If you're trying to figure out a roblox tutorial arrow script that actually works without being overly complicated, you're in the right spot. We've all played those games where you join and have absolutely no clue where to go. A floating, pointing arrow is honestly one of the best ways to keep players from getting frustrated and quitting your game in the first thirty seconds. It's a classic UI/UX trick that just works.
In this walkthrough, I'm going to show you how to set up a basic arrow that points at a specific objective. We aren't going to do anything too crazy with high-level math, but we'll use enough scripting to make it look professional and smooth.
Getting Your Arrow Ready
Before we even touch a line of code, we need something to actually be the arrow. You can't point at things with nothing, right? You have two main choices here: you can use a basic Part shaped like a block, or you can find a nice-looking mesh in the Toolbox.
For this roblox tutorial arrow script, let's just use a simple WedgePart or a MeshPart. If you're using a Part, make sure it's small—maybe 2x1x1 studs. Give it a bright color like neon yellow or green so it really pops against the environment.
Once you have your arrow model, put it inside ReplicatedStorage. We don't want it just sitting in the workspace yet; we want to "summon" it via a script when the player needs it. Also, make sure to name it exactly "TutorialArrow" so the script can find it easily.
One little tip: make sure the "front" of your part is actually the pointy end. In Roblox, the front face is what the script will use to aim. If your arrow is pointing sideways when we're done, you might just need to rotate the mesh inside the part or adjust your CFrame math.
Setting Up the Main Script
Since we want this arrow to be visible to the player specifically—and we don't want every player seeing everyone else's arrows—we're going to use a LocalScript.
Go ahead and create a new LocalScript inside StarterPlayerScripts. You could also put it in StarterCharacterScripts, but StarterPlayerScripts is a bit cleaner for things that persist.
Here is the logic we're going to follow: 1. Define the objective (the thing we want to point at). 2. Clone the arrow from ReplicatedStorage. 3. Every frame, update the arrow's position and rotation.
Let's look at how the code starts to take shape. You'll want to reference the player's character and the camera, because the arrow needs to exist in relation to where the player is standing.
```lua local ReplicatedStorage = game:GetService("ReplicatedStorage") local RunService = game:GetService("RunService") local player = game.Players.LocalPlayer local character = player.Character or player.CharacterAdded:Wait()
local arrowTemplate = ReplicatedStorage:WaitForChild("TutorialArrow") local arrow = arrowTemplate:Clone() arrow.Parent = workspace arrow.CanCollide = false arrow.Anchored = true ```
Using RunService.RenderStepped is the secret sauce here. It makes the movement look buttery smooth because it updates the arrow every single time the screen refreshes.
Making the Arrow Point
Now for the "math" part, though it's really just one line. We want the arrow to stay a couple of studs in front of the player's face (or above their head) and always look toward the goal.
Let's say your objective is a part in the workspace named "FinishPart". We use CFrame.lookAt to tell the arrow: "Hey, stay at position X, but look at position Y."
```lua local objective = workspace:WaitForChild("FinishPart")
RunService.RenderStepped:Connect(function() if character and character:FindFirstChild("HumanoidRootPart") then local rootPart = character.HumanoidRootPart
-- Position the arrow slightly above the player local newPos = rootPart.Position + Vector3.new(0, 4, 0) -- Make it look at the objective arrow.CFrame = CFrame.lookAt(newPos, objective.Position) end end) ```
This is the most basic version of a roblox tutorial arrow script. If you run this, you'll see the arrow hovering over your head, spinning like a compass needle as you move around. It's simple, but it gets the job done.
Adding Some Polish and "Bounce"
A static arrow is okay, but a bouncing arrow feels much more like a "video game." It catches the eye better. We can use a little bit of trigonometry (don't scream, it's easy) to make the arrow float up and down.
Inside that same RenderStepped loop, we can use math.sin(tick() * 5). The tick() function gives us the current time, and math.sin creates a wave that goes between -1 and 1.
lua local bounce = math.sin(tick() * 5) * 0.5 local newPos = rootPart.Position + Vector3.new(0, 4 + bounce, 0)
Now, instead of just sitting there, the arrow will gently bob up and down while pointing at the goal. It's a tiny change, but it makes your game feel way more polished. You can change the 5 to make it bounce faster or the 0.5 to make the bounce taller.
Making the Arrow Disappear
You probably don't want the arrow there forever. Usually, a tutorial arrow should go away once the player reaches their destination. We can add a simple distance check to handle this.
Inside the loop, check the distance between the HumanoidRootPart and the objective. If the distance is less than, say, 10 studs, we can make the arrow invisible or just destroy it.
```lua local dist = (rootPart.Position - objective.Position).Magnitude
if dist < 10 then arrow.Transparency = 1 -- Hide it else arrow.Transparency = 0 -- Show it end ```
This makes the transition feel natural. As the player walks into the goal area, the arrow vanishes because they've clearly found what they were looking for.
Handling Multiple Objectives
If you're making a longer tutorial, you might have five different places the player needs to visit. You don't want to write five different scripts. Instead, you can use a folder of objectives and a simple variable to track which one the player is on.
You could set up a folder in Workspace called "TutorialSteps" and name the parts "Step1", "Step2", and so on. Your script can then just update the objective variable to the next part in the list whenever the player touches the current one.
This is where your roblox tutorial arrow script becomes a real system. You're moving from a "one-off trick" to a functional gameplay mechanic.
Dealing with Common Glitches
Sometimes things go wrong. If your arrow is pointing away from the target, it's almost always because of the way the Part was modeled. If the "Front" of the part is the side, CFrame.lookAt will point that side at the target.
You can fix this without re-modeling the whole thing. Just add a rotation offset to your CFrame line: arrow.CFrame = CFrame.lookAt(newPos, objective.Position) * CFrame.Angles(0, math.rad(90), 0)
Experiment with 90 or 180 degrees until the pointy end is actually pointing.
Another common issue is the arrow "jittering." This usually happens if you're trying to move it on the server (in a regular Script) instead of a LocalScript. Because of network lag, the arrow will struggle to keep up with the player. Always, always do visual stuff like this on the client side. It keeps the game feeling responsive.
Wrapping Things Up
Creating a roblox tutorial arrow script doesn't have to be a headache. At its core, it's just a part, a loop, and the lookAt function. Once you get that working, you can start getting fancy with colors, trails, or even making the arrow 2D on the player's screen (though 3D arrows are usually much better for world navigation).
The best part about this setup is how versatile it is. You can use it for quest markers, shop indicators, or even a "follow this player" mechanic. Just change the target, and the script does the rest of the work for you.
Don't be afraid to play around with the numbers. Change the height, change the bounce speed, or try adding a TweenService effect to make the arrow fade in when it first appears. It's these little details that make a game stand out. Good luck with your project, and hopefully, your players never get lost again!