Obby Parkour Tips: 9 Ways to Survive Traps, Double Jumps and Restarts

Obby games, short for obstacle courses, look simple: run, jump, don't fall. Then a swinging hammer sends you back to the start for the fifth time and the run turns into a test of patience. The good news is that most deaths in these games come from the same few habits. This guide covers nine of them, using Obby: Death Run as the example, but the advice works for most obstacle-course and parkour games.

What you are dealing with

In Obby: Death Run you race through three levels with moving platforms, swinging hammers, laser grids and spike traps. Level 1 is a warm-up, Level 2 speeds everything up, and Level 3 puts every trap on screen at once. One mistake sends you back to the start, so the whole game rewards a calm, careful run more than a fast, careless one.

Controls on desktop: WASD to move, Space to jump (you can jump twice), Left Shift to sprint, right mouse button plus mouse to look around, and Tab for the pause menu. On mobile: an on-screen joystick to move, a swipe to move the camera and a tap to jump.

1. Learn the course before you try to be fast

Your first runs are for information. Watch how each trap moves, how long it takes to come around and where the safe space is. Speed comes from knowing what is next, not from pressing forward harder.

2. Count the rhythm of each trap

Hammers, lasers and moving platforms repeat. Say a count in your head ("one, two, go") and move at the same point in the cycle each time. A trap that looks random at first is usually a loop of a few seconds.

3. Use the double jump on purpose

The second jump is for wide gaps, but it also helps you fix a jump that went wrong. Do not spend it automatically at the start of every jump. Keep it as a backup, and use it when you see the gap is wider than it looked.

4. Sprint only when the ground is clear

Sprinting helps with long straight sections and gaps that need distance. Near spikes, tight platforms and anything that needs a precise landing, slow down. Many deaths happen because the character slides past the edge of the platform.

5. Take control of the camera

If you cannot see where you will land, you are guessing. Move the camera so the next platform and the trap are in view before you jump. On PC hold the right mouse button and move the mouse; on mobile swipe. It takes a second and saves many restarts.

6. Stop at safe spots

Wide, flat platforms are good places to stop, check the next section and plan the next two moves. You do not have to keep moving all the time.

7. Keep your inputs small and clean

Hold forward, tap jump, release. Many players keep pressing every key, which leads to unwanted turns in the air. If you drift, correct with short taps rather than long holds.

8. Take a break after a bad streak

If you fail the same jump ten times in a row, your timing has probably slipped. Walk away for a minute, drink some water and come back. Fresh hands often clear the section on the next try.

9. Use skins and trails as motivation, not as a goal

The game rewards you with skins and trails and exclusive rewards at the end of each stage. They are a nice bonus, but pushing too hard for them leads to rushed runs. Focus on clean runs and the rewards follow.

On a phone

• Play in landscape and use two thumbs: one on the joystick, one for jump and camera.
• Clean your screen and lower the brightness slightly if your thumbs slip on glass.
• If the game lags, close other tabs and apps first. Our guides on fixing lag in browser games and playing browser games on your phone can help.

If you want more of the same

Browse the Obby category for more obstacle-course games. If you want a more action-oriented game, try Obby: Battle Arena, and for something calmer between runs, pick a game from the Casual category. Every game on PlayKovo is free to play in the browser, with no download and no sign-up.