SE - PDF Edition

Level design is one of the most important, influential, and complex aspects of video and computer games. It is a fairly new design form and is maturing rapidly. As the available hardware capabilities and associated technology continue to increase in complexity, level design will also become increasingly complex. This book will help both aspiring and veteran designers come to terms with future changes in level design. Rather than addressing the usual ‘how to make a room’, or ‘how to place a light’, this book tackles how to make that room look good. The book details why certain decisions are made in order to achieve the design goal, and how to plan the route to the goal: the hows and whys.

The chapters within describe all aspects of level design; from the initial design phase, to gameplay for singleplayer and multiplayer levels, to visual aspects regarding lighting and architecture, and more. The overall purpose is to explain the theories behind level design. It covers why light color X or architectural feature Y would work better in situation Z rather than color A or architecture B. It describes why a level is fun and what the level design does to enhance it: the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of creating environments for games.

The book is divided into three major parts plus two smaller appendix chapters at the end. Those are: Design, Gameplay, and Audiovisuals, plus an Example and an Interview appendix chapter. All three major parts contain multiple extensive chapters. Starting with an introduction each covers each aspect in a chapter: Floorplans, Sounds, Texturing, Lighting and so on.

The book also offers many detailed, illustrated examples of good and bad design practices through screenshots and descriptions of various situations the author has personally encountered. Also included are six extensive interviews with industry professionals, and an examination of the design process for three separate levels from start to finish... The topics covered in the book can be universally applied to level design in general. The concepts can be applied to any modern game, although the most attention has been given to 3D action games.