Level Design
Read below about my Level Design workflow, as well as the tools and techniques I employ. To see examples of my work, please select from the projects at the bottom of this page.
Research
My initial step in my level design workflow is research. I will collate a wide range of written, auditory, and visual inspirations for the level which I will use to develop concepts. These concepts get analysed for their fun factor and practicality to distil them into a cohesive level plan.
Paper Prototyping
At this stage I will sketch out a top down view of the level to get a sense of the space I want to work with. I don’t always do this on paper, sometimes using Photoshop, sometimes using Unity’s terrain tools to quickly trace paths and play with elevation, especially when I want to consider important sight-lines from the very beginning. This step is really important to answer some of the fundamental questions raised by the research stage around the scope and gameplay of the level.
Greyboxing
Here I move on to slightly more in-depth use of Unity or Maya to block out the game area. Simple placeholders for objects, obstacles, enemies, NPC’s, and the player themselves, are moved around freely to get the most out of the virtual space and support the objectives gained from the research stage. Often the layout will come out of this stage looking drastically different from the paper prototype, and it will have gone through several iterations and rounds of testing to settle on a layout that fulfils its intended purpose effectively.
Set Dressing
At the penultimate stage, placeholders are swapped for in game assets. Additional layout passes will be completed at this stage to ensure that all the sight-lines, pathways, and important features are still communicated to the player effectively. Lighting and sound is implemented here to enhance the level both aesthetically and practically, highlighting to the player paths of progression, points of interest and key game objects.
Polish
Once the level is “complete” the task of polishing begins. Performance is assessed and adjustments made if necessary. More rounds of play-testing assess the effectiveness of the level in communicating the intended design laid down at the end of the research of the research stage. This stage can effectively continue until time runs out and the deadline is due!
Tools
The tools I use most for my level design process are Unity and Maya, developing levels through greyboxing in these two programs. I also use Unity’s inbuilt particle systems to develop effects for levels, as well as it’s lighting and sound systems to enhance the level and complete the design. As mentioned above, I use Photoshop to sketch out designs at the early stages of the workflow. I use Miro boards to illustrate some of my design ideas due to it’s collaborative capabilities, but largely I use Photoshop and Word to record and communicate my designs. I also use C# to integrate systems into the level such as NPC dialogue, player interaction, and enemies.
Technique
Through my level design workflow and using the tools indicated, I hope to use the virtual space of the game as tool itself to shape the player’s interaction with the game. By utilising sight-lines, lights, and audio cues, I hope to use the space to guide the player through the level for a more fluid gameplay experience. I enjoy the challenges of open world level design, discretely steering the player through your planned set pieces without noticeably effecting their sense of freedom, planning a ‘golden path’ with multiple avenues for additional exploration. Ultimately I hope to achieve fun levels which support the needs of the game design for that point in the game.
Level Design - Projects
Here you can explore the level design elements of some of the projects I have completed.
Eucrasia - Level Design for a PC and Console RPG
VR Winter Wonderland - Level Design for a VR themed mini-metaverse
Viu - Level Designs for a Mobile language learning game app
The Fall of Erecura - World map Level Design for a PC RPG
Anne - United Against Dementia - Level Design for a PC educational game experience
European Commonwealth Bunker - Level Design for a Fallout 4 dungeon