Platforms

Platforms are a special type of block that can be walked on, but also allow movement through the space they occupy. The player normally stands and walks on platforms as if they were ordinary blocks, and they can move down through a platform by pressing the key while standing on one. Players can also walk or jump horizontally through the space occupied by platforms, only treating the platform as "solid" when landing on them from above.

Walking enemies can similarly walk on or pass through platforms. Flying enemies like bats will fly up through them, but not down. Other enemies, including Harpies, ignore them entirely. NPCs will always climb up platforms.

Weapons and their projectiles will travel through platforms. Liquids flow through platforms, and lava will destroy all platforms upon contact, with the exception of Obsidian and Stone Platforms. Gravity-affected blocks like Sand will be supported by platforms.

Because of the high mobility provided by platforms, they can be used in a variety of ways: as a bridge across gaps that players can descend through without destroying, for roof access that keeps some enemies from getting through, or to create a fighting area above most enemies that players can fire down through while keeping out of reach. Also, since Piggy Banks, Chests, crafting stations and most other furniture can be placed on them like on ordinary blocks (exceptions include gems and Crystal Shards), they can be used as a shelving to pack furniture into a confined space without restricting player movement.

Positioning platforms
A platform has four distinct positions, which can be cycled through by hitting it with a hammer, similarly to an ordinary block:
 * 1) In the default or "top" position, it occupies the top half of a block space. Only in this position can furniture be placed on top of it. This includes a Bottle (or similar), which will count as a Placed Bottle for crafting potions.
 * 2) After one hammer blow, it will change to the slanted stairs form, facing right. It may also show "struts" beneath the slanted part depending on adjacent blocks, but this is purely visual.
 * 3) A second hammer blow will switch it to stairs facing left.
 * 4) A third hammer blow will move it to its "bottom" position, horizontal but lowered to the bottom half of the block. Only in this position, banners (and some other hanging items) can be attached beneath them. However,  chandeliers or lanterns will not attach there(In 1.4.4, you can place banners on platforms in the default position, although chandeliers are still unplaceable until the are in the lower position).

A fourth hammer blow will cycle the platform back to its default position. Only one platform can occupy a single block tile, so there cannot be top and bottom platforms in the same tile.

Stairs
Stairs can face either direction, regardless of what side of a block they are on. Walking up stairs in the direction they face will raise the player as expected, but walking towards stairs facing away from the player will not have any effect. As with normal platforms, pressing will cause stairs to be ignored. Nothing can be placed on stairs. Smart Cursor can be used to place stairs without having to hammer the platforms into the correct state.

Used in
On the, platforms are crafted from only one block of their respective type.

Noncraftable platforms


Team Platforms are sold by the Traveling Merchant. Golden Platforms are dropped during the Pirate Invasion. All other noncraftable platforms are found in the Dungeon.

Tips



 * Stairs are a key part of many advanced movement techniques, such as hoiks, NPC-proof doors, elevators, or enemy traps.
 * Similarly to ordinary blocks, it is possible to remove every second platform in a row of platforms without movement disadvantages, as the player is two tiles wide and will not fall through.