Summary

Back in this chapter introduction, we described level design as a huge, nebulous topic. Many pages later, and in spite of the overwhelming complexity of the subject, you hopefully feel more confident about approaching the creation of levels for your games.

We started by describing the five-step approach to level design (from premise to polish) and explored the interactions between level design and storytelling. We then took a journey through a set of practical tips and tricks, from the use of realism and the philosophy of Kishōtenketsu (intro, development, twist, conclusion) to the complexities of light and darkness, practical use of space, and tips on multiplayer level design.

But that’s not all! The subject of pacing (a concept briefly mentioned during our example sketch for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare) will be expanded upon in Chapter 11, Balancing Your Content and Systems.

Now that we have our game worlds, we need to populate them. The next chapter...