Project Description
Practice your level design skills. Up to now, many of your levels have been random levels created to follow a tutorial in order to demonstrate various tutorial skills. Put some thought and planning into the creation of your levels now. You can use any game (2D Game Kit, Microgames, Roll-a-Ball, Ruby…) to create different types of levels. Below are some level design themes that can get you going with level design.
Training Levels
These levels are designed to walk the player through the mechanics and dynamics of the game. They are not designed to be difficult or challenging but rather to be informative. They can include demonstrating and explaining things such as
- player movement and feature controls
- cameras
- powerups
- obstacles and enemies
- checkpoints, waypoints, and maps
- inventory systems
Non-Linear Levels
Create levels so that the player doesn’t just go forward the entire level. Make the player take detours and explore other areas of your game. Hints for making non-linear levels include:
- Hide door keys and switches. Don’t put the key or switch for a door right in front of the door. What’s the point in having a door if the key to opening it is right in front of the door? Block the main path with a door and make the player explore other areas to find the key.
- Put treasures, power-ups, health potions and weapon pickups off the main path.
- Add side quests.
- Add branching narratives where a player’s choices impact the progression of the game.
- Procedurally create your level. You create the pieces and the computer puts the pieces together randomly to create the level. It takes a bit more work, it will make your game more re-playable.
Conflict and Obstacles
These are often the most common types of levels. They involve fighting enemies, navigating through a maze or performing a series of parkour feats. Create a level that challenges the user’s game mechanic skills.
- Make the hack-and-slash level that requires cutting down a variety of hard to kill enemies.
- Make a parkour level that requires jumping and running a variety of platforms and obstacles.
- Add a timer to see how fast the player can complete the level.
- Increase the difficulty as the level or levels continue. Start off with easy challenges and end with the boss fight.
- Add some AI or randomness to the obstacles.
Puzzles
- Make sure the player knows they need to solve a puzzle to go on. Don’t just leave the player confused as to how to continue. For example: when the come to the door that doesn’t open, show a dialog that says “I bet I need to find the pad that opens the door.”
- Make the puzzle fit with the theme or story of the game.
- Vary the type of puzzles
Missions and Scenarios
Missions and scenarios require fulfilling a series of criteria in order to continue with the game rather than just getting to a location or killing all the enemies. Example of missions would include escorting a treasure from point A to point B, blowing up or repairing a key bridge, or holding off the enemy attack wave until help arrives.
- Keep the mission goals simple, at least initially. You can make the missions harder after completing some simpler ones.
- Make sure the player knows the goals of the mission.
- Introduce tactics. Have multiple ways to complete the mission, but let the player decide how to complete the mission. If the mission requires a specific skill or item to complete, make sure you have introduced this earlier in your game.
- Link multiple missions into a campaign or story.
Storytelling
You have been hearing and telling stories your whole life. Books, movies, and TV shows are all stories. Games can also tell stories. Why not be the hero who decides their fate and writes their own story rather than just reading about the hero? Stories are about conflict and resolution, often a main character (protagonist) trying to reach a goal while overcoming obstacles on the way. Build a story into your game.
- Create a protagonist. Who is the hero or main character?
- Define the problem. The bigger the better, but make it doable in your game. Is it a situation? The spaceship broke down on an alien planet and it needs to be repaired. Is it an enemy that needs to be defeated?
- What are the obstacles that need to be overcome to solve the problem? Do I need to find the parts to fix the spaceship or eliminate the pawns before getting to the boss?
- Every good story should have a climax, a peak of actions where the hero’s fate hangs in the balance. “Use the force Luke” and blow up the Death Star. Bard kills the dragon Smaug with the black arrow to the heart. What is the climax of your story?
Rubric
Work with Mr. Didier to come up with a rubric for your individual project.