Level Design 101

Level design goals

As a Level Designer, you will be in charge of the overall structure of level features. Here is a short list of things you will frequently want to aim for.

Users should know where to go and where not to go
Make sure the user does not get lost
- Or can find the right way when lost
each gameplay interaction in an easy-to-grasp and memorable way
Keep the user interested
Make sure relevant objects can be found
Make sure the level fits into the overall environment
Make sure the level generates the intended emotions
Leave room for a surprise

Teaching new things

Create a clean scenario in which the player is forced to use the new mechanic. In a way that gives the user time to figure it out and enough hints to do so. Ideally, this is immediately after obtaining access to the new mechanic and in a space in which not much else is going on.

Teaching can be divided into forced and encouraged situations. Forced learning situations require the player to learn something to proceed and should therefore have a very easy-to-understand representation. Encouraged learning are things that are likely to happen but not required to proceed. Elements required to play the game from this point onward must be forced so the moment the player has to learn about it is known and can be catered for. Having encouraged learning will ease the transition when the player is encountering something as forced learning.

Example: Mario 1-1 starting section

Player is positioned to show the forward direction.
Save start area that allows playing with controls.
Enemy moves towards the player and aggresses, this requires a jump to proceed.
Jump will likely hit the ceiling bouncing the player on top of the enemy while interacting with the question mark block.
Powerup will move away from the player but comes back, showing that is trying to get away but is still easy to obtain.

Flow & Pacing

Flow in level design is different from flow in game design it focuses on how energetic a level feels at any given point during a level. That being said the goal is quite similar, it aims to generate a certain level of tension usually with the objective to keep the user interested.

Things to figure out before/while creating a level:
→ Scope: What can the player do in each level?
→ Hierarchy: Which parts of the level are most important?
→ Causality: Why does the player do (this activity) before (that activity)?
→ Information: What do we tell the player and when?
→ Intensity: When should the player pay more attention, and when do they rest and recover?

Elements that help to reach good flow:

To get the user‘s interest a hook is required
- This will generally be a very exciting moment at the beginning that gets the experience started. It should be a scenario with high tension but not higher than the elements during the later section of the experience.
Tension should be delivered in waves, this will give the user time to relax and increases the tension of the next moment
An experience should finish with a high-tension climax followed by a conclusion that gives closure
This model applies to the experience as a whole but also to each smaller element of it

Theming & Emotions

Each level in a game will try to provoke a specific emotion, it’s frequently the task of the Level Designer to come up with mechanics, visual features, audio and level structures that will support this feeling.

Decide on a theme for your level/project and establish which emotions want to be pushed by it
- Define which theme your level/project should have and why
  - Define which elements will be used to convey that setting
    - Landscapes; Vegetation; Buildings; Construction elements;
    - What could be used as ground; Walls; Hidden paths; Background elements; Indicators
- Define the emotions you want for your level/project and why
  - Define what elements your setting offers to invoke these feelings
    - Example: Horror/high tension -> Limit corridor size; Limit line of sights -> have a plant/crate on a corner to make the player expose themselves when going around it; Transparent walls; Darkness

Map Elements

Maps feature many elements, and understanding how each of them operates will offer a lot of control over the player’s behaviour when exploring space. Here is a rundown of some of the more frequently used elements.

Paths

Roads, rivers and small ways can all be considered paths. Users will follow paths and can therefore be used to guide the player, but also allow to catch the users if they are lost.

Connect places
Can be followed
Cover long areas without requiring much space
When used in a grid they become hard to miss
Mark likely visited locations
Should line up with the user‘s intention

Landmarks

Large structures, large natural elements and clearly visible distant elements can all be landmarks. Users use landmarks to get a point of reference to their current position or as a goal to move towards.

Hand the user goals to move towards
Inform the user where they are in relation to the landmark
If the landmark is asymmetrical it will not only inform about the distance but also the direction
Should be visible whenever possible (hiding it for some time can give a sense of progression)

Districts

A swamp, city, forest and sewer are all districts. Users use districts to get a point of reference to their current position but also have a certain idea of what things they could encounter within a specific district.

A themed area that is visually and structurally different from others
Allows the user to remember a place and sort it into their mental map
Ideally, every district exists only once but even if it repeats it will still distinguish itself from its surroundings
Can also be used to frame specific mechanics or enemy types allowing the user to prepare

Edges

A beach, a cliff and a wall can all be edges. Edges frame the world or can block the user from reaching areas they are not intended to reach at this point. They also can navigate a user similar to a path.

Describes the end of an area or currently accessible area
Can be followed similar to paths
Frame the world and show where the user can go and where not to
Surround the entire usable area
Can be used to get the user back after being lost if connected to a path or landmark

Nodes

Nodes define places of activity like cities, crossings and markets. The more of the previously mentioned elements overlap in an area the larger the expected node. Users will be drawn to these areas since many guiding elements will bring them here. This makes larger nodes ideal places for more relevant game experiences.

Signify places of activity (every path, crossing, town, city)
The higher the activity the larger the node
Nodes can be identified and formed into memorable places
If the significance of the place fits the size of the note it creates a well rememberable place
Since nodes are places of activity they can also be used to inform the user about something or trigger specific events
Nodes do not need to be space they can also be a moment where storylines converse or character progression is funnelled in a specific direction

Working in a team

The Level Desing position is functionally very different from a Level Artist position but depending on the team size there is a good chance that the same person has both jobs, so it is recommended to have basic knowledge in these areas.

Traditional Level Design tasks:
- Layout: The creation of the overall structure of the area, which concerns itself with how the user will interact with it.
- Blockout: A prototype version of the area that can be interacted with in the same way the final product will be.
- Team communication: Leading the discussions with all parties working on the area and making sure that everyone is working towards the same goal.
Traditional Level Art tasks:
- Concept art: Initial images that give an impression of what an area will look like.
- Modelling/Texturing/Lighting/etc.: Upgrading the existing blockout structure so it comes more in line with the concept without changing how things have been positioned in the blockout.
- Set dressing: Adding visual elements to an area that make it look nicer without changing the overall gameplay structure.

Additional Reading

Level Design:
https://book.leveldesignbook.com/introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNEe3KhMvXM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1Tczf8vxCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58WUEtoAlSw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ99gAb4T0o

Architectural concepts:
Murray Silverstein, Christopher Alexander. 1977. A Pattern Language
Kevin Lynch. 1960. The image of the Cit
Matthew Frederick. 2007. 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School