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My Approach to Level Design

Level design must always work in correlation with designers, programmers and artists.

As a level designer I build level by keeping in mind:

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  • The gameplay mechanics and design choices

  • Technical constraints

  • Aesthetics

Puzzle Design

Level Design Project

Genre: Puzzle

Team Size : 1

Role: Game & Level Designer

My goal:

  • Make sure that the player always understands the next move.
     

  • Player must have the feeling of progressing towards the end.
     

  • Don't bore the player, don't make him walk for too long without meaning.
     

To reach my goal I always tried to show the player the result of his actions, this is to make him understand where to go for the next puzzle and to make him feel progressing in the level. 

Documentation

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How it's Started

After lots of research to find a good spot to start using credible measurements, because I had no idea what a real factory looked like, I started working on the BlockOut on Unreal Engine and comparing my character to the measurements I found to adjust them with my gameplay and mechanics.

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Accessibility

After dividing the total area into smaller sectors to start creating interesting gameplay. I started using various level design techniques to make the environment more understandable and identifiable.
A good BlockOut must always show:

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  • Affordance

  • Color Code

  • Legibility

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Affordance

​Affordances are the physical and visual properties of geometry, objects, and textures that suggest to players what they can interact with and how.

How Affordances Guide Players?

  • Geometry & Texturing

    • Ledges and Handholds: In Uncharted 4, handholds are isolated by removing any horizontal texture except the climbable ones, preventing ambiguity.

    • Portal Surfaces: In Portal, only white panels accept portals, giving a clear visual affordance.

  • Lighting & Color

    • Subtle Shimmers: God of War (2018) uses a faint glow or paint on climbable surfaces to reinforce their use without breaking immersion.

    • Contrast Paths: Brightly lit corridors in dark environments draw players onward.

  • Environmental Storytelling

    • Broken Ladders: In The Last of Us, toppled debris and broken ladders not only tell story beats but also clearly afford climbing routes.

    • Metric “Dead Zones”: By ensuring slopes between walkable (≤ 30°) and unwalkable (≥ 40°) never occur, designers eliminate grey areas where players might get stuck

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