Game Creation Notes

Good Level Design Fun to Navigate

- observational > strategic > navigational -

- environmental signposting -

-- visual language --

-- lighting --

-- geometry --

-- animations --

-- colour --

-- clarity/flow --

- confusion can be fun -

Good Level Design Does Not Rely on Words

- explicit > give players exact info -

-- cut scenes --

-- npc directions --

- implicit > player figures it out -

- Emergent > story played makes in their head -

- Mise-en-scene ( environmental narrative ) -

Good Level Design Tells You what to do, Not How to do it

- nebulous objectives > e.g. go kill this person -

- parallel missions > all missions open, do in any order -

Good Level Design Constantly Teaches

- continuous tutorial -

- learn > play > challenge > surprise -

Good Level Design Is surprising

- roller-coaster pacing > intensity fluctuates throughout > predictable -

- inconsistency = fun -

- paradigm disruption -

Good Level Design is Empowers the Player

- real life sucks -

- visible influence -

Good Level Design is Easy, Medium and Hard

- risk vs reward -

-- multi path level design --

-- no difficulty select --

-- easy to spot --

-- hard to get right --

-- instant rewards --

Good Level Design is Efficient

- modular > quick to make, changed slightly -

- bi-directional > one way, and use it again -

- non-linear > other collectables to 100% the game -

Good Level Design Evokes Emotion

- spatial empathy -

-- tight corridors = suspense/fear --

-- mazes = confusion/panic --

-- wide open spaces = isolation/epic scale --

- lies -

Good Level Design is Driven by Mechanics

- subject = mechanic -

- composition = narrative -

- medium = level -

- showcase your mechanics -

Glossary

• Environmental signposting – Using the environment to direct your player where you want them to go. Colour, lighting, geometry, animation, weather, etc.

• Explicit game narrative – The information you explicitly give your player. Cut scenes, NPC directions, physical signposts, etc.

• Implicit game narrative – The information your player figures out on their own. Puzzles, mazes, hidden quests/items, etc

• Emergent game narrative – The information your player makes up on their own. Roleplay element, choice, etc.

• Mise-en-scene – The official term for environmental narrative and used in many disciplines including fine art, movies and of course videogames.

• Nebulous objectives – Objectives that have more than one way to complete leading to player choice, emergent narrative and increased replay ability.

• Parallel missions – Sets of missions or objectives which can be completed in any order again leading to player choice and emergent narrative.

• Paradigm disruption – A completely different and unusual way of doing something that’s sometimes even the opposite of how it was done before.

• Visible environmental influence – Refers to the players actions having observable consequences/changes to the games environment.

• Non-linear objectives – Objectives with little or no relevance to the rest of the game used to get the most out of a playable space or level. Collectables are a good example of this.

• Bi-directional gameplay – Utilising the same level in two different directions with different objectives and outcomes. Increases play time on the level without having to build another level.