GeekManGames Portfolio - Level Design Philosophy

Your best work is your expression of yourself. Now, you may not be the greatest at it, but when you do it, you're the only expert - Frank Gehry

Welcome to my Level Design Philosophy where I write and update this page regularly in what I believe that can make great level design! I always say Simple Shapes Make Great Games and never underestimate the power of simplicity....

Philosophers use many methods to arrive at philosophical knowledge: conceptual analysis, common sense, intuition, thought experiments, close attention to ordinary language, lived experience and critical thinking/questioning. Those methods connect naturally to how I think about level design. I examine what players notice, question what they assume and imagine how they might respond to different clues and paths. Like a thought experiment, a level invites players to explore a possibility for themselves while making the discovery feel as though it came from their own curiosity.

Conversation with Interior and Exterior Design:

Creativity feels boundless when Interior and Exterior design exist in perfect balance and yet remain free to shift, blend and recombine. Each has its own possibilities but when the two meet, something unexpected emerges. I often wonder: How can two simple ideas give rise to such endless creativity? Perhaps someday I’ll find the words to explain it. For now, the mystery itself feels impossible to grasp and that may be part of its beauty 😊
This idea was inspired by the many years I’ve spent playing music and believe it or not music theory and playing music is complete opposite and yet these two sides co-exist just like someone who can create incredible music by study notation and music thoery and the other side of that is, someone who has no knowledge of music theory or reading notation creating and playing incredible music unconsciously aligning to music theory. These two sides have been at opposite spectrum since the beginning of music and yet they co-exit together in their own space and this is what I feel when I think of Interior and Exterior Design. Now, which one you think Interior and Exterior design here after reading my theory. and can Interior and Exterion design be both same and defferent, I will let you decide!
I’ve always felt that a guitar can hold a conversation with or without words. Through its sounds, pauses, intention sound fluctuation either by pick or finger with lead and rhythm, it can express thoughts and emotions that language sometimes cannot. Here’s an example of how my theory comes through in music you can hear the conversation for yourself.
I also wonder what might happen if I let go of the meanings we assign to these two worlds and create something wholly unfamiliar. I hope that, in the near future, I can experiment with this idea in bigger project to make something people might find either captivating or repulsive. Perhaps it’s the thought of hearing both reactions, after they’ve seen what I’ve made, that keeps drawing me back to this desire whenever I design.
By stepping away from familiar rules, what would be the shape of that design. I find it facinating.
Ultimately, I want my work to make people wonder where one world ends and the other begins. I hope that, when people encounter the design, they feel a sense of unease, the fear of the unknown as they come face to face with something they can’t quite explain. I don’t mean horror. I find the genre bit boring because players already expect to be scared. I’m more interested in creating an unfamiliar design experience.

What Makes a Game Interesting?

This topic is subjective and everyone has their own way of looking at things which is why making games is so fun and intriguing. Players can behave differently in the same situation, even when we as devs thought it was impossible. Below are some of norm standard:

Different actions have different consequences, no option is obviously best every time because player will try things we as devs never thought of.
The game asks more of you as you improve, without feeling unfair but also not making it too easy.
Can player actions affect the game and is it getting better or worse in the world based on players.
New situations or level keep familiar mechanics into something newer feeling
Outcomes may feel connected to your decisions, not just luck.
Unusual strategies be fun when players are clever even if they’re not perfectly balanced.

The list above can go forever and in my opinion it does not touch the core essence on why game is interesting, it entirely depends on curiosity and this is going to sounds crazy to everyone but I think making game as playing a game.

Now, imagine someone with incredible talent who finds everything about a game unappealing and cares only about the salary. I work on things I find genuinely interesting and lose myself in, obessed, shape into something unique. Who is more likely to experiment, take chances, and make something surprising and unique?

Talent matters but curiosity is what makes someone want to explore what a game could become and like Sir Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

The Umbrella Game:

Imagine 3 friends caught in heavy rain, sharing one umbrella. There’s nowhere nearby to wait safely without getting soaked, so they turn the situation into a game: Who can claim the most cover?
What clever stunt would each friend pull to win? And what about the person in the middle caught between two sides, watching it all unfold and perhaps having the best time of anyone?
That image captures something I love about making level design: the unexpected ways people respond to the same situation.
I wonder what will happen with 4 friends 😂

Push Pull Crumbella Effect:

I am the first person to coin this term🥳
Before designing a level, I try to anticipate how players might behave to what I find interesting, what will catch their attention, where they might go, and what might make them curious enough to explore further and create moments that deceive players in a playful way or give them the feeling that they’ve made an incredible discovery as if finding it was all their idea.
I want players to find visual clues, details they could easily notice, remember and use those to choose which paths they want to explore first. Imagine you are in a new town and have no GPS, how and where would you explore first and what would make you stop to see, "Wow I want to know what that is".
I want them to think: “I must be the first one to find this.”
Offering clues that draw players toward possibilities, while leaving them free to choose their own paths and that the discoveries belong to them.
Imagine placing treats in different directions and letting three cats explore in their own way. What clever or mischievous stunts would each one pull to reach them all? One might squeeze through a narrow space, another might explore a larger area, and the third might climb higher before emerging somewhere open. Each cat follows the treats, but each finds its own way.
If you have a cat, something you could try for yourself. Trust your instincts: you know your cat and your space, so you’ll know how far to challenge them, when to stop, and when to use treats to encourage exploration. Cats love play time. You might see their tails go up, feel them rub against you, or even show you their belly.
That's why I call it Push Pull Crumbella Effect, offering clues that draw players toward possibilities, while leaving them feel free to choose their own paths and that the discoveries belong to them.
Enough said, i can’t spill all my secrets: my cats have kindly shared them with me😆

Contact Me!

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse