Getting your roblox obby checkpoint system script working correctly is probably the most important part of making a platformer that people actually want to play. Let's be real, there is nothing more frustrating than getting 90% of the way through a difficult mega-obby, slipping off a neon-colored truss, and realizing you have to start all the way back at the beginning because the developer forgot to fix the spawns. You'll lose your players faster than a speedrun if the checkpoints don't work.
In this article, we're going to walk through how to build a solid, reliable checkpoint system from scratch. We aren't just going to copy-paste some random code; I'll explain how the logic actually works so you can tweak it later if you want to add fancy features like particle effects or sound triggers.
Why You Need a Custom Script
Roblox has a built-in "SpawnLocation" object, and technically, you could just throw a bunch of those into your game. But if you do that without a proper roblox obby checkpoint system script, players might trigger them in the wrong order, or the game might get confused about where a player should actually land when they reset.
A custom script gives you control. It lets you decide exactly when a player's "stage" updates. It also makes it way easier to show the player what stage they're on in a GUI later on. Plus, if you want to save their progress so they can come back tomorrow and start where they left off, you're going to need a script anyway.
The Basic Logic: How it Works
The core idea behind any checkpoint system is pretty simple. Every time a player touches a new checkpoint part, the game needs to check two things: 1. Is the thing that touched the part actually a player? 2. Is this checkpoint further ahead than the one they already have?
We use a "Leaderstat" to keep track of the player's current stage. This is that little menu in the top-right corner of the screen during gameplay. When the player touches a part named "2", and their current stage is "1", the script updates their stage to "2". When they die, the game looks at that number and teleports them to the part that matches it.
Setting Up Your Workspace
Before we even touch the code, you need to set up your parts in Roblox Studio. This is where most beginners mess up.
First, create a Folder in your Workspace and name it "Checkpoints". Inside that folder, start placing your parts. You should name them numerically: "1", "2", "3", and so on. Make sure they are Anchored and that CanCollide is turned off if you want players to walk through them, or leave it on if they're platforms.
It's a good idea to make the first checkpoint (Stage 1) right where the players join the game. Every part in this folder needs to have a unique name that corresponds to the stage number. Don't skip numbers, or the script might get a bit wonky.
Writing the Leaderstats Script
We need a script that creates the "Stage" value for every player when they join. Without this, the checkpoint script won't have anywhere to save the player's progress during that session.
Create a Script (not a LocalScript!) in ServerScriptService and call it "Leaderstats".
```lua game.Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(function(player) local leaderstats = Instance.new("Folder") leaderstats.Name = "leaderstats" leaderstats.Parent = player
local stage = Instance.new("IntValue") stage.Name = "Stage" stage.Value = 1 -- Everyone starts at stage 1 stage.Parent = leaderstats end) ```
This code is pretty standard. It just tells the game, "Hey, every time someone joins, give them a folder called leaderstats and a number called Stage."
Creating the Checkpoint Script
Now for the meat of the project: the actual roblox obby checkpoint system script. You can put this in the same script as the leaderstats or a new one in ServerScriptService. I prefer keeping them together for simplicity when I'm just starting a project.
The script needs to loop through all the parts in your "Checkpoints" folder and listen for a touch.
```lua local checkpoints = workspace:WaitForChild("Checkpoints")
for _, checkpoint in pairs(checkpoints:GetChildren()) do checkpoint.Touched:Connect(function(hit) local character = hit.Parent local player = game.Players:GetPlayerFromCharacter(character)
if player then local currentStage = player.leaderstats.Stage local checkpointNumber = tonumber(checkpoint.Name) if checkpointNumber > currentStage.Value then currentStage.Value = checkpointNumber -- You could add a sound or color change here! checkpoint.Color = Color3.fromRGB(0, 255, 0) end end end) end ```
What's happening here? We're telling the game to look at every part inside that "Checkpoints" folder. When a player touches one, we get the name of that part (like "2") and turn it into a number. If that number is higher than the player's current stage, we update their progress. Using if checkpointNumber > currentStage.Value is vital because it stops players from "going backward" and losing their progress if they touch an old checkpoint.
Handling the Respawn
By default, Roblox might still try to spawn players at the original world spawn. To fix this, we need to tell the game exactly where to put the player's character when they respawn. We do this by listening for the CharacterAdded event.
Add this inside your PlayerAdded function:
```lua player.CharacterAdded:Connect(function(character) local stageValue = player.leaderstats.Stage.Value local checkpoint = checkpoints:FindFirstChild(tostring(stageValue))
if checkpoint then -- Wait a tiny bit for the character to load task.wait(0.1) character:MoveTo(checkpoint.Position + Vector3.new(0, 3, 0)) end end) ```
The Vector3.new(0, 3, 0) bit is a little trick to make sure the player spawns slightly above the checkpoint part. If you spawn them exactly at the same position, they might get stuck inside the floor or glitch out.
Making it Feel Better (Visual Feedback)
A script that works is great, but a script that feels good is better. When a player hits a checkpoint, they should know it worked. You can add a simple line of code to change the color of the checkpoint or play a "ding" sound.
Inside the Touched function, where we update the currentStage.Value, you could add something like: checkpoint.Material = Enum.Material.Neon.
This gives the player that visual "click" that they've made progress. You could even go a step further and use a remote event to fire a "Stage Up" message on their screen, but let's keep it simple for now.
Saving Progress with DataStores
If you want your obby to be successful, you have to save progress. Nobody wants to beat 50 levels, leave for dinner, and come back to find they're at level 1. Adding a DataStore to your roblox obby checkpoint system script is the professional way to handle this.
You'll need to use DataStoreService. Basically, when a player leaves, you save their "Stage" value to Roblox's cloud. When they join back, instead of setting their stage to 1, you check the cloud to see if they have a saved number.
It sounds intimidating, but it's really just a few extra lines of logic. Just remember that DataStores don't work in the Studio local player unless you turn on "Allow API Services to Game Settings" in your game's security settings.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
I've seen a lot of people struggle with this, and usually, it's one of three things:
- Naming: If you name your parts "Checkpoint1" instead of just "1", the
tonumber()function will fail. Keep your names simple. - Anchoring: If your checkpoints aren't anchored, they'll fall through the map or get pushed around by players, and the spawn locations will be ruined.
- Debounce: If you add sounds or particles, make sure to add a "debounce" (a cooldown). Otherwise, if a player stands on the checkpoint, the sound will trigger 60 times a second and hurt everyone's ears.
Final Thoughts
Building a roblox obby checkpoint system script is a rite of passage for new Roblox devs. It teaches you about events, variables, player characters, and how to organize your workspace. Once you get the hang of this, you can start adding things like kill-bricks, moving platforms, and shops.
Don't be afraid to break things and experiment. Maybe try making a checkpoint that only works once, or one that gives the player a speed boost when they touch it. The logic is the same—it's all about detecting that touch and changing a value. Happy building!