Roblox Pathfinding Guide: Make Better Smart NPCs for Your Game

Tired of NPCs walking into walls or standing still like they’ve never seen a player before? 😅
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make NPCs that move intelligently using Roblox’s Pathfinding system — perfect for enemies, companions, or any character that needs to think before they move.

Let’s build smart NPCs step-by-step using Roblox Studio and Lua.

🧠 What Is Pathfinding?

PathfindingService in Roblox allows NPCs to find the shortest and most logical route from one point to another — automatically avoiding obstacles like walls, trees, and furniture.

It’s commonly used for:

• Enemy AI chasing players
• Pet systems that follow you
• Delivery missions or moving characters
• Boss fights with dynamic movement

🧰 What You’ll Need

• Roblox Studio
• A Rigged NPC (Humanoid)
• A flat map with obstacles
• Basic Lua knowledge

👉 Not comfortable with Lua yet?
Check out: Ultimate Guide to Learning Lua Programming on Roblox

🛠️ Step 1: Add an NPC

1. Go to the Plugins tab > Rig Builder
2. Choose a R15 Block Rig (or any NPC model with a HumanoidRootPart and Humanoid)
3. Rename it SmartNPC and place it in Workspace

📍 Step 2: Add a Target Part

This will be the destination your NPC will move to.

• Insert a Part into the map
• Name it Target
• Set Anchored = true and CanCollide = false
• Optional: make it transparent

📜 Step 3: Script the Pathfinding

Now let’s add a script that tells the NPC to move intelligently to the Target:

local PathfindingService = game:GetService("PathfindingService")
local npc = script.Parent
local humanoid = npc:WaitForChild("Humanoid")
local hrp = npc:WaitForChild("HumanoidRootPart")

local target = workspace:WaitForChild("Target")

local path = PathfindingService:CreatePath({
AgentRadius = 2,
AgentHeight = 5,
AgentCanJump = true,
AgentJumpHeight = 10,
AgentCanClimb = true
})

path:ComputeAsync(hrp.Position, target.Position)

path:MoveTo(humanoid)

path.Blocked:Connect(function()
print("Path was blocked!")
end)

path.Reached:Connect(function()
print("Target reached!")
end)

This code makes the NPC calculate a clear path and move toward the target.

🚶 Step 4: Add Movement Updates

For smoother and smarter behavior, let’s move the NPC step-by-step through each waypoint:

local waypoints = path:GetWaypoints()

for i, waypoint in ipairs(waypoints) do
humanoid:MoveTo(waypoint.Position)
humanoid.MoveToFinished:Wait()
end

This gives more control — useful for adding animations or reactions.

🧠 Bonus: NPC Chases the Player

Want your NPC to chase players instead of a static target? Try this:

game:GetService("RunService").Heartbeat:Connect(function()
local player = game.Players:GetPlayers()[1]
if player and player.Character and player.Character:FindFirstChild("HumanoidRootPart") then
local targetPosition = player.Character.HumanoidRootPart.Position
path:ComputeAsync(hrp.Position, targetPosition)

local waypoints = path:GetWaypoints()
for i, waypoint in ipairs(waypoints) do
humanoid:MoveTo(waypoint.Position)
humanoid.MoveToFinished:Wait()
end
end
end)

You can expand this with Line of Sight detection, attack animations, or flee behavior.

📱 Mobile-Friendly Tip

Use low-poly NPCs and fewer real-time calculations on mobile.
Only update paths every 1–3 seconds instead of on every frame to save resources.

👉 For full mobile optimization:
How to Optimize Your Roblox Game for Mobile Players (2025)

🔧 Expand Your Smart NPC

Make your NPC more advanced by adding:

• Animations: Idle, walk, attack, death
• Sound Effects: Footsteps, attack sounds
• Health system: Damage and death logic
• Combat AI: If player in range → attack
• VFX: Explosions or aura when chasing

👉 Related posts to level up your NPCs:

• How to Make VFX for Your Game on Roblox Studio
• How to Add Cutscenes to Your Roblox Game (2025)

✅ Final Thoughts

Adding pathfinding brings your NPCs to life. Whether you’re building a horror game where monsters stalk players or a cozy tycoon with pets that follow you around — smart movement boosts immersion and keeps players engaged.

Don’t stop at walking — make your NPCs react, interact, and adapt.

Pietro Gerald

Pietro Gerald is a Software Developer and Blog Post Author at YourCoinBlox, where he dives deep into the world of writing about many themes. Known for his clear and insightful writing, Pietro brings a wealth of technical knowledge to his readers.

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