-10-21' status: active url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ropes/ jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ropes.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ropes.md aliases: [] tags: - Game design techniques - Movement sourceIds: - source-7a5a1cc26fe7d38a - source-0d942714ed839fe1 - source-d4dcf08d781a8340 - source-ca0ad58938a04c31 - source-8acd296040247f95 sources: - id: source-7a5a1cc26fe7d38a title: 'Game Mechanics: Climbing ropes' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ropes' verifiedAt: null - id: source-0d942714ed839fe1 title: 'Uncharted: Drake''s Fortune (2007)' url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ropes/game/uncharted-drakes-fortune verifiedAt: null - id: source-d4dcf08d781a8340 title: 'Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)' url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ropes/game/tomb-raider-underworld verifiedAt: null - id: source-ca0ad58938a04c31 title: 'Uncharted 4: A Thief''s End (2016)' url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ropes/game/uncharted-4-a-thiefs-end verifiedAt: null - id: source-8acd296040247f95 title: Spelunky url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/' verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: game-mechanics id: gm-climbing-ropes title: Game design techniques url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-climbing-ropes' categoryIds: - gm-category-movement supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-21' title: Climbing ropes description: >- A rope creates a vertical route through open space. The player grabs it, changes height and chooses when to let go. image: src: images/mechanics/spelunky-rope.webp width: 1280 height: 720 crop: x: 400 'y': 0 width: 700 height: 720 game: Spelunky sourceUrl: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/' originalUrl: >- https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/239350/ss_1fa00992272eea478c750d925c9eda920fa760a8.1920x1080.jpg?t=1632912566 credit: Mossmouth rights: © Mossmouth. All rights reserved. caption: Climbing while carrying a character alt: >- Spelunky: the explorer clings to a rope above a dangerous altar while carrying another character. markers: - x: 50 'y': 52 label: Explorer holding the rope - x: 50 'y': 20 label: Anchor above the drop tips: - Show the usable length and anchor point. - Support a reliable transition from rope to nearby ground. 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 ropes id: game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ropes type: mechanic key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ropes lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-climbing-ropes/ A rope creates a vertical route through open space. The player grabs it, changes height and chooses when to let go. ## At a glance ![Spelunky: the explorer clings to a rope above a dangerous altar while carrying another character.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/spelunky-rope.webp) [Spelunky](https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/) · © Mossmouth. All rights reserved. 1. Explorer holding the rope 2. Anchor above the drop - Show the usable length and anchor point. - Support a reliable transition from rope to nearby ground. - [Spelunky](https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/) ## How it works A hanging rope provides a climbing route. ## Variants ### How the technique works - A hanging rope provides a climbing route. ## 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 ropes](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ropes) (id: source-7a5a1cc26fe7d38a) - [Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ropes/game/uncharted-drakes-fortune) (id: source-0d942714ed839fe1) - [Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ropes/game/tomb-raider-underworld) (id: source-d4dcf08d781a8340) - [Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/climbing-ropes/game/uncharted-4-a-thiefs-end) (id: source-ca0ad58938a04c31) - [Spelunky](https://store.steampowered.com/app/239350/) (id: source-8acd296040247f95) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors