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THE GOLDEN RULES OF LEVEL DESIGN
GOLDEN RULE #1: YOU ARE NOT THE PLAYER!
This is the most important, key thing you should remember when building a level. You are not the audience. You are
building this level for other people. You need to think about whom this is aimed for and what you want them to
experience. You need to pair the game design and its rules with your intended market and think carefully about the
environment and the levels pacing and atmosphere. Should the level(s) be short but still fulfill many aspects of the game
designs needs, or do they need to teach the player something (in which case, you may need to constrain the designs
used and the path the player can take). Whatever you do, do not assume the role of the player when you are designing
your levels.
GOLDEN RULE #2: IT’S TOO HARD!
Or, what I like to call ‘50% off’. Take whatever you’ve done so far: jumps, platforming, puzzles, enemies (amount and
difficulty), and make them all 50% easier. You have to give the player a chance! When you play your level, you are a god
within his own kingdom! You know every nook and cranny; you know where every enemy is coming from and what is
telling them to do so. You know why, because you told them all why! Players who start your map for the first time are
likely to die within the first 30 seconds if you have not thought about this very important rule! Just remember… ‘50% off’.
GOLDEN RULE #3: DO NOT TEACH WITH DEATH!
This is an evil, evil thing that games so often do (Tomb Raider, Prince of Persia and many FPS games are guilty of this!).
It’s okay if the player dies because he makes a mistake, as long as he knows why, and was given fair warning or some
indication that he could make a mistake. If, for example, the player is walking across a tiny beam and there is a big drop,
the player has had his warning. He saw the drop. If he falls now, it’s his own fault. However, if the player was to come
across the same tiny beam without at first seeing the drop and/or the beam itself, it becomes unfair. In this situation, the
chances are the player is going to plummet to his death, and although he is now aware of the hazard, should he be
penalised for what is really an error in the level design? This can be easily thwarted by the simple use of some lighting
and/or simple textures to show a difference between where the crossing beam is and where the holes are. Better yet,
remove the hole of death altogether and put it somewhere more friendly and obvious! A good example of where Tomb
Raider did manage to teach the player properly was with its falling floors. They give you a chance to notice they are
breaking and allow the player a chance to get the hell out of there. From then on, it’s up to the player to notice these
types of floors in following levels.
GOLDEN RULE #4: TRY NOT TO LEAD.
Wherever possible, I feel it is much better to try and entice the player to his destination. The player should not feel like he
is being pushed around a level. This will remove the atmosphere and immersion for the player. You want to try and
persuade the player which route to take, while leaving him the option to wander elsewhere if he so wishes, even if it is the
wrong direction. This makes the player feel like he’s making the decisions, not the level designer. Its okay if the player is
occasionally a little lost (I don’t mean DOOM III’s haven’t-I-seen-this-corridor-150-times-already lost though!). Essentially,
©2010, Harry Luck, a spot of luck, www.harryluck.com
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the player is the donkey and you have a carrot. But the stick with which you are holding the carrot should be extendable
and retractable, should swing, and occasionally go completely invisible (but only briefly!). A bad example I recently
noticed of level design constantly pushing the player was during Call of Duty II. There were only a few times during that
game that I felt like I was really the person making the level advance. It always felt like the level was happening around
me, which to some extent helped in creating that frantic feel of war. However, even some of the gunfights felt that if you
weren’t gunning in the right places at the right times the way the designers had intended, you were very often already
screwed. That to me is bad design. It shouldn’t be one way or the highway. Player adaptation, curiosity and error should
always be considered.
GOLDEN RULE #5: MAKE THE PLAYER FEEL SMART.
Make him feel that he is accomplishing things as often as possible. They don’t have to be big things. This could have a
lot to do with the difficulty ramp. As the player reaches each new section it gets a little tougher, but because of what the
player learnt in the previous sections he is better equipped to deal it. If he can do it without dying, then this is an
accomplishment. Make secret areas, but don’t make them too secret. When the player finds them, it will give him a buzz.
Distribute weapons, ammo and items sensibly. The player shouldn’t feel too scared to move because he only has one
bullet left and the room just around the corner is full of ammo but also surrounded by enemies! A great technique is to
slowly increase the difficulty and then have a section where the player gets swarmed by weaker enemies. This should
allow the player to totally kick ass. Complete player satisfaction. But this is not just about enemies. Make sure the player
always has something to do and is aware of his goals and objectives at all times. He needs tasks. Get the player to find
an item or place to use an item he has already found. The smaller and more often the player gets to complete these
things, the more immersed, involved and rewarded he will feel.
GOLDEN RULE #6: INTERACTION IS INTERESTING.
Okay, so pushing a crate into a hole to create a little bridge in a corridor is neither original nor super exciting. However, it
does break an otherwise plain and uneventful corridor into an interactive event for the player. This means he has more to
do than just pressing forward on his controller, which can’t be a bad thing! Whenever you can, try and get the cerebral
juices flowing. Obviously, in some games, the design is simple: to create a visceral, non-stop brawling mess, but
generally speaking most games ask more of the player (or at least should) than aim, shoot and reload (Black, for
example). Interaction is also a great way of slowing down the pace of the level before you swarm the player with
beasties! Anything from finding a switch to lower a drawbridge to the classic (although archaic) Resident Evil key system
is a great way to break pace and ask the player to stop and think, even if it is a little laterally at times.
GOLDEN RULE #7: BE ORIGINAL!
This covers two things really. The first is about other games. Please try not to simply add something that worked from
one games level and place it in your own! It’s good to be inspired, but try and imagine what more you could do with it. Or
better still; ask what it is they’re doing that works so well. Find the roots of its design and you can easily branch away
from it. Now, armed with a similar concept you can find an original idea and design. The second part of being original is
aimed more toward mappers. Please, for the love of god, don’t try and build your house, school, village or anything in that
vein as a level! No-one else will get it, and it is highly unlikely to translate into good level design! Unless you are willing to
say ‘I am going to build my house, but as a level for UT’, then don’t bother. If you do it this way, at least you are taking the
concept of, ‘your house’ and filling it with good level design while ignoring what fundamentally makes it your house. You
could always add in little details, like pictures from the walls or your couch. This way you still create the feel of your
house, but with the level design as its more important component.
©2010, Harry Luck, a spot of luck, www.harryluck.com
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GOLDEN RULE #8: IF IT’S NOT FUN , F*#K IT!
This is a message to your pride. You came up with a great idea for your level, you loved it when you wrote it down,
you’ve been building it for a month and it’s nearly finished. But when you play it, the idea isn’t quite as cool as you had
first imagined. Or maybe it has a small section that causes a little imbalance. If so, CUT IT! Don’t be proud. Know
where the flaws lie, and don’t be afraid to snip it.
GOLDEN RULE #9: BUT, IF IT AIN ’T BROKE…
You know the saying and you know what I mean. Know when it’s done and let your baby go. I know you could spend
another week tweaking the enemies and the weapons. Maybe even moving around a few corridors to see what works
best. WHY? You’ve done it a hundred times already, LET IT GO! Move on to your next map. The next map you make
will be even better. Don’t get stuck in a rut!
GOLDEN RULE #10: ENJOY IT !
It’s the last rule, but it’s bloody important! This is a creative process and should be fun. Sometimes it’s a labour, yes…
but it should always remain a labour of love. If it isn’t, something is wrong. Level design should not be a chore. Perhaps
you are over-complicating your design, or maybe the way you need to construct your design is altogether is too difficult
and time consuming. Try and remember to start small and be patient. Sometimes it really is better to let the bad ones die
and start anew.
©2010, Harry Luck, a spot of luck, www.harryluck.com