Setting up a roblox custom crouching system script is one of those things that immediately makes a game feel more polished and professional. If you've ever played a stealth game or a tactical shooter on the platform, you know that the default upright walking animation just doesn't cut it for every situation. You want your players to be able to sneak behind cover, fit through tight crawlspaces, or just have a more dynamic way to move around the world.
The good news is that building this from scratch isn't nearly as intimidating as it might seem. You don't need to be a math genius or a scripting veteran to get a basic system running. It's mostly about coordinating a few different elements: user input, character animations, and some minor tweaks to the humanoid's physical properties.
Why Bother with a Custom Script?
You might wonder why we need a roblox custom crouching system script instead of just using a basic animation. Well, if you only play an animation, the character's physical "hitbox" stays exactly the same height. This means if you try to crawl under a low pipe, you'll get stuck even though it looks like your character is low enough to pass.
A real system handles the speed change (because nobody runs at full tilt while crouching), the camera height adjustment, and the actual collision changes. It's the difference between a game that feels "janky" and one that feels responsive. Plus, once you write your own script, you have total control. You can decide if players can "crouch-jump" or if they should move silently when they're low to the ground.
Getting Your Animations Ready
Before we even touch a line of code, we need the look. You can't have a crouch system without a crouching pose. If you're not an animator, don't sweat it. You can find plenty of free crouch animations in the Toolbox, or you can spend five minutes in the Roblox Animation Editor making a simple one.
The key thing here is the Animation Priority. For a crouch, you generally want to set this to "Action" or "Movement." This ensures that when the script triggers the animation, it actually overrides the default walking or idling state. Also, make sure the animation is set to loop. There's nothing weirder than a character crouching for half a second and then popping back up while the script still thinks they're down.
Once you've published your animation to Roblox, grab that Asset ID. You're going to need it to tell the script exactly what your character should be doing.
Setting Up the LocalScript
Since movement is handled on the client side for responsiveness, we're going to put our roblox custom crouching system script inside a LocalScript. Usually, putting this in StarterCharacterScripts is the way to go because it resets properly every time a player spawns.
We'll start by defining the services we need. UserInputService is the big one here. It's how the game knows when you've pressed the "C" key or the Left Control key. We also need to get a reference to the player's character and their Humanoid.
Handling the Input
I like using a toggle system, but some people prefer "hold to crouch." For this example, let's think about a simple hold-to-crouch setup since it's more common in fast-paced games.
When the "C" key is pressed down, we want to trigger the crouching state. When it's released, we go back to normal. In the script, you'll listen for InputBegan and InputEnded. It's pretty straightforward, but you have to make sure you're checking for the right key. Most players expect Left Control or C, so why not support both?
Changing the Stats
Inside that input function, we need to change the Humanoid.WalkSpeed. A normal walk speed is 16, so maybe drop it down to 8 or 10 for the crouch. This gives that feeling of weight and deliberate movement.
But here's the part most people forget: the camera. If your character's body drops down but the camera stays six feet in the air, it feels disconnected. You can tweak the Humanoid.CameraOffset. Moving it down by about 1.5 or 2 studs usually does the trick. It makes the player feel like they're actually lower to the ground.
Dealing with the Hitbox Problem
This is where a roblox custom crouching system script gets a bit more technical. As I mentioned earlier, the physical size of the character doesn't automatically change with an animation.
In the past, scripters had to manually resize the HumanoidRootPart or head, which was a nightmare for physics. Nowadays, we have a few better options. One common trick is to adjust the HipHeight property on the Humanoid. When a character crouches, their legs are bent, so their "hips" are technically closer to the floor. By lowering the HipHeight, you effectively lower the entire character model.
Just be careful with this! If you lower it too much, the character might clip through the floor or start vibrating like crazy. It takes a little bit of trial and error to find the sweet spot for your specific character model.
Making the Code Clean
When you're writing your roblox custom crouching system script, try to keep it organized. I usually create a variable called isCrouching to keep track of the state. This prevents the script from trying to "start" a crouch when the player is already crouching, which can lead to some really buggy-looking animations.
Here's a rough logic flow: 1. Player presses "C". 2. Script checks if the player is sitting or swimming (you probably don't want them crouching then). 3. If okay, isCrouching becomes true. 4. WalkSpeed drops. 5. CameraOffset moves down. 6. Crouch animation starts playing. 7. HipHeight is adjusted.
Then, when they let go of the key, you just reverse everything. It's like a light switch.
Adding Some Extra Polish
If you want to go the extra mile, you can add some sound effects. A subtle "rustle" sound when the crouch starts makes a world of difference. You could also implement a "cooldown" so players can't spam the crouch button and look like they're glitching out (unless that's the vibe you're going for).
Another cool feature to include in your roblox custom crouching system script is a raycast check. Imagine the player is crouching under a very low table. If they let go of the crouch key, you don't want them to immediately stand up and clip their head through the table. You can fire a ray upward from the character's head; if it hits something, you force them to stay in the crouch state until they move into an open area. It sounds fancy, but it's just a few extra lines of code that make the game feel "smart."
Mobile and Controller Support
Don't forget about the players who aren't using a keyboard! A good roblox custom crouching system script should ideally work for everyone. For mobile players, you might want to use ContextActionService to create a dedicated on-screen button. For console players, mapping the crouch to the "B" button or the right thumbstick (R3) is the standard.
Using ContextActionService is actually really nice because it handles the UI button for you on mobile devices, so you don't have to spend hours designing a custom GUI.
Testing and Debugging
Once you've got your script written, hop into a playtest. Check a few things: * Does the animation loop smoothly? * Does the character actually fit under lower objects? * Is the transition too snappy? (If it is, you might want to use TweenService to fade the camera offset and walk speed changes). * What happens if the player dies while crouching? (The script should reset, but it's always good to double-check).
Sometimes the character might "bounce" when they stand back up. If that happens, it's usually the HipHeight changing too fast or conflicting with the animation. Adjusting the timing slightly usually fixes it.
Final Thoughts
Creating a roblox custom crouching system script is a fantastic project because it touches on so many core parts of game development: physics, input, animation, and player feedback. It's one of those small details that contributes heavily to the "game feel."
Once you have the basics down, you can expand on it. Maybe you add a sliding mechanic if the player crouches while running? Or a prone system for a sniper game? The possibilities are pretty much endless once you understand how to manipulate the Humanoid and its properties. Just keep experimenting, and don't be afraid to break things—that's usually how you learn the best way to fix them.