Level Design Concept, Theory, and Practice

Good or bad level design can make or break any game, so it is surprising how little reference material exists for level designers. Beginning level designers have a limited understanding of the tools and techniques they can use to achieve their goals, or even define them. This book is the first to use a conceptual and theoretical foundation to build such a set of practical tools and techniques. It is tied to no particular technology or genre, so it will be a useful reference for many years to come. Kremers covers many concepts universal to level design, such as interactivity, world building, immersion, sensory perception, pace, and more, and he shows how to apply these concepts in practical ways, with many examples from real games.

Introduction to Level Design Game Design vs. Level Design Teaching Mechanisms Level Design Goals and Hierarchies Level Design Structure and Methodology Single-Player vs. Multiplayer Considerations Towards a Shared Grammer for LevelEmotional Feedback Systems Reward Systems Immersion Negative Emotions Game Environments Visual Experiences Audio Design Game Stories Story and Narrative Designing Gameplay World Building Puzzles Artificial Intelligence Challenge Final Thoughts Considering the Future