Designing a Video Game: Principles and Rules of Modern Level Design

Today's gamers expect levels that are not only visually stunning but also richly interactive and immersive. How can we reach these expectations as developers? Let’s talk about modern level design.

In essence, level design refers to creating levels, stages, or missions within a game. But this description barely scratches the surface of what level design embodies. It's not merely about placing objects, enemies, or environmental artwork. It's a more profound and intricate process – it's about crafting experiences.

Imagine level design as the art of shaping the player's adventure. It’s about constructing the narrative pathway they walk through, not just in terms of the physical space within the game but also in how they experience the story being told. The level is where the game's story, mechanics, and art converge to create a memorable experience.

Consider a level in a game as a chapter in a book. Each chapter has a beginning, where players are introduced to new elements or challenges. There's a middle where these elements are explored and interacted with, and an ending, often culminating in a significant challenge or a pivotal narrative moment. The level designer's job is to make this journey as engaging and coherent as possible.

But it's not just about linear progression. A well-designed level offers players choices and paths to explore while guiding them toward the intended narrative or gameplay goals. It's about creating an environment that feels alive and responsive to the player's actions. Consider how game levels like The Legend of Zelda or Dark Souls are designed. They aren't just spaces to traverse; they're puzzles to solve, stories to unravel, and worlds to immerse oneself in.

The goal is to avoid extremes – neither too easy nor frustratingly hard. The challenge, akin to waves, should undulate, ensuring player engagement and accomplishment. You need to define your approach before you start level design placement. And here, you have several options that you can learn from famous examples.

Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment.

A prime example is the Resident Evil series, particularly Resident Evil 4. This game subtly adjusts the difficulty based on the player's performance. If the player dies frequently, the game reduces the number of enemies in subsequent attempts. Conversely, if the player is breezing through levels, it subtly ramps up the challenge. This dynamic adjustment keeps the game engaging for players of varying skill levels without breaking immersion.

Progressive Challenge Scaling.

The Super Mario Bros. levels are meticulously designed to introduce challenges progressively. Early levels are more straightforward, teaching the player basic mechanics. As the game progresses, levels become more complex, combining these mechanics in challenging ways. The infamous Water Levels or the introduction of more complex enemies like Hammer Bros. exemplify this scaling, which adds variety and escalating challenges while remaining fair and engaging.

A classic example can be seen in Portal and Portal 2. These games excel in gradually introducing players to new mechanics and combining them increasingly complexly. Early levels are simple, focusing on understanding the essential use of the portal gun. As players progress, levels demand more sophisticated uses of the portals, spatial reasoning, and timing. This steady increase in complexity helps players develop their skills naturally without feeling overwhelmed.

Safe Spaces and Respite.

Dark Souls, a game known for its difficulty, skillfully balances challenge with rest. Between its notoriously tricky sections, bonfires are acting as safe spaces. These allow players to recuperate, reinforcing a sense of progression and achievement. It's a rhythmic balance of tension and relief, preventing frustration.

Games like Bloodborne implement a risk-versus-reward system to balance difficulty. Engaging in high-risk combat scenarios can lead to greater rewards. This system encourages players to push their limits and allows them to play it safely. It's a balance that motivates players to improve and engage more deeply with the game mechanics.

Player-Driven Difficulty.

Games like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim offers another approach. Here, the world is open, and players can choose their paths. They might wander into a high-level area and face tough challenges or stay in lower-level areas to build their skills and confidence. This player-driven difficulty allows individuals to tailor their experiences to their comfort level.

The Mass Effect series offers settings that range from narrative-focused, where combat is easier, to hardcore modes that significantly ramp up combat challenges. This approach respects player choice and caters to a broader audience, from those seeking a story to those desiring intense gameplay.

Narrative as a Difficulty Balancer.

The Last of Us series uses narrative elements to balance gameplay difficulty. Intense combat sequences are interspersed with quieter, story-driven sections, where players learn more about the characters and the world. This ebb and flow maintains engagement without overwhelming the player.

Balancing difficulty is not just about enemy placement or the number of obstacles. It's about understanding the player's journey through the game. It involves crafting a narrative flow where challenges rise and fall, maintaining interest and providing a sense of accomplishment. This approach requires a deep understanding of game mechanics, player psychology, and storytelling.

Implementing checkpoint and save systems can significantly affect the perception of difficulty. Games like Celeste offer frequent checkpoints, acknowledging the game's severe difficulty and allowing players to quickly retry challenging sections, reducing frustration while maintaining the challenge.

Difficulty in level design isn't just about combat or enemies. The environment itself can present challenges. The environment plays a key role in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Weather, terrain, and physics create situations where players must think and adapt. For example, climbing a mountain during rain is more challenging than in clear weather. This adds a layer of strategic decision-making based on the environment.

In modern game development, player feedback is crucial for balancing difficulty. Developers often release beta versions or updates based on player experiences.

Fortnite is an example of continuous updates and player feedback shaping the game's balance, keeping the gameplay fresh and appropriately challenging.

Balancing difficulty in level design is an ongoing dialogue between the designer and the player. It's about understanding not just the mechanics of the game but the people who play it. Every player is different, and their experience can vary widely. The goal of the level designer is to craft a challenging, rewarding, and, most importantly, enjoyable journey for a wide range of players.

Environmental art.

Level design cannot exist without other elements. And you, as a level designer, should focus on another part of game design that will be at your disposal - Environmental art.

Environment art is what gives life to the game's world. It's about the aesthetics – the textures, the lighting, the 3D models. These elements create the visual appeal and immersion of the game. The environment artists are like the painters and sculptors of the video game world, carefully crafting every visual detail to create a believable, engaging, and often beautiful environment for players to explore. A game with exceptional environment art can be awe-inspiring. Think of the stunning vistas in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or the intricate, dystopian world of Bioshock Infinite. The environment art sets the tone and atmosphere in these games, contributing significantly to the overall gaming experience. Level design should continue the environment design. It should highlight the setting and maintain the mood. Only then will the level design be considered good when it performs both practical and aesthetic functions.

Let's shift our focus to level design, about thegameplay experience within these environments. Level design is the structural foundation of the game’s world. It's about creating spaces that facilitate gameplay, guide the player's journey, present challenges, and help progress the narrative.

A level designer must consider how players interact with the environment, move through space, and utilize the game's mechanics. It's about creating a flow within the game, using the environment to create a path for the player, and strategically placing elements like enemies, obstacles, and rewards. For instance, the intricate level designs in Dark Souls are not just about aesthetics. They are meticulously crafted to challenge players, often forcing them to be cautious and observant. The levels are designed to create a sense of dread and anticipation, with traps and enemies positioned to surprise and challenge the player.

Moreover, level design often involves creating an intuitive and navigable space. It's about leading the player without making it obvious that they are being led. This is where level design overlaps with environmental storytelling. The placement of objects, the architecture of the space, and the progression through the environment can all tell a story in subtle ways. An example is Half-Life, where the environment and level design work together to guide the player, tell a story, and create an immersive experience without requiring extensive dialogue or cutscenes. The game uses visual cues, level layout, and environmental details to lead the player and reveal the narrative. Intricate-level design goes beyond the basic layout of environments; it involves crafting spaces that are functional for gameplay and rich in narrative depth, player engagement, and creativity.

Multi-layered Levels.

A professional-level designer will always use every piece of space effectively, coordinating it with the mechanics and ideas. Within a limited space, when we want to make it larger than it is, we use one basic approach: Multi-layered Levels. One of my favorite games with this approach is Dishonored. In Dishonored, the levels are designed with multiple layers and pathways, offering players a variety of approaches to complete their objectives. The game's levels are complex, with interconnected areas encouraging exploration and experimentation. Players can sneak through buildings, traverse rooftops, or find hidden passages, all adding depth and replayability to the game. It works nicely here, mainly because it fits the main mechanic of the teleports.

But what if I want something else, something different? Let’s return to the Dark Souls series, renowned for its interconnected-level design. The game world is like a massive, intertwined puzzle where areas loop back on themselves, creating a sense of discovery and surprise. This design makes the world feel interconnected and rewards exploration and memorization, a vital aspect of the game's challenge and allure. In BioShock, the underwater city of Rapture is not just a backdrop but an integral part of the game's story. The environment tells its story through audio logs, visual cues, and architecture. The Art Deco design, the dilapidated structures, and the propaganda posters combine to immerse the player in the game's dystopian world. The Breath of the Wild reimagines open-world design by creating a dynamic environment that interacts with the player's actions. The game world responds to player choices and actions, whether chopping down trees to create bridges or using the game's physics engine to solve puzzles. This dynamic interaction makes the environment a key player in the game's design.

In The Last of Us Part, the environment reflects the story's emotional tone, from abandoned homes that tell stories of the inhabitants' final moments to the overgrown ruins that signify the world's post-apocalyptic state. The level design is a narrative tool, enhancing the story's emotional impact. As you see, level design can’t be independent. It needs to be a part of all other elements. You should play with it based on your ideas and the mood of your game.

Now that we know the basic level design approaches, let's talk about their principles.

One of the most crucial is a purpose. Each level in a game should serve a clear and distinct purpose. This could be advancing the story, introducing new gameplay mechanics, presenting a unique challenge, or combining these elements. Each level is designed to advance the story in games like Uncharted or Tomb Raider. Players journey through different environments, each revealing a new story chapter. The level design aligns with the narrative arc, ensuring that the environment and its challenges reflect and enhance the unfolding story. Portal excels in introducing and gradually expanding upon its core mechanic – the portal gun. Early levels are designed to teach players the basics of portal traversal. As the game progresses, levels become more complex, integrating new elements like momentum and light bridges, requiring players to think creatively and apply what they've learned in new ways. Celeste is a brilliant example of levels designed to provide specific challenges. Each chapter introduces new elements - wind, moving platforms, or hostile creatures - each adding a unique twist to the game's core platforming mechanics. The levels are purposefully designed to test the player’s skills and adaptability.

The level design combines mechanics, story, and exploration seamlessly.

The purpose of a level should be evident to the player, whether it's understood from the level's design, its place in the game's world, or its contribution to the overarching story. A level with a clear purpose provides direction and motivation, guiding the player through the game's journey. Moreover, purpose-driven level design ensures that each part of the game feels necessary and engaging. It avoids the pitfalls of filler content, where levels exist merely to extend playtime without adding meaningful experiences.

Another fundamental principle in level design is motivating player movement.

A well-designed level not only facilitates but also encourages player exploration and progression. It's about using the environment to subtly guide players towards objectives and discoveries, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience. For this, we can use different techniques.

A classic technique is the use of visual cues or landmarks. For instance, in Journey, the distant mountain is a constant visual goal for players. In Dark Souls, the level design frequently employs grand structures or unique landscapes as points of interest, guiding players across its interconnected world. Encouraging exploration is key. Skyrim is an excellent example, where players are motivated to explore through the promise of hidden dungeons, rare artifacts, and unexpected encounters. The level design rewards curiosity, making exploration a core part of the player's experience. Effective pathfinding is crucial. In Half-Life, for example, levels are designed to lead players along a specific path without making it obvious. The game uses lighting, architecture, and environmental storytelling to guide players, ensuring they are never lost but still feel in control of their journey.

Interactivity within the environment can serve as a strong motivator. In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the interactive elements like destructible objects, climbable surfaces, and physics-based puzzles engage players and encourage them to interact with the world around them, often leading to discoveries.

Narrative elements can also guide player movement. In BioShock, the narrative unfolds through the environment, with audio logs, signage, and environmental changes guiding players through Rapture. The story creates a sense of urgency and curiosity, driving players to explore further.

It requires a deep understanding of human psychology and player behavior. The goal is to create an organic and inviting world where every path, obstacle, and item feels purposefully placed to guide the player's journey.

I adore level design. It looks so amazing when Resident Evil uses narrow corridors, sudden open areas, and blind corners to induce suspense and surprise. The level design manipulates spatial elements to evoke emotions, keeping players on edge. Or when in Journey, developers use of color, light, and shadow further accentuates paths and points of interest. In games, the arrangement of enemies, the architecture of the ruins, and the placement of items all tell a story, providing context and depth to the game world.

In Hollow Knight, we can find intricate, interconnected level designs that encourage players to explore, backtrack, and discover new paths as they acquire new abilities. The layout of the levels becomes a puzzle for the player to solve.

You can find more information about Spatial Communication in Level Design in this video.

Action Games and Shooters.

I talked about more calm genres like RPG and story-based adventures, but we had a few extra things when we discussed action games and shooters. In this type of game, we have a specific aspect of level design that's particularly crucial. And this is a cover placement.

Cover placement is essential for creating strategic depth in tactical shooters like Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. The environment offers various cover options, each presenting different advantages and vulnerabilities. This encourages players to think tactically about their position and the position of their enemies. Effective cover placement also enhances player movement. In Gears of War, the cover is not only for protection but also for maneuvering and flanking. The game's 'roadie run' mechanic, combined with the cover system, allows players to quickly move between covers, creating dynamic firefights and opportunities for strategic positioning.

The placement of cover can transform an environment into a tactical playground. Call of Duty games, for instance, design levels with a mix of high and low covers, open areas, and choke points. This variety allows for different combat styles, from long-range engagements to close-quarters battles, making each encounter unique. Introducing dynamic or destructible cover adds another layer of strategy. In the Battlefield series, the destructible environments mean that cover is not always permanent, forcing players to adapt their tactics as the battlefield evolves. Cover placement is also crucial in how AI enemies engage the player. In Uncharted, enemies use cover effectively, flanking and suppressing the player, which requires strategic thinking and quick reflexes to overcome.

It's essential to balance cover with open spaces. Too much cover can make a level feel cramped and restrict movement, while too little can lead to unfair challenges. Games like Halo strike this balance, offering open arenas with strategically placed cover, allowing for ranged battles and close-up engagements.

Conclusion.

In summary, motivating player movement is an art form in itself. It combines aesthetics, psychology, and gameplay mechanics to create a world players want to explore and engage in. It's what transforms a game from a series of tasks into a compelling journey.