A Guide to Level Design
Making a boring level isn?t hard. Making a thrilling level is. The process of balancing difficulty and originality and longevity and pacing can be mind-boggling. The purpose of this guide is to demystify the makings of a great level.
?So what makes a boring level??
This is a boring level. It doesn?t balance difficulty, originality, or longevity at all. That?s why it?s a perfect example of what to avoid.
I. Difficulty
First of all, this level is as easy as pie to solve. You can simply bridge the gap with one cloth piece. You don?t even have to make a catcher! It?s pointless to complete (unless you?re a beginner or it?s part of a level set, but let?s assume that isn?t the case) because of it?s difficulty. On the other hand, If armadillo and the anchor point below him was moved four times farther away, it would make the level nearly impossible. Trying to solve that is pointless too, unless you?re a bridge fanatic.
II. Originality
How many times have you played a level? If it was an original level, maybe two or three times. Just as a joke isn?t as funny the second time you hear it, a level isn?t as fun the second time you play it. Even if the level is slightly different than another, it probably won?t make enough of a difference to be worth playing again. My example level looks a lot like another level. Can you guess which one? It?s a blatant ripoff of Level 1 - A gentle start. The only thing different is the placement of a few nodes and that you have to add the first piece instead of the second and third.
III. Longevity
How much time can you possibly spend on this level? Once you make a steady slope for the armadillo, you?re done! Moving armadillo to the right is the only objective. Of course, the only point to solving a level is to get armadillo into the portal, but I?m talking about how you have to do it. To increase the length of time it takes to complete the level, more obstacles would have to be added. This would force the player to move armadillo in a number of directions instead of just one.
Making the level better
I added a few things to my example level, which improved it a lot. It is now:
I. More difficult
It is harder to move in an enclosed space and the total distance to travel is higher now.
II. More Original
Simply adding more stuff to the level makes it much more unique.
III. Longer
Now, instead of just going right, the cloth must be broken, and armadillo must be moved right, down, right, up, right, and finally down to reach the portal.
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This updated version still isn?t very good, but it is much better than it was. I wouldn?t use it as a model of a spectacular level, because it was only created with the goal of highlighting a few general things that can significantly improve a level.
Improving just those 3 aspects can make a level above average, but to be memorable, it must surpass even greater challenges, which I will talk about next (in a future update)
Hope that helps,
JustcallmeDrago