Introduction to level design

basics & The "Gym"

History - Key points - Types of levels - Level editors -
Pipelines - Level designer profile
Introduction to level design
1. History & Definition

2. Key points

3. Level types
1. History, definition & goals
1.1 History: First levels

1.2 History: Important changes

1.3 Definition & Goals

1.1 History: First levels
● One Man Studios
○ Tennis for Two (1958)

● One Screen
○ Pong (1972)

● Progression
○ Faster
○ Harder
■ Time
■ Number of enemies
■ Stronger conflicts
1.2 History: Important changes
● Area (Map) instead of a screen
○ Battlezone (1980)

● Shift the Goal

○ Story instead of a Ranking or match
○ Donkey Kong (1981)
1.2 History: Important changes
● Genres
○ Simulation ??
○ Sports
■ Track & Field (1982)
■ Pole Position (1982)
○ Races
■ ???
○ Wargames
■ ???
○ RPG / Adventures
■ Rogue (1980)
1.3 Definition & Goals
● Level design is a game development discipline that involves the creation of video game levels,
locales, missions or stages
● This is done using some sort of level editor
● Level editors may also be included in released games to allow players to get creative and make
their own levels and scenarios
● Level design is both a technical and artistic process
● Level design is also known as environment design or game mapping
● Level design starts with the conceptual design of the level, which includes sketches,
renderings, and even physical models. Once the design is finalized, this transforms into
extensive documentation and environment modeling, leading to the creation of the level itself
1.3 Definition & Goals
● Level design is a game development discipline that involves the creation of video game levels,
locales, missions or stages
● This is done using some sort of level editor
● Level editors may also be included in released games to allow players to get creative and make
their own levels and scenarios
● Level design is both a technical and artistic process
● Level design is also known as environment design or game mapping
● Level design starts with the conceptual design of the level, which includes sketches,
renderings, and even physical models. Once the design is finalized, this transforms into
extensive documentation and environment modeling, leading to the creation of the level itself
1.3 Definition & Goals
● Providing players with a Goal
● Providing players with enjoyable play experience
● Good level design = quality gameplay + immersive experience + advance the storyline
● Skilled use of textures and audio is necessary to produce immersive player experience
● A level designer is a game designer who creates environments and scenarios using a level editor
and other tools
● Video game programmers usually produce level editors and design tools for the designers to use
● Level designers often work with placeholders and prototypes aiming for level consistency and
clear layout before required artwork is produced by game artists
● Many level designers have skills as both a visual artist and game designers, although in recent
years the responsibility for visual, structural and gameplay related tasks has been increasingly
divided among several specialists
1.3 Definition & Goals
● Providing players with a Goal
● Providing players with enjoyable play experience
● Good level design = quality gameplay + immersive experience + advance the storyline
● Skilled use of textures and audio is necessary to produce immersive player experience
● A level designer is a game designer who creates environments and scenarios using a level editor
and other tools
● Video game programmers usually produce level editors and design tools for the designers to use
● Level designers often work with placeholders and prototypes aiming for level consistency and
clear layout before required artwork is produced by game artists
● Many level designers have skills as both a visual artist and game designers, although in recent
years the responsibility for visual, structural and gameplay related tasks has been increasingly
divided among several specialists
2. Key points
2.1 Spaces

2.2 Scriptwriting / Scripting

2.3 Prototyping & Playtesting

Emilia Schatz
Level design
2.1 Spaces
● Scenography
○ Space & Shape
○ Negative Space
○ Rules of perception
○ Structure of cities and buildings
● Characters
○ How fast?
○ How Big? How far can jump? Enemies?
2.2 Scriptwriting / Scripting
● Scriptwriting
○ Worldbuilding
○ Character creation
○ Storytelling
■ Mission
■ Learning
● Scripting
○ Events
○ Combats
○ Encounters
○ Help & Info
2.3 Prototyping & Playtesting
● Test your core concept and idea

● Test your gameplay and dynamics

● Test spaces and SPECIFIC mechanics

2.3 Prototyping & Playtesting
● Balance
○ Numbers
○ PacinG
■ Time
■ Space
■ Actions

● Rewarding and punishment

○ Contingencies

● Game feel (particles, sound, feedback)

Groups, discuss:

● Classify creative vs technical

If you are Lazy, do it mentally...

 Lay out of large map features, buildings, hills, cities, rooms and tunnels for game
entities to move around in

Determine the environmental conditions such as day, night and weather

Set up ground rules such as the scoring system, allowable weapons, gameplay types,
time limits, or resources
 Specify certain map regions where specific gameplay features occur, such as
resource creation or harvesting, structure building and even interactive cutscenes.

Specify non static parts, such as doorways, buttons and levers associated with
mechanisms, teleporters and hidden passageways and areas

Specify the locations of various entities such as player, enemy and monster spawn
points, as well as ladders, coins, resource nodes and weapons, and save points
Add detail such as level-specific styling and textures, sounds, animation and lighting
and music

Introduce scripted events in specific locations triggered by certain player actions

Create the paths that nonplayer characters follow, their responses to specific trigger
actions and any dialog they might have with the player.
3. Level types
3.1 Battlefield design

3.2 Puzzle

3.3 Exploration
3.1 Battlefield design
● Combat oriented
● Cover / Shooter mechanics
● Setting / environment rules
○ Weather ?
○ Airdrops ?
○ Day night ? Light?
● Choke-Points
● Time constraints
● Long hallways / Rooms & Warehouses /
Sniper positions / Tunnels / Secret places
3.2 Puzzle
● The Key and the Door
● Problem solving
○ Statement, strategy, punishment/reward
● Pattern recognizing
○ Visual, cognitive (Maths + Words),
precognitive (Action programming),
audio, …???
● Lateral thinking
○ Out of the box
○ Emerging gameplay
● Replayability (the big trouble)
● Team working
3.3 Exploration
● Spaces interesting to explore
○ Sense of wonder
● The Critical Path Flow
● Creating mystery
○ Fog of war
○ Area map
○ Track points
○ Ingame info
● Immersive background (Theme linked)
● Negative Space
● Player directing
● Contrast
● Special rewards for explorers
3.3 Other levels
● Protection / Escort
● Underwater
● Obscure / sight
● Irrelevant !
● Moving / jumping
● Ice - Snow - Rain - Sand
● Car chase
● Lava / Volcano
● Impossible riddles
● Gimmick maps (tutos)
EXTRA: #Blocktober
● #Blocktober
● Vicente quesada
EXTRA: The “Gym” Level or Level 0
● All the assets
○ Dimensions
○ Relative sizes
○ Times & Spaces

● All the scripts

○ Behaviours
○ Mechanics
○ States

● All the enemies & Obstacles

EXTRA: The “Gym” Level or Level 0
● Movement & animations
○ Parkour
○ Navigation system

● Triggers
○ Colliders
○ Activators
○ Traps

● Generators
○ Player re-spawning points
○ Enemies spawning systems
EXTRA: Pipelines
● Art / Tech Pipeline
○ GDD, Concept, Whitebox/primitives,
Greybox, BlockMesh, Final art, Light,
FX (particles, fluids,...)

● Creative Pipeline Concept

○ Core Game Goals, GDD and Preproduction
mechanics, narrative writing, level Production
design, playtesting, redefining, Postproduction
balancing, pacing, rewarding, iterate...
EXTRA: Unity Level Editors
● Unity
○ Scene editor
○ Probuilder
○ Progrids (Video)
○ Blockout Lite
○ Level Editor
○ Multiplatform Runtime Level Editor
○ Level Maker
○ Scene Fusion
○ SabreCSG Level Design Tools
EXTRA: Level Editors
● Unreal
○ Oficial documentation
○ Content examples
■ Level design content examples
○ Starter content
○ BSP Geometry
EXTRA: Games with editors
● Doomlike
○ Doombuilder
○ Source SDK
○ GTKradiant (quake 3, rtcow, sof2...)
○ D3 radiant (doom 3/the dark mod)
● Sandbox editor / cryengine 3 sdk
● Creation kit (skyrim)
● Serious level editor (serious sam series)
● Chromed level editor
● G.E.C.K.
● Far cry 3 map editor
● Warcraft game maker
● … ??
Task 0: Create one simple level with one level editor

● Try to create a basic room

● Try to create a basic hallway
● Try to create a basic dungeon (2 connected rooms)
Externalized level design
● http://opusartz.com/

● ??

● ??
Oversimplification?
● In topics?

● In mechanics?

● In maps?
Best levels ever!?
● ??

● ??

● ??

(To analyze in the next session)

Spencer mansion blueprints Half life blueprints
undead burg blueprints
Water temple Zelda ocarina
Task 1: Look for level design positions

● Take a look on the hard/soft skills demanded

● Compare with your own actual skills
● List what you lack
○ Is this subject going to give you what you need?
● Linkedin - Game Designer Jobs general list
● Indeed - Game Designer Jobs general list
● Stratos - Video games Jobs general list
● Gamasutra jobs - Game Designer Jobs general list
● Games jobs direct - Game Designer Jobs general list
● Game job hunter - Game Designer Jobs general list

● Ubisoft - Technical Level Designer

● Linkedin - Gameplay/Combat game designer
● Gamasutra - Senior content designer
Webgrafia i recursos
● https://worldofleveldesign.com/

● https://80.lv/

● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_design

● http://level-design.org/

● https://www.gamedesigning.org/learn/level-design/
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