Level Design Prototyping

For this project, I challenged myself to create four different levels across four different games, each within a two week timeframe. My primary goal was to exercise my level design skills while ensuring that every level I created felt authentic to its respective game, as though it could have shipped alongside the original content.

To achieve this, I began each project with a thorough analysis of the game’s mechanics, systems, and progression. By starting with this preparation, I was able to design levels that felt authentic to the game, while also allowing me to familiarize myself with certain level elements that I could confidently use within my project (Like the ice blocks in BattleBlock Theater or the Intellect Devourers in Neverwinter Nights).

I followed a complete level design process for each prototype: starting with a level molecule and napkin sketch, then developing a first playable iteration, conducting playtests, and refining based on feedback into a final version. As I went developing a level for each game, I expanded on what I would include on my analysis documentation for the next game as I learned what other properties of a game it could be useful to take a note of.

This process gave me a structured way to explore designing for different genres, practice adapting to design constraints, and grow my knowledge as a level designer. Read on below to view each of my levels!

BattleBlock Theater: Winter War

For my first level design project, I created a level for the game BattleBlock Theater, a 2D Action-Platformer game. I started by conducting a thorough analysis of the game, which can be seen in the preliminary analysis and design document below.

Final Level

Video Walkthrough

After some testing and refinement, I created the final version of my level, which can be viewed in the video above. A full breakdown of the level can be found the document below:

Portal 2: Causeway

For my second level design project, I created a level for the game Portal 2, a 3D Puzzle game. I started by conducting a thorough analysis of the game, which can be seen in the preliminary analysis and design document below.

Final Level

Video Walkthrough

After some testing and refinement, I created the final version of my level, which can be viewed in the video above. A full breakdown of the level can be found the document below:

Block N’ Load: Ziggurat

For my third level design project, I created a level for the game Block N’ Load, a 3D Multiplayer FPS game. I started by conducting a thorough analysis of the game, which can be seen in the preliminary analysis and design document below.

Final Level

Video Walkthrough

After some testing and refinement, I created the final version of my level, which can be viewed in the video above. A full breakdown of the level can be found the document below:

Neverwinter Nights:
Intellectually Bankrupt

For my final level design project, I created a level for the game Intellectually Bankrupt, a 3D RPG game based on Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition. This level was unique because it had me constructing multiple areas, along with branching dialog, a whole storyline and a quest. I started by conducting a thorough analysis of the game, which can be seen in the preliminary analysis and design document below.

Final Level

Map Overview

Video Walkthrough

After some testing and refinement, I created the final version of my level, which can be viewed in the video above. A full breakdown of the level can be found the document below: