Lokko 2D Editor Guide: How to Build Levels, Hazards & Mechanics

🛠️ Want to build your own 2D platformer level? Lokko's 2D Editor is a free, browser-based level editor — no download, no install, no sign-up required to start building. This guide walks through every core tool: placing platforms, building climbable walls, setting traps and hazards, wiring up interactive mechanics, and choosing the right camera mode for your level.

Open the 2D Editor

Opening the 2D Editor

To get into the editor from the main menu:

  1. Launch Lokko and go to the Main Menu.
  2. Click the 2D EDITOR tile and open it.
Selecting the 2D Editor from Lokko's main menu

Editor Interface Overview

Once you're in, here's what you're looking at:

  • Grid canvas — your build space.
  • Left sidebar — camera mode toggles (Single Screen / Moving Screen), Avatar Editor, Enemy Editor, the PLAY button, and UNDO/REDO controls.
  • Bottom toolbar — every placeable object, organized into Blocks, Interactive Elements, Obstacles, and Mechanics.
  • Feedback shortcut (L3+R3) — bottom-right corner, for submitting feedback directly to the dev team.

You can control the screen, add and delete items, undo mistakes, and test your level in Play mode:

Adding, deleting, undoing, and switching between Play and Edit mode

Toolbar breakdown:

Category What's in it
Blocks & Terrain Basic structural blocks (blue, orange, yellow, pink, gray) and platform variants
Interactive Elements Haptic Cube, Checkpoint, Coin, Directional Arrows, End Portal
Hazards & Traps Spike arm variants (4x, 6x, 10x), static and dynamic obstacles, lasers, enemy
Mechanics & Triggers Boosters, moving platforms, conveyor belt

Building Your First Level

Reach Greater Heights

Moving Platform: This item helps the player reach places they can't reach with regular traversal.

Start with 2 platforms at different heights (blue or orange work well for a first platform):

  1. Select the vertical moving platform in the toolbar and add it to the level.
  2. Select the item to show its properties and modify the Speed and Movement Distance.
  3. Enter PLAY mode and use the moving platform to reach higher ground.
Using a moving platform to reach higher ground

Building Climbable Walls

Green Block: With the help of green blocks, the player can build a wall that's climbable.

  1. Select the green block — the green block with horizontal rung markers.
  2. Stack it vertically — drag or click repeatedly to build up to your desired height.
  3. Enter PLAY mode and test how the player can stick to the wall and climb it.
Stacking and climbing a wall of climbable blocks

Obstacles and Enemy

Spike Block: Obstacles will eliminate the player upon contact. Avoid them at any cost. Enemy: Enemies are dangerous to the player, but we can destroy them by stomping on them.

  1. Select the spike block — add it to the level.
  2. Select the Enemy — add it to the level.
  3. Enter PLAY mode and test how the player interacts with the obstacle and enemy.
Testing a static obstacle and stomping an enemy

Finishing a Level

End Portal: The End Portal is necessary to indicate the end of a level.

  1. Select the green glowing ring icon labeled END.
  2. Place it on the platform where the level should finish.
  3. Test — reach the End during Play to trigger the victory state.
Placing the End Portal to complete a level

Check out the complete level playthrough you just made:

Playthrough of a complete level built with these tools

Hazards and Traps

Rotating Hazards: Spike Arms and Laser Arms

  • The player can modify the speed and direction of the item's rotation.
  • The Rotating Laser Arm has the same properties as the Spike Arm.
Configuring a rotating spike arm's speed and direction

Interactive Mechanics

Time Slowdown

This item looks like a stopwatch.

  • The player gets the ability to slow down time when this power-up is picked up.
  • The item has a cooldown and can't be used consecutively.
Slowing down time with the stopwatch power-up

Conveyor Belts

Effortless movement.

  • The player moves on their own while on it.
Conveyor belt moving the player automatically

Jump Pads and Pusher Cubes

  • The player gets a momentum boost after coming in contact with these items.
  • Customize the Pusher Cube's properties (Speed and Distance).
Jump pads and pusher cubes boosting the player's momentum

Directional Arrow

  • Add them to show the direction the player is supposed to take to progress.
Directional arrows guiding the player through a level

Camera Modes: Fixed Screen vs Moving Screen

Your camera choice changes how a level feels to play.

Mode Behavior Best for
Moving Screen Tracks the player continuously across the screen Scrolling levels, long horizontal paths, tall vertical climbs
Fixed Screen Locks the view inside a stationary bordered box showing the whole stage Single-screen puzzles, compact platformers, precision arenas
Dynamic Camera tracking the player through a level
Fixed camera mode framing an entire level stage

Testing and Publishing Your Level

  • Publishing a level will give your level access to the whole world.
  • A level must contain an End Portal and be completable before publishing.
Publishing a completed level to the community

Happy with what you built? Save it and share it with the community — see our full guide on publishing and sharing your level:

Sign Up Free Explore User Creations

Ready to go 3D? Check out the 3D Editor guide next. Or see the full idea-to-published workflow to know what comes after this guide.

Get Help

Happy building! 🚀 Every great Lokko level started with someone's first block.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lokko's 2D editor free to use?

Yes. The 2D Editor runs free in your browser with no download and no account required to build and test levels. You only need a free account if you want to save your level and publish it for others to play.

How do I make a spike arm or laser rotate in the Lokko 2D editor?

Select the spike arm or rotating laser object, then use the Change Speed controls (the left/right arrows) to set how fast it spins, and the rotation icon's arrows to toggle between clockwise and counter-clockwise.

What's the difference between Fixed Camera and Dynamic Camera?

Dynamic Camera tracks the player continuously, which suits scrolling levels and long or tall paths. Fixed Camera locks the view to show the whole stage at once without scrolling, which works best for single-screen puzzles and precision arenas.

Do I need to download anything to use the 2D editor?

No, not to try it. The 2D Editor is also built into the full game on Steam, iOS, and PS5, but you can open the browser version at 2DEditor and start placing blocks immediately — nothing to install first.

How do I publish a level I built in the 2D editor?

Sign up for a free account, then save your level from inside the editor. It becomes instantly available to the community. See our guide on publishing and sharing your level for the full walkthrough.