Game design is an exciting field. If you’re looking out for the ultimate guide to game designing levels, you’ve come to the right place! The pure excellent in level design is actually a result of the quality work that is cherished by the vast majority of the game developers, and, of course, gamers available all across the world.
Follow the tips in this post that will provide you amazing game designers of a flash game, mobile games and PC games with a clear path and help in establishing strong foundations in level designing:
Detailed guidelines are your friend
Creating detailed guidelines is like finalizing a sketch with more polishing and details. The guidelines must focus on every single, minute detail of a level as it acts like a blueprint of how a level is going to play. Detailed and to-the-point guidelines ensure that the entire developing team is on the same page.
Using reference objects properly
In order to create a consistent and logical design, using reference objects is very important. Since no game designer wants the assets to be too small or too big, static models of the characters should be used, which accommodate the scale correctly.
Without a reference, one has no option but to guess the character’s mechanics relative to the levels. By using reference objects though, one knows exactly where to place what!
Sketching levels is important
If a designer is having a hard time understanding exactly how a concept works, sketching helps one get a rough idea of precisely that. A designer must break down the various levels into small components and keep on modifying the sketches until he/she has reached a satisfactory position.
This can only be achieved by working interactively while modifying one’s sketch so that one can understand what he/she has designed and check whether it feels appropriate.
Know the art of blocking
Simply put, blocking is a break-down of something into its fundamental, critical and basic components. While designing game levels, blocking is used to represent levels in various geometrical shapes so that they can be used for representing obstacles, key-objects, and collisions etc at the game level.
Blocking is also commonly referred to as block-outs by game designers. It helps a designer communicate with the artists as modifications are quite easy due to the simple nature of block-outs. You are always advised to check if the shapes of the block-outs are aligned and consistent with the game assets. Primitives like cubes are offered by the leading game engines such as Unity or Unreal for blocking purposes. The utilization of 3D modeling software such as Maya or Blender is also popular.
Testing the levels is critical
After one is done with the sketches and the block-outs, it is necessary to be cautious while making a transition from the designs to the actual gaming space. Every idea and detail that one has been planning from the beginning, must be preserved, for, a poor transition has a drastic impact on the gameplay experience.
Fill up the levels
One can always improve any particular design by adding more polish and details to what has already been finalized. This results in a subconscious appreciation from the users’-end, enhancing their overall gameplay experience manifold!
Lists are a vital asset
A designer must keep in mind, at all times, what he/she wants his/her players to experience, see, or interact with. To make sure this happens, it’s great to have a list, which helps one in getting organized with his/her thoughts and views. It also helps ensure the team understands the scope of the game.
If you are planning to make a platformer, it’s good for you to detail things like that: trigger interactions, moving platform locations, player jump movement patterns, enemy patching and much more. The more detailed your guidelines would be, the higher possibilities of understanding the interactions of your level would be for everyone.
Design a beautiful visual theme
A level should always be made only after visualizing a centralized theme in mind. A theme defines several things about a level, such as the circumstances and mood. If a theme is lacking consistency, it will lead to a poor overall user experience as the level would look rather messy.
Make sure that you have opted for the right color choices. If you have any confusion about the same, you are free to use a painting program like Photoshop and make an experiment with plenty of color choices. Avoid using the harsh colors.
In a Nutshell:
You know very well that we as a game developer are much capable of creating immersive worlds, breath-taking vistas, and magnificent stories. Imagination and knowledge are the only limitations that could stop you. Plan ahead, plan well, and you’ll see your beautiful design soar. Follow the tips listed in this write-up to set your game a level apart from your competitors!