phaser/examples/groups/depth sort.js

var game = new Phaser.Game(800, 600, Phaser.CANVAS, 'phaser-example', { preload: preload, create: create, update: update, render: render });

function preload() {

    game.load.image('phaser', 'assets/sprites/phaser-dude.png');
    game.load.tilemap('desert', 'assets/tilemaps/maps/depthsort.json', null, Phaser.Tilemap.TILED_JSON);
    game.load.image('ground_1x1', 'assets/tilemaps/tiles/ground_1x1.png');
    game.load.spritesheet('trees', 'assets/tilemaps/tiles/walls_1x2.png', 32, 64);

}

var map;
var tileset;
var layer;

var sprite;
var group;
var oldY = 0;
var cursors;
var locs = [];

function create() {

    //  Create our tilemap to walk around
    map = game.add.tilemap('desert');
    map.addTilesetImage('ground_1x1');
    layer = map.createLayer('Tile Layer 1');

    //  This group will hold the main player + all the tree sprites to depth sort against
    group = game.add.group();

    //  Create some trees, each in a unique location
    for (var i = 0; i < 200; i++)
    {
        createUniqueLocation();
    }

    sprite = group.create(300, 28, 'phaser');

    group.sort();

    //  Move it
    cursors = game.input.keyboard.createCursorKeys();

}

function createUniqueLocation() {

    do {
        var x = game.math.snapTo(game.world.randomX, 32) / 32;
        var y = game.math.snapTo(game.world.randomY, 32) / 32;

        if (y > 17)
        {
            y = 17;
        }

        var idx = (y * 17) + x;
    }
    while (locs.indexOf(idx) !== -1)

    locs.push(idx);

    group.create(x * 32, y * 32, 'trees', game.rnd.integerInRange(0, 7));

}

function update() {

    if (cursors.left.isDown)
    {
        sprite.x -= 2;
    }
    else if (cursors.right.isDown)
    {
        sprite.x += 2;
    }

    if (cursors.up.isDown)
    {
        sprite.y -= 2;
    }
    else if (cursors.down.isDown)
    {
        sprite.y += 2;
    }

    group.sort('y', Phaser.Group.SORT_ASCENDING);

}

function render() {

    game.debug.text('Sprite z-depth: ' + sprite.z, 10, 20);

}