What Is Vex 3?

Vex 3 is the third entry in the Vex stickman platformer series developed by Amazing Adam. Like its predecessors, it puts a stick figure through elaborate obstacle courses packed with spikes, saws, moving platforms, and death traps. What sets the Vex series apart is its precise control system — movements feel tight and responsive, and the difficulty curve is steep but always fair. Every death is clearly your mistake, which makes surviving each act feel genuinely rewarding. Vex 3 is widely regarded as the best in the series, introducing new mechanics like wall-running and water sections alongside the classic gauntlets.

How to Play Vex 3

Navigate your stickman from the entrance to the exit of each act, avoiding all the hazards in between. Checkpoints (represented by the stick figure diving into a portal) save your progress within an act so you don't restart from the very beginning after every death. Completing an act unlocks the next one. Acts get progressively more complex and unforgiving as you advance. Optional star tokens hidden throughout each act offer a completionist challenge beyond just surviving.

Controls

  • A / Left Arrow — move left
  • D / Right Arrow — move right
  • W / Up Arrow / Space — jump
  • S / Down Arrow — crouch / slide / dive into checkpoints
  • Wall jump — jump toward a wall and press jump again while touching it

Advanced Movement Techniques

Wall jumping is essential in almost every act. Jump toward a wall, and when your stickman touches it, jump again to launch off at an angle. Chain multiple wall jumps to scale vertical shafts that would otherwise be impassable.

Slide through tight gaps by holding the crouch key while moving. Many sections have low-ceiling passages that require sliding under obstacles while maintaining momentum. Don't stop mid-slide or you'll get caught.

Swimming controls feel different from land movement — your stickman moves more slowly and floats. Tap jump rapidly in water to maintain upward momentum. Don't hold jump or you'll overshoot.

The dive checkpoint animation must fully complete to save your progress. If you see your stickman dive into the portal, the checkpoint is saved. If you die before the animation finishes, it doesn't count.

Tips for Surviving Each Act

Observe before acting. On your first pass through a new section, watch any moving hazards for a full cycle before attempting to pass. Timing varies between obstacles — don't assume all saws move at the same speed.

Use momentum for spike jumps. Many long horizontal gaps over spike pits require you to be running at full speed before jumping. Starting a jump from a standstill won't carry you far enough. Get a running start.

Prioritize checkpoints over stars. Stars are tempting but they often require risky detours. On your first completion of any act, ignore stars and focus solely on surviving. Collect stars on a second pass once you know the layout.

Don't rush near the end of an act. Getting reckless after surviving a long stretch and dying just before the exit is the most frustrating Vex experience. Play the final section more cautiously, not less.

How Vex 3 Compares to the Series

Vex 1 established the formula — tight stickman controls, spike-filled acts, a satisfying checkpoint system. Vex 2 expanded the move set and introduced water as a hazard. Vex 3 refined everything: smoother wall jumps, more varied act themes, better hazard variety, and a cleaner visual style. Vex 4 and Vex 5 followed with their own additions, but Vex 3 remains the community's most-recommended starting point for the series — hard enough to challenge veteran players, accessible enough for newcomers to eventually push through.