Level Design

Explore & Discover

Every game level you've ever played was designed by a real person who had to answer one question: "How do I make this fun?" Start by playing some of your favorite games with a designer's eye instead of a player's eye. Ask: Where does the level start? Where does it push me to go? Where are the enemies placed and why? Watch "Game Maker's Toolkit" on YouTube — it's one of the best free resources on the internet for understanding how levels actually work. Episodes on Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls break down real design decisions in detail. Also look at how Utah-made games like those from Naughty Dog alumni or indie developers use environment to tell stories. You're ready for the next step when you can analyze a level from a game you like and explain three specific design decisions the creators made.

Learn the Basics

Level design has a vocabulary — learn it. Look up these terms and understand what they mean in practice: "flow" (how players naturally move through a space), "breadcrumbing" (using collectibles or lights to guide players without telling them where to go), "risk-reward" (placing good loot in dangerous spots), and "pacing" (mixing intense sections with calm ones). The free ebook "An Architectural Approach to Level Design" by Christopher Totten covers these concepts clearly. Then download Unity (unity.com) or Godot (godotengine.org) — both are free — and just open the editor and look around without building anything yet. Familiarize yourself with the interface. You're ready for the next step when you can define flow, breadcrumbing, and pacing in your own words and identify each one in a level you've played.

Build Your First Project

Build your first level: a short platformer or top-down maze in Unity or Godot. Start with a flat area and just get a character moving around — don't worry about art yet, use basic colored shapes. Add a start point and an end point. Then add three "beats": an easy section, a harder section, and a final challenge. Use the free Unity Learn tutorials at learn.unity.com (search "2D platformer") or the Godot documentation's "Your First 2D Game" guide. The goal isn't a beautiful level — it's a playable one. Get a friend or family member to try it and watch them play without giving hints. Where do they get stuck? Where do they get bored? You're ready for the next step when someone else has playtested your level and you've written down at least five observations about how they played.

Experiment & Iterate

Now redesign your level based on what you learned from playtesting. Fix the spots where players got lost or frustrated. Add visual cues to guide attention — brighter colors, lighting, or a distinctive landmark at the end of each section. Experiment with enemy placement: put one enemy in an open area where the player has lots of room, then the same enemy in a tight corridor and feel how the tension changes. Try adding a secret area — a small off-path room with a reward for curious players. Playtest again after each round of changes. Good level design is iterative; no level is born great, it gets great through revision. You're ready for the next step when you've done at least two full playtesting-and-revision cycles and can explain what changed and why.

Advanced Techniques

Go deeper with two advanced techniques: environmental storytelling and vertical space. Environmental storytelling means the level itself tells a story without any text or cutscenes — scattered objects, damage on walls, and abandoned items all imply something happened here. Study how games like Portal, Hollow Knight, or even Minecraft caves do this. Vertical space means using height to create interesting choices: do players go over or under? Build a level where height matters — platforms at different elevations, enemies that can't reach you if you're high up, a vertical shortcut that rewards skilled players. Also explore Minecraft's built-in structure editor or try the free level editor for a game you already own. You're ready for the next step when you've built a level that tells a visual story and uses at least three distinct vertical elevations.

Final Project Showcase

Design and ship a complete, polished level that someone who has never seen it can pick up and play from start to finish without your help. Plan it on paper first — draw a top-down map, mark where the player starts, where the challenges are, where the climax happens, and where the exit is. Give your level a theme: maybe it's set in a Utah canyon with red rock walls, or a ski resort on a Wasatch mountain. After building and iterating, record a playthrough video showing someone else completing it. Post your level file and video to itch.io (free) or share it in the Unity or Godot community forums. Write a short design document explaining your choices. You're ready for the next step when your level is publicly posted and you have at least one piece of feedback from someone you don't know.