So You Want to be a Level Designer - An Introduction to Level Design in Video Games - Extra Credits

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Thanks to Max Pears for guest writing this episode!
When we talk about game design on this channel, we often talk about the mechanics or even the narrative design of our games. But in order to play them they have to... you know... take place. Somewhere. Enter the level designer! There are loads of specialized level designers and loads of different kinds of levels but here are some tips and tricks of the trade!
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#ExtraCredits #GameDesign #IndieGames

[@TheKarishi]

I appreciate the inclusion of pure-puzzle entries like Angry Birds, where "level design" is shown to be not just a matter of guiding traversal, but more broadly about what challenges and opportunities the level presents to the player. For an even more pure example you could take something like a level of Puzzle Quest (or its more recent relative Gems of War), where there's literally no movement across terrain at all.

[@NinjaLobsterStudios]

Indeed! Levels are just containers for gameplay, and it's as true for platformers as it is for puzzle games and rhythm games!

[@Ottowosch]

To add some more context to the "level designers don't only deal with literal spaces" (which would probably have doubled the video's time to explain :p ) : I like to explain level design to people who don't know it by mentionning that the game Just Dance has many level designers working on it, and yet has zero space or architecture to speak of. Level designers on Just Dance work with choreographers and dancers to determine how difficult a given song should be, where the easier and harder moves should be placed in the track, what is that song's unique and memorable move that should be highlighted. And then they work on actually implementing the song. They place move detection windows on the track, fine-tune how narrow or wide they are, and how many points they add to your score. They also select which icons best represent each move and place them on the track at the exact right time. Therefore, I like to define level design as "managing the player's experience over time". Where game designers tend to keep a bird's eye view, designing general systems that deliver the intended experience to the player everytime they are interacted with, level designers are responsible for the player's moment-to-moment experience. They're the ones who put the game designers' perfect abstract systems into an actual context and create varied situations through which all the nuances and subtleties of said systems can shine. They keep the player challenged and entertained throughout their entire playtime, and are responsible for progressively teaching the player all the nuances of the game's systems. Whether they do it through volumes and architecture, icons on a song's track, enemy placement, narrative choices, setting up jump-scares, editing background NPCs' schedules or any other means depends entirely on the game they're working on. So on a Just Dance song, a level designer will work with their choreographer and dancer and they may decide that this song is all about shuffling. They'll start you off with a shuffle to the left, just once so you can try it, and then to the right. Then they'll make you do it twice, so you get more confortable. Then you'll have to do it faster, and then clap your hands at the same time. Can you clap your hands on the off-beat too? And so on and so forth, ramping up the challenge until you, the player, have mastered all the ways one can shuffle to this song. And that, too, is level design :)

[@LevelDesignLobby]

This really is a great addition to the thread Adrian, thank you for giving a much more unique example of level design as I completely agree with you. We are sort of directors of player interactions, which can take many forms! Really enjoyed reading your post mate!

[@subhadramahanta452]

Thank you!!!

[@ThymeforBouldering]

As a Level Designer with 10+ years of experience and 10+ AAA titles behind me, I can say that this is very romanticised version of what we do :D

[@lemeow4426]

can you prove this?

[@ThymeforBouldering]

@@lemeow4426 proove what exactly? My experience? Yes I can!

[@voidhunter7581]

Could you please provide a small explanation as to what the nitty gritty is in your job? I'm fascinated by environmental and level design, and I would love to know the good with the bad!

[@ThymeforBouldering]

@@voidhunter7581 this is very up to the person. Some people enjoy long projects, some don’t. Some people enjoy having tons of work, some don’t. Some people don’t mind constant iterations, some don’t. Some people like to work long time on a single part of a game, some prefer to switch often and not to do something for long time… etc.

[@grahamsmallwood]

@@voidhunter7581 Fellow 10+ here. Every company and genre will be different, but I can do an example if you want both nit and grit. Where I've worked there have been three levels of designer. One person worked on the world scale. How to organize where and what the interaction spaces should be. Three designers work on individual levels. The pacing and size of encounter spaces. And two artist hybrids worked on making them pretty. Environmental effects, clutter, lighting and stuff like that. Again, the genre and team skills will make this different for every game so I can only speak on what I've been involved in.

[@foxwagen9865]

As an architect this is very familiar, but at the same time a really nice insight.

[@vitorluiz7538]

I think it would be fun to see the other side: an architect comment on architecture in games

[@LevelDesignLobby]

As level designer we really do take a lot from your work and field. There are a lot of similiarties, so thnk you for your hard work.

[@foxwagen9865]

@@LevelDesignLobby this inspiration really should go both ways. Sadly architects tend to ignore these kinds of inspiration.

[@HO-bz7xd]

​@@vitorluiz7538 Well it's not exactly commenting but there is an indie game developed by an architect. It's called Chef RPG, he has videos on KZbin explaining the process.

[@geo_chronick209]

I can't imagine how tough it is to design areas and scenery to incorporate so many different aspects like story and gameplay mechanics and movement options. Like that seems monumental of a task already.

[@AdNecrias]

Rome isn't built in a day.

[@jarneAe]

it's definitely a challenge lol

[@100nodog]

Thank god for you guys, I'm running a Dnd game Friday and this is going to help me pump out a dungeon

[@Gatoras_Blade]

I didn't even think about trying to port these ideas into D&D, thats a pretty solid idea.

[@dragonboyjgh]

Honestly I feel like every DM should watch game design videos.

[@davidrathbone5581]

If you're interested, EC did an amazing multi-episode analysis of one of the levels in Baldur's Gate 2 which I found really useful for D&D

[@connorbaggott5835]

I'd recommend you check out Matthew Colville's youtube channel, specifically his first few episodes of Running the Game. It's DM specific advice, and if you're a first time DM then I'd wholeheartedly recommend his entire channel, as a third generation DM with 3 years of experience myself.

[@mattkuhn6634]

One of the big advantages that a DM has over a level designer is that the DM can change things on the fly as they see the players' reactions. I ran a game of Dark Heresy once where I wanted to communicate that a cathedral dated back to before the Horus Heresy, so I had Eldar included in the tapestry as allies. I had intended the players to notice it and get it, and the characters to go "that's weird" and move on, but instead the players latched on and made their characters obsess over it. And that's how that planet ended up with a secret Eldar cabal pulling the strings from behind the scenes - I saw their reaction, and decided to pivot the plot to work with them. That kind of thing is invaluable as a D, and it's something unique about the improvisational style of pen and paper RPGs. BTW, if you don't mind some entirely unsolicited advice from a veteran DM, be careful about over-planning a dungeon because no plan ever survives contact with your players. The way I usually design dungeons is story-first, so I figure out what purpose it serves in the plot, then build the dungeon around that thematically. I usually won't intricately map out spaces, but instead will decide on "beats" to the story, moments that I want to have happen, and I figure out how to make them happen and how they're gonna work mechanically, but then I improv the spaces in between. So if, say, my players are riding high after a recent victory, I want to remind them that there are things that are beyond them without really threatening them, so I have them explore a haunted mansion. If beat 1 is finding a way in, and beat 2 is finding a hidden secret passage, then I figure out all the ways into the mansion ahead of time, and I decide how the secret passage will work, but I improv as the players explore the mansion's exterior before beat 1, I make up corridors and rooms before beat 2 on the fly, etc. This way, I spend most of my preparation on things I know I can make happen, without needing to spend a lot of time working on details my players might never see because they went to the side instead of the front door.

[@alexoisthestupid1469]

I like to say level designers not only design levels but they also create memories

[@LevelDesignLobby]

That is what we hope to do Alexois, making our levels will hopefully be something memeroable and impactful for the player

[@_night_owo]

as a game design student, this is on point!

[@LevelDesignLobby]

Really glad to hear! Good luck in your studies

[@cocacraesh]

I thougth this video would have been called "Level Design 1-1" instead of 101... :(

[@codysonic1]

*obvious

[@adamboyd1132]

I'm like 90% sure one of those pictures of brutalist structure is from Seattle, and 60% sure it was taken by someone attending PAX.

[@SuperFlamethrower]

Has anyone here ever opened a level editor (many games come with them) and saw that blank canvas and had no idea what to do? I'm no game designer. The level editor for Pharaoh actually had notes on how to design levels, along with its editor.

[@jadenfalcon6260]

Described my experience when I opened the Shadowrun Returns tool kit in a nutshell.

[@Daniel_WR_Hart]

The Unreal Level Editor wasn't intuitive at all. The Warcraft 3 World Editor wasn't so bad, but the menus can be a bit overwhelming at first

[@justanotherguy781]

Love the feeling of thinking that we all watch Extra Credits to one day make our dream game, keep up the great work guys :DD

[@davedaddy101]

Thanks for going back to the basics. The last couple of years a lot of your videos have become too specific. This video reminded me of why I love extra credit so much.

[@warrenlemay8134]

One thing I loved about the world of Myst was the unique environments/levels of the worlds in the games, and the heavy use of Art Nouveau-inspired architecture, and Steampunk-inspired machines and technology.

[@LevelDesignLobby]

Yh, the combination of them feels so unique. A tip I learned was make the level feel believable, not realistic

[@user-rf2dr4gd9s]

Heck yeah! That's a kind of episode that we have been waiting for a long time!

[@DavidBeaumont]

I certainly appreciate the games which use well placed "shinies" to subtly draw the user's eye to important details. God of War is great for that and clearly shows an enormous amount of care was taken with the level design. Having a "fly on the wall" developer diary which shows the iterations of level design would be amazing (there's some of that in the Horizon: Zero Dawn documentary showing Meridian in its earlier stages and talking about what didn't work well).

[@LunarBulletDev]

I literally said this is irresistible to watch, love game design and related videos!

[@orangeboi3387]

This is a great video and i hope you profundize on it more! Im a beggining level designer and i would love to see a series covering all the more profound aspects of level desing

[@licanius6519]

I just started my associates in Simulation and Game Development! I'm so excited, I hope I get to do some level design!

[@LL-iw8gk]

Your drawing style is very cute, and the level design explanation is really good with your animation.

[@AskanHelstroem]

Shoutout to "Survios" the developers behind Westworld Awakening (VR) Even so it looked every time like you could go where ever you want, it wasn't the case, but with lighting, effects and stuff you always "want" to use the "right" way. Top!

[@thobiemperor5055]

as one who want's to go into world design and more this is super helpful thank you

[@candiedskull9841]

As someone who literally just became a level designer on two smaller modding projects, and could still use some tips, this video is perfect.

[@gatheringparty239]

We need to see coverage of the other levels of durlags tower. There's so much there left to explore and compare to other games.

[@Ryu_D]

Thank you for the video.

[@idadood2278]

This is a cool history video (its in the full Extra History playlist lol)

[@EnterMyDreams]

Great video!

[@TheOis1984]

i played World of Warcraft some 10 years ago (or more?), and the level designs that were breathtaking to me were: Nagrand (with its wide expanses of grassland and floating isles), the Pine forest in Grizzly Hills, and the mushroom grove of Zangarmarsh.

[@MrBlitzpunk]

My personal favorites are definitely the level design of Darksouls and Monster Hunter World. Just the level of detail and the intricate intertwined design that links one area to the other so seamlessly.

[@LevelDesignLobby]

Some great choices there! Some of my personal favs are God of War & MGS1

[@animatepotato545]

this just sounds like architecture to me, like you just described an architectural program, which no is not AutoCAD is the steps to get to the final product. Extensive research and data collection, Knowing the needs of the client or well for what the space is gonna be use for, Roughs and drafts of the space, multiple revisions and then just a few details and you done. (or well a very waterdown explanation from my part) very cool this touch my architect heart

[@doctornoob6017]

I make some multiplayer maps for games (as a modder). And all the maps of mine that people like the most are the simpler maps without to much complex things that are the most popular

[@user-uk4vk6kk9d]

Fun fact : "from whence" is redundant. But that's fine, you're still my favourite video game channel :)

[@somedood9989]

"from whence" is totally something I would say when i'm trying to sound like a villain though

[@conormurphy4328]

Wow what an unfun and annoying fact

[@ZachTheHuman]

B-but it sounds cool!!!

[@JaimeNyx15]

Much as I appreciate proofreading KZbin comments in KZbin vids (frankly, not enough people do it), Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the King James Bible all use "from whence". I think we can just say "from whence" is an acceptable idiomatic form of "whence" and call it a day.

[@kaltaron1284]

No it isn't. Or do you mean that you could use "from afar", "from somewhere" or whatever you wan to convey?

[@Heroesflorian]

Appreciate the little detail of reading the legendary patreon supporters in opposite alphabetic order this time.

[@oresteszoupanos]

0:44 Thanks Max. Thax.

[@koltonrasmussen7205]

Mood boards? Can we get a future episode on that, please?

[@jonn_mace_80_95_]

A video with actual game development substance.

[@TheDSasterX]

On that last fundamental: As an experienced gamer, I tend to be metaconscious of guide markers. Knowing that going off the beaten path is often the means to getting the hidden treasures/loot/collectibles/Easter eggs/etc. Whenever I see a light source or something attention grabby, I'm torn whether to follow it or not. I'd like to hear some follow up on how level designers tackle this issue of (mis)guiding players away from some things and towards others

[@Speederzzz]

I encountered this today when playing LOZ spirit tracks. It was clear I was meant to go into the storm, get lost and seek a way through it. But I already saw a side track, which I went on and gave me the clue to pass through the storm. On the one hand I feel like I outsmarted the game, on the other hand I feel like I missed a part of the game

[@gsfs8208]

I felt that way constantly with Gris. I never knew what was multiple paths, a single large area (so no wrong paths and all leading back to each other), what was the correct path, or a secret one, or a wrong path. I do want to note tho that the way Gris is built, it generally works out. I think Ori and the Blind Forest is a great example of it done right. (Even without your map) There is one clear path. The rest are blocked off (if you aren't supposed to go there yet), or hidden (if it's a secret). There's also pointers (like cut scenes or items you can pick up) that show you the right direction.

[@georgiakouri5488]

Very nice

[@bloodelfreku]

My years of experience in map editors would come in handy with a job about level design.

[@marcelblock2454]

These are good ideas for a dungeon master too

[@nassrybendeck9064]

This a great 👍 I love what this is about

[@LevelDesignLobby]

Super glad to hear that Nassry, check out my hcannel if you want to hear more about LD

[@MasamiPhoenix]

My biggest problem is figuring out what to do with the space between key points. Figuring out where to out monsters/jumps/puzzles and which ones, etc.

[@shadowsingularity]

Yay

[@jarihoogendoorn5823]

Fun fact: there are sea fairies

[@johnsayles8032]

Sadly they only grant fishes instead of the other thing

[@dragonsoff-metagaming4985]

I think minecraft is overly looked game for designers even if they have no coding experience. You can go creative for speed designing, or if you can work harder in survival to leave achievements enabled. Spawn proofing the entire playable area and creating a mob sorter sound like monumental task but it's very easy if you start with a small area and slowly expand.

[@av3stube480]

Building in survival is really gratifying, especially since gathering all the resources one by one gives you time to experiment with different combinations of blocks for builds. In creative, someone with little experience would just get overwhelmed by the amount of blocks.

[@dragonsoff-metagaming4985]

@@av3stube480 I always suggest players try survival before creative in every game. At the same time creative gives someone the opportunity to see what combinations and build styles they'd want to go for before committing to the more time consuming survival build. Like if you want to make a cottage, it would be smart to test what kind of wood you're going to use while things are unlimited and instantly placed/broken without needing to repair tools. This is especially optimal if you think your going to use a block that's more scarce like prisma marine, ancient debris and non craftable blocks like cobwebs. Theory crafting mechanisms is also faster with spawn eggs and the ability to fly or testing possible player builds quickly.

[@erikrodrigues2733]

I missed that kind of content.

[@shroder2748]

Lily's Garden: *Write that down, write that down!*

[@sanninnero8498]

what do i need to study for level designing in college though?

[@TheRenaissance725]

4:24 Ah yes, nothing invokes more dread than a brutalist university library at the end of a term

[@itaybron]

Make as many water and ice levels as you can

[@TimSkovblleHolst]

Aha how fun. Max wrote the two book I ordered 2½ months ago and still have not received.

[@LevelDesignLobby]

Hi Tim, sorry to hear that and did you order them from Lulu? Did you contact them? If you are having trouble reach out to Lulu or myself so we can fix them problem for you.

[@TimSkovblleHolst]

@@LevelDesignLobby I did order them from Lulu, and no I haven't contacted them yet. They informed me when I bought them: "A note about shipping times: Due to unprecedented demand and safety restrictions, delivery times may extend beyond the times displayed in the cart." So I just waited and played video games.

[@armands9846]

can someone leave a review about this book, is it good?

[@xernnuthemadlad8148]

I wanna kiss extracredits-drawn link

[@CliffCardi]

Are we at the Extra Credits 10th anniversary yet?

[@postapocalypticnewsradio]

PANR has tuned in.

[@andro_king]

You guys should make a video about Rain World, its quite a lot different from all other games.

[@gsfs8208]

I've been really enjoying playing Rain World atm! It's been very difficult tho ahah

[@antenna_prolly]

4:24 - my dad works in the upper-left building

[@DuranmanX]

I wonder how you would incorporate level design in a 2D fighting game. Would that just environmental background?

[@soulfire5256]

Depends. A beat-em-up is basically a 2d fighting game with level design that goes beyond one screen (and sometimes a finicky z-axis). For games where the "level" doesn't affect gameplay and is just a background, I'd say that falls into art direction.

[@benedict6962]

Tekken has some unusally expansive stages to work with, but "level design" also covers the enemy choice and difficulty curve to cater towards particular experiences.

[@kira8675309]

Narrator: Max Pierce senior level designer on.... Me: Ohhhh this could be interesting. Narrator:...*Cyberpunk 2077* and *The Division*. Me: instantly backs out of video.

[@CoralCopperHead]

Cute.

[@denifnaf5874]

When will he talk about subnautica?

[@buddyroach]

was that mario music in the intro?

[@buddyroach]

yeah that was mario 64

[@Foxpawed]

I wonder if those legendary patrons will ever stop squatting in those slots and let other people have them some day.

[@ornhammer4141]

Don't forget about Kojima and his Legos

[@OwOraTheWitch]

Oh yay, they got a level designer to help write for them! Oh... It's the level designer behind Cyberpunk..... And.... The division... Ah yes, such memorable levels...

[@ty_teynium]

6:56 I wonder if anyone caught that.

[@robertdascoli949]

That cyberpunk developer credit had a lot more juice 2 years ago huh.

[@darkchild130]

And it's got far more weight again 2 years since. Wild how time works huh.

[@vengeance2066]

We're early yay

[@colinz226]

Me, a GM: WRITE THAT DOWN

[@malaizze]

Did you accidentally write 1-1 rather than 101 on the thumbnail?

[@DiskusGames]

How did it take almost 10 years for you to make this video?

[@Walter.Kolczynski]

I feel like this video really should've cross-referenced the SMB Level 1-1 breakdown done previously on this channel back when Dan was hosting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHmVqHqmer-Jnac

[@postblitz]

Even better 101 for level design: play games! If you want to make a game like X, play a ton of X and think about the levels as you play them. Write down the what ifs and you've got yourself into level design.

[@waizroblox]

Ok

[@thanglian6672]

Pogggggggggggg

[@Neptune5111.1]

Pog

[@daedalus5253]

PoooOooog

[@shadowsingularity]

Poggg

[@dennismarinos2129]

Dms : i am watching

[@aidanmcgrath12]

First level is the most important level of any game.

[@Neptune5111.1]

Hrm Hrmmm 😀

[@vamuse]

Me- Wrapping up my level design portfolio after 6 weeks of self taught work Also Me- Goes on KZbin Still Me- ......................................fuck

[@kingmink138]

Wasn't the division a core topic of your bad design video ?

[@TimRrstrm]

You need to careful with your scripts; the transition to the 'Max recommends' part really sounded like a 'now we're done with the video, here comes the advert' transition, to the extent that I almost skipped half the video (because really, who doesn't skip sponsors?).

[@Morgformer]

I think it's funny that the guest for "clear and straightforward level design" worked on The Division, a game that my friends and I had to stop playing after getting lost over and over.

[@CAIR-Duragon]

Woah woah woah, wait a moment... What do you have against Brutalism? I am not gonna stand here hearing someone underappreciate such a brutal architecture.

[@crimsonpresents]

Didn’t both games that the guest writer worked on do poorly?

[@andrechapetta]

Yeah but not due to poor level design. Quite the contrary.

[@patrickbeart7091]

@@andrechapetta Apart from it being 100% openable doors and chest high walls

[@gastonzumbo9860]

@@andrechapetta i mean, i really don't think The Division and Cyberpunk have particularly special level design.

[@andrechapetta]

@@gastonzumbo9860 Both games were shit at launch. But level design were pretty good IMO.

[@VTimmoni]

If you want to create realities from your imagination become a game master.

[@RoyGuerrero1904]

Hey extra credit do doom

[@syntaxerror9994]

That would make a good game on the topic of Design vs engine tech and how the two influence one another.

[@marioxdc123]

walks a few steps, chomps, repeat

[@user-vn7ce5ig1z]

So… Step 1: watch Worldbuilding Notes and Artifexian.

[@seanrshivers]

Do i like brutalism because "dread" feels like home... hmmm....

[@ikkiville]

Honestly, Middle Earth feels more grounded than New York City.

[@shirosenshiesq]

Ah yes one of the people that gave us the flawless and perfect game that is Cyberpunk 2077 is clearly someone to be trusted on the matter of teaching level design. Oh is that yet another hotfix patch?

[@kaltaron1284]

IMHO Dark Souls one has one of the best level design ever esp. when it comes to connecting different levels. Recently GRIS was also quite impressive.

[@karolroy6091]

Best example-Hollow knight

[@wyntrheart]

Poor brutalism, always written of as "the scary/gloomy architecture". The point of brutalism is that it feels big and powerful, this can be used to create an oppressive feeling, but with the right design and lighting brutalism can also have a sense of monumental glory to it that can be awe-inspiring and beautiful.

[@HypernovaBolts11]

First!

[@williamsledge3151]

5th

[@archive6094]

I feel kinda sorry for that level designer...

[@Neptune5111.1]

Hrmmm

[@deftheocelot9125]

I think I'll pass. The Division was a microtransaction shitshow and I don't want to hear anything that the creators have to say.

[@shawnheatherly]

A bad level design will ruin even the best of gameplay.

[@luisjogos821]

*Sonic 2 Metropolis Zone flashbacks*

[@CoralCopperHead]

@@luisjogos821 Metropolis Zone is my favourite classic Sonic zone.

[@VampireSquirrel]

You had to get a guy who worked on division 🤢🤢🤢

[@Neptune5111.1]

E