An awesome list of resources and tools for game level design. 😎
Some resources listed are not completely genre/tool agnostic. However, you may find useful information to apply in your own work regardless of the context they are used.
Go map! 🏞️🔨
- Level Design Book - A WIP book on level design. Definitely worth a read if you're just starting out.
- Level Design Site - Essentially a big link dump of resources.
- Push and Pull - A great post on guiding players through and environment.
- The Level Design Compendium - Reddit post with tons of links.
- Level-Design.org - Knowledge/Reference database for level designing.
- In Pursuit of Better Levels - A big Google Doc on level design from @TychoBolt.
- TimDoesLevelDesign - Short and to the point videos on different LD concepts.
- Steve Lee - Steve is a level designer with previous experience on Dishonored 2 and Bioshock: Infinite. Their videos focus on case studies for specific maps they created and how to improve your level design portfolio.
- Jacob Mills - Jacob was a level designer on the Division 2 and several other titles. They have a couple walkthroughs on how they approached specific missions.
- Art of Level Design - A channel dedicated to making engaging game levels and various tips.
- Corwin - Creator of the "Push and Pull" website. Has a couple videos on level design worth checking out. The videos are a decade old but there is great info here.
- Game Maker's Toolkit - Mark has several videos on level design. Specifically "Why Nathan Drake Doesn’t Need a Compass" and "Why Nathan Drake Doesn’t Need a Compass".
- Max Barnyard - Has a series on great levels in gaming worth checking out.
- Sykoo - Several great videos on level design principles.
- World of Level Design - A channel from AlexG dedicated to LD workflow and environment art.
- Ex-BioShock Dev Shares 'Welcome to Rapture' Secrets - IGN First - Review of the first level of Bioshock with designer Bill Gardner.
- 10 Principles of Good Level Design - Probably the first video you find on YouTube regarding the subject but I added it for completeness.
- The Importance of Nothing - A talk about negative space in map design.
- LDtk - A modern 2D level editor.
- PureRef - PureRef is a wonderful tool to collect your visual ideas for each sequence of the map. Even if you are not a dedicated environment artist, you may find this useful. I usually gather several images to represent some visual ideas/architecture to propose for the block-in.
- Probuilder - A free Unity extension that is great for rapidly building initial 3D level geo.
- The Door Problem - A blog post teaching how to build more engaging combat encounter rooms (specifically in first person shooters).
- You can't play documentation. Start blocking out your ideas. Through play-testing, you will discover what works and what doesn't.
- Understand the difference between level design and environmental design. In a lot of cases it's important to learn both so you can differentiate the two. Level design is worried about context of gameplay, the purpose of each room, designing from a mechanic perspective, and the overall flow between each room. Environment Design is visualization of centerpieces, how the level "looks", theming, and using props/textures/colors to differentiate rooms.
- Level design is deeply coupled with gameplay design. You can't have one without the other. List your mechanics and be mindful of how they are introduced and spaced across your level.
- Bubble Maps - Very handy way to get an flow, goals, pacing, scope, and main ideas communicated to your team without worrying about geo architecture. It also can help quickly communicate initial design language, like knowing where certain mechanics will be employed per room.
- Creating Prototype Kits - Used to build up a library of building block, modular "primitives" to rapidly prototype room ideas.
- Norberg's Twitter - Lead LD at Starbreeze. They post a lot of helpful information. They are also working on an LD book.