Level Design
Ongoing coverage on Level Design.
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GTA Vice City Made Escaping Cop Land The Biggest Thrill
The article discusses the "Cop Land" mission in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, highlighting it as a frustrating yet significant early example of ambitious design in the series. This level, where players impersonated police officers, is presented as a precursor to the franchise's later expansive gameplay.
Spyro: A Realm Beyond’s Flight Mechanics, Larger Levels Get New Details
Toys for Bob revealed new details about Spyro: A Realm Beyond, the first original Spyro game since 2008, set to release in 2027 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X|S. The game introduces full dragon flight mechanics, expanding upon the series' signature platforming and allowing for more verticality and exploration in larger, more intricate levels.
"I think one of the reasons GTA was so well received was the amount of detail," reflects an original dev: "No one ever said no, or that something couldn't be done"
This article delves into the development history of the Grand Theft Auto series, focusing on the early contributions of DMA Design and key figures like Paul Farley and Mike Dailly. It highlights the evolution of the open-world concept, level design challenges, and the creative freedom that defined the franchise's early entries, from the original Grand Theft Auto to Grand Theft Auto 3 and beyond.
The Descent - how game devs learned to love ladders
This article explores the complex history and design considerations of ladders in video games, from early problematic implementations to modern, nuanced approaches. Developers like Arkane Austin and Hideo Kojima have experimented with ladders as both gameplay mechanics and narrative tools, highlighting how even simple elements can significantly impact player experience and game design.
A current Valve designer recreated Half-Life 2's Ravenholm in the Source 2 engine, and says he was "blown away…
Valve level designer Chuck Wilson recreated the iconic Half-Life 2 level Ravenholm using the Source 2 engine, showcasing impressive improvements in textures and lighting while retaining the original's eerie atmosphere. Wilson expressed his admiration for the power of Source 2's level design tools, calling them his favorite to date. This fan-made recreation has sparked discussions about the possibility of an official Half-Life 2 remake.
Veterans: Napoleonic Wars — Behind the Scenes: Building the Montenotte Map
This developer blog for Veterans: Napoleonic Wars showcases the creation process of the Montenotte map. It details how level artists and designers transform a blank canvas into a finished battlefield, focusing on the map's development rather than gameplay.
Former Unreal Engine 'evangelist' and level design legend Sjoerd De Jong leaves Epic Games
Sjoerd De Jong, a prominent Unreal Engine expert and former lead evangelist at Epic Games, has departed the company after 12 years. De Jong, who has a history with Unreal Engine dating back to his teenage years modding the original game, cited a desire to move forward in the ever-changing games industry as his reason for leaving.
gamescom dev announces opening keynote by Amir Satvat and first program highlights
gamescom dev 2026 has announced its first program highlights, including an opening keynote by Amir Satvat on the future of the games industry. The event will feature new curated tracks for Animation, Level Design, and AI, with initial speakers and sessions revealed. The conference, taking place August 23-25 in Cologne, aims to bring together global industry professionals.
Control Resonant Studio Wants Players to Engage With Side Content and Get Lost in its World
Remedy Entertainment developers Anne-Marie Grönroos and Elmerie Raitanen discussed the open-world design and emphasis on side content for the upcoming game Control Resonant. They aim to encourage players to explore the larger Manhattan setting and get lost in optional activities, a departure from the more linear design of previous titles like Quantum Break and the original Control. Control Resonant is set to release on September 24th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
007 First Light’s TacSim Will be Used to Remix Levels for More Content And Fresh Challenges
IO Interactive plans to expand post-launch content for 007 First Light through its "TacSim" (Tactical Simulations) feature, which will remix existing levels with new combat encounters and challenges. The studio, known for its extensive support of the Hitman franchise, aims to evolve the narrative-driven 007 First Light with ongoing updates based on player feedback. The game is currently available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Nintendo Switch version planned for later in the summer.
Fallout co-creator says non-linear design is all about never assuming how players will act, illustrates his point by fantasising about an NPC guard he seems to really hate
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain discussed his principles for non-linear game design, emphasizing that developers should not assume player behavior. He illustrated this by fantasizing about an NPC guard and stressed the importance of understanding the core goals behind a game's setting, story, and mechanics.
Dark Souls 2’s Lost Sewers Map Reveals The Ambitious World
A content creator has discovered a large, fully realized sewers map from Dark Souls 2 that was cut from the final game. This discovery offers insight into the game's development and potential for a more interconnected world. The find highlights the ambition of FromSoftware's titles and the stories that remain untold within game files.
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain says good level designers shouldn't "assume anything the player is going to do in…
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain emphasized that non-linear game design requires developers to avoid assumptions about player actions, such as expecting them to interact with NPCs in a specific order. He highlighted games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for their freedom, contrasting them with the more restrictive mission design sometimes found in Rockstar Games' titles like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.
Bowser Jr.'s fiendish Super Mario Galaxy Movie 'level' is now playable in Super Mario Maker 2
A creator known as KoopsReturns has recreated Bowser Jr.'s security gauntlet from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as a playable level in Super Mario Maker 2. The level features challenging platforming segments inspired by the movie scene. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has grossed over $400 million at the box office.
Ignoring Valve's Half-Life lessons, Baby Steps dev says trolling players with level design is important, actually
Baby Steps designer Gabe Cuzzillo discussed the game's intentional use of maze-like level design, contrasting it with Valve's Half-Life approach. He argues that intentionally creating confusing paths encourages players to explore the game's boundaries and discover unique solutions, fostering a more engaging experience.
"I was chomping at the bit to crack the code": How procedural maps became XCOM 2's biggest ambition, after Firaxis couldn't manage it in Enemy Unknown
Firaxis Games initially struggled with procedural map generation for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, opting for handcrafted levels to ensure quality. For XCOM 2, the team prioritized cracking procedural generation, developing a 'plot and parcel' system to create varied and believable maps across different environments. Key figures like Garth DeAngelis, Jake Solomon, Greg Foertsch, and Brian Hess were instrumental in overcoming the technical and design challenges.
The Speedrun Spiral at the Heart of Resident Evil’s Spencer Mansion
The Spencer Mansion in Resident Evil is a 30-year-old design marvel, built on a spiral of progression that leads players into new areas. This design creates a sense of deep exploration and discovery within the game's environment.
Nail in the Coffin - Devlog #3 feature
This developer log for the game Nail in the Coffin details the structure and visual design of its in-game map, which is set in a decaying house museum formerly owned by a band. The article breaks down the first floor into three distinct areas and explains the development focus on the second area, which includes exploration, enemy encounters, puzzles, and a scripted chase. The team is currently prioritizing lighting to establish the game's mood.
Baby Steps' level design was hugely inspired by a custom map in Mirror's Edge and Japanese skateboarder Gou Miyagi: 'All of a sudden I was actually looking at and seeing the space in a way that I hadn't in a single player level in a long time'
The level design of the game Baby Steps was heavily inspired by a custom map in Mirror's Edge and Japanese skateboarder Gou Miyagi. Developer Gabe Cuzzillo explained that the focus was on creating ambiguous spaces that encourage players to find their own paths and experiment with movement.
One coder's 'winter madness project' was making the Dreamcast-era cityscapes of Crazy Taxi explorable in…
A programmer has recreated the cityscapes from the Dreamcast game Crazy Taxi, allowing players to explore them at their own pace. These recreations are part of 'noclip,' a digital museum of video game levels that uses open-source methods to render environments from various classic games.
