hurtboxes

A hurtbox is an invisible region attached to a game character that can be damaged when it overlaps with an attack’s hitbox. Hurtboxes are used for collision detection and damage calculation in many games, especially 2D fighting games and platformers. They roughly correspond to the parts of the character that are exposed to harm during an animation, and they move with the character.

A hurtbox is the counterpart to a hitbox, which defines the area that can deal damage. An attack lands when the attack’s hitbox intersects an opponent’s hurtbox. In contrast, a collision box or physics collider may govern movement and obstacle contact but does not necessarily indicate damage. A single character often uses multiple hurtboxes for the torso, limbs, and head.

Hurtboxes are not fixed; they change with animation, posture, and stance. For example, raising an arm may open or close nearby hurtboxes, and crouching can shift them toward the legs. Some games introduce invulnerability frames or armor that temporarily disables certain hurtboxes, creating strategic windows during which damage cannot be taken.

Hurtboxes serve as a design tool to balance offense and defense, control hit registration, and define fairness in combat. They also influence hit reactions, combo feasibility, and punish opportunities. While most often discussed in fighting games, hurtboxes appear in other genres to determine damage in overlap with hazards, traps, or environmental effects. Properly tuned hurtboxes help ensure intuitive and predictable combat outcomes for players.