Hey guys - brand new to all of this. I’m trying to make a top-down movement game where the character is holding onto a rope and being lowered down through the level. I want to be able to raise/lower the rope as needed. So far I have an object at the top of the level that the character is linked to and I have a rope connected to it, but all they do is fall to the end of the rope and swing side to side. I have the top-down controls in place but it really only moves side to side because of the rope.
Is using the rope the best way to accomplish this?
How can I have the player change the length of the rope with button controls but still keep the rope behavior if they aren’t pushing anything?
Top down movement refers to a view from above, and the movement being left, right, up & down. If you mean what Gruk & Keith_1357 mention, then it’s considered side-on or platform. I’m mentioning the distinction because it makes a difference to how we understand what you’re after.
What do you mean by rope behaviour? That the player swings and sways, or stays in one place at the end of the rope?
Depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you want realistic rope physics, then no. Don’t use a rope joint. Instead, look at and use the rope example that comes as a GDevelop template:
Put the top block that the rope is attached to a fair bit off screen and just lower or raise that block, not the player. The player will fall naturally.
However, if you just want a line upwards from the player to above the top of the screen, then just move the player and draw the rope from player to a point a bit above the top of the screen.
Hi and welcome here 
