Workshop › Endless Runner › Step 10 of 19

Wait for the start

What we are doing

The world should not start rushing before the player is ready. The game has a state; it starts as 'ready' and the first jump switches it to 'running'.

```js
let state = 'ready' // 'ready', 'running' or 'over'

  state = 'running'

  if (state !== 'running') return

  ctx.textAlign = 'center'
  if (state === 'ready') {
    ctx.font = '16px sans-serif'
    ctx.fillText('Press Space to start', canvas.width / 2, canvas.height / 2)
  }
```

What it means

• Any jump (key or tap) starts the run.
• update returns at once unless running, so nothing moves or spawns before the start.
• While ready, a centered message says what to do.

Your turn

1. Under runner, write state.
2. Make state = 'running' the first line of jump.
3. Make the state check the first line of update, with an empty line after it.
4. At the end of draw, write the ready message.

Skills: Game states

← Cacti keep coming Crash →

All steps

1. The ground
2. The runner
3. Draw again and again
4. Gravity
5. Jump
6. Short hops
7. Tap to jump
8. Things that come at you
9. Cacti keep coming
10. Wait for the start
11. Crash
12. Try again
13. Faster and faster
14. Remember the best run
15. The score counter
16. Birds
17. Which keys are down?
18. Duck
19. Build it yourself: jump buffering