Build an animation state machine

Give the character a small set of states such as idle, move and hit. Each state selects its animation and defines which transitions are allowed.

Keep frame progression separate from movement. A change in animation speed should not change how far the character travels during one second.

Continue the study

Work through a small code example, make one deliberate change and record the effect. The reading links below connect this exercise with animation, input and retro game design.