Beginning Game Level Design

by John Harold Feil

"Beginning Game Level Design" is aimed at readers who want to learn about the creation of game environments and the control of game play, known in the game development industry as "level design". It presents an overview of the skills required to produce high quality levels and teaches readers the basic uses of several genre-specific tools along the way. It focuses on key topics, including design aesthetics, familiarization with the basic tools used in level design, what makes "good levels" and how to create them, and explains how readers can transfer these new skills into a job as a level designer. The author takes a step-by-step tutorial approach to teaching the level design techniques genre-by-genre. Offering readers a unique value, this book covers the basics of level design without focusing strongly on one single software platform or product.

Genres: Game Design, Programming, Games

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2005

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty solid, but very general, beginning game design book. Many of the topics will just be review if you are familiar with games in general, and it takes a very 3D and FPS focus. Very little on actual level design outside a few vague "make sure the levels push and pull!" kind of statements (basically pointing out that the reader should do the things this reader read the book hoping to learn how to do in the first place!)

[Brian Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to use level editors to create modules, scenarios, and your own custom games, you need this book. This book will teach how to plan your level, how to create so that it looks good, how to add story to it that will be noticed, how to bring life to your level, and how to polish it so that it looks good.

Read this book, take it's lessons, and you'll be a amatuer level designer in no time. This book is the bible for people who want to get into level design, whether it's amatuer or professional.

[Beatrice Lapa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were many things in this book that I already knew as a game producer for casual games, and a QA for MMOs in my previous companies. Others I have learned as I struggle as a new game designer. Still, there are many tips and terms here that I've only encountered now and I know they will be valuable for future projects.