Shadow Jump – Play the Vertical Ninja Platformer
Shadow Jump is a vertical platformer where the ninja bounces automatically off every platform she lands on. You only steer left and right — and push into the tower walls to wall-jump when a platform drifts out of reach.
About Shadow Jump
Shadow Jump removes jump timing from the platformer equation. The ninja rebounds the instant she touches a platform, so the game is purely about positioning: line up the next landing while you are still rising.
Three platform types appear as you climb. Solid slabs are the safe default. Teal moving platforms slide horizontally and bounce off the tower walls. Brown crumbling platforms fade away about half a second after you land on them, so they can be used once and never returned to.
The generator constrains the vertical distance between platforms to 128 pixels, measured against a jump apex of roughly 144 pixels. The tower therefore always remains climbable. What changes with altitude is platform width — starting near 150 pixels and narrowing to a floor of 64 — plus the proportion of moving and crumbling platforms in the mix.
The tower walls are the safety net. Drifting into one while falling triggers a wall jump that launches the ninja up and back toward the centre, which is often the difference between recovering a bad bounce and dropping out of the tower.
How to play Shadow Jump
- Press Play to start. The ninja bounces on her own — you never press a jump key.
- Steer with the Left and Right arrow keys, or A and D.
- Aim for the centre of the next platform, not its edge.
- Push into the left or right wall while falling to wall-jump back toward the middle.
- Collect blue gems for 25 points each — they always sit just above a platform.
- The run ends when the ninja falls below the bottom of the screen.
Controls
Desktop controls
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Move left | ← or A |
| Move right | → or D |
| Wall jump | Hold into a wall while falling |
| Pause / resume | P or Esc |
| Mute | M |
Mobile and touch controls
| Action | Gesture |
|---|---|
| Move left | Left on-screen button, or hold the left half of the play area |
| Move right | Right on-screen button, or hold the right half |
| Wall jump | Hold toward a wall while falling |
Pause works everywhere with the Pause button under the play area. Game audio is a handful of synthesised arcade tones — mute it with M or the Sound button, and the setting carries across every game on the site.
Tips and strategies
1. Steer during the rise, not the fall
Horizontal position is far easier to correct while going up. If you wait until you are falling, you are fighting momentum and gravity at the same time.
2. Release the key before you arrive
Momentum carries the ninja after you let go. Stopping input about a body width early lands you near the platform's centre instead of sliding off the edge.
3. Use the walls on purpose
When a platform drifts away from you, do not chase it. Drift into the nearest wall instead and take the free wall jump.
4. Treat crumbling platforms as stepping stones
A brown platform is a one-way ticket. Never plan a route that needs to come back down to one.
5. Skip gems that sit off your line
25 points is roughly two and a half metres of height. Falling to reach one costs your entire run.
Game features
- Automatic bouncing. No jump button. Landing on a platform launches the ninja again, so the whole game is steering.
- Wall jumping. Both tower walls can be kicked off, which turns a missed platform into a recoverable mistake.
- Three platform types. Solid, moving and crumbling platforms mix in higher proportions as you climb.
- Height scoring. Score is your altitude in metres plus 25 per gem, and the height markers on the wall show your progress.
- Reachability guarantee. Vertical spacing is capped below the jump apex, so no generated section of the tower is impossible.
Frequently asked questions about Shadow Jump
How do you wall jump in Shadow Jump?
Hold the movement key toward a wall while the ninja is falling. On contact she kicks off automatically and is launched up and back toward the centre of the tower.
Why do some platforms disappear?
Brown platforms are crumbling platforms. They fade out shortly after you bounce on them, so each one can only be used once.
How is the score calculated?
One point per ten pixels of height climbed, plus 25 points for each blue gem. Your best height is saved locally in this browser.
Can the tower become impossible?
No. Platform spacing is capped at 128 pixels against a jump apex of about 144 pixels, so every gap is jumpable — platforms just get narrower.
More ninja games to play
Rooftop Ninja
Charge each leap and land dead centre for an eight-step perfect combo.
Mystic Ninja
A full side-scrolling platformer with levels, lives and a double jump power-up.