What is Video Game Level Design? A very brief introduction

The role of Level Design has changed as rapidly as the game industry itself. Where did the role originate and what really is the job of the level designer on a game team?
This video is to serve as an introduction to the channel and a brief overview/explanation of the role of a level designer for people that are completely new to the field.

[@annaserobyan1453]

Fantastic overview in your 'What is Video Game Level Design?' video! Your concise history of game development and the evolution of roles, especially the shift from solo developers to specialized teams, was enlightening. The breakdown of a level designer's responsibilities, from conceptualizing game spaces to refining geometry and scripting events, provides a clear understanding of their crucial role in bringing a game to life. I appreciate your insight into the varying tools and expectations in the industry. Aspiring level designers like myself now have a solid grasp of the core responsibilities needed to create engaging and immersive gameplay experiences.

[@aaravsaini8687]

Really well made vid .
Made me realise the amount of work that goes into making a game

[@Youba05]

Excellent video , briefly explained everything in a nice way , keep up 👍🏼

[@Nitinsharma-if8xt]

I am learning unreal engine for my first AAA GAME ....
I write my game story it takes 6 months to write and ..i am working on level design with pen and paper ......
..i hope everything will be ok as I want ... bless me ..i complete my game successfully ❤

[@timdoesleveldesign]

If you're developing a game on your own, that's an indie game rather than a AAA game 😁
But I hope things go well for you 🙂

[@SacWebDeveloper]

Word up. Don't expect to make something that usually takes a village. Maybe set your quality standards lower like start with blocking out the game in prototype assets and get the gameplay right, then hire people to make your game visuals higher quality if you really want. Aim for low poly Minecraft/Goosegame graphics at first.

[@mrmandolino500]

Great stuff! By the way, what's the ending song called?

[@timdoesleveldesign]

Thanks! The track is called Bright Future (Silent Partner)

[@julienfrisson9372]

I always have trouble placing objects as cover blocks and/or decorations without much thought, because I find that placing objects as cover blocks is often inconsistent even if the models are consistent with the atmosphere of the game, what to do to remain credible?

[@timdoesleveldesign]

To create a good gameplay space that's also visually appealing and believable is very difficult and usually a lot of time goes into it!
Studios tend to have dedicated level/environment artists who's job it is to "dress" the level.
It goes a long way to plan for this in the early stages. Making sure the theme/setting will make sense with the amount of cover you need and creating a large enough set of assets that fit with the theme, that have the correct cover dimensions to allow for variety.
You can have the shape of the space and the architecture do a lot of the heavy lifting. When placing cover props, try to put yourself in the perspective of who uses the space (within the game's world and story). What's the function of the object? How did it end up there?
You'll end up iterating on spaces because they're not visually believable/appealing enough, or when they're believable, they don't support the intended gameplay well enough.
Finding the best solution and balance is an art form by itself and you'll have to make compromises one way or another.

[@julienfrisson9372]

@@timdoesleveldesign Haaa okey I understand better. So it's still very complicated and it's better to make credible compromises on the whole? thank you for the answer it was very helpful! ;)

[@attben]

Yay

[@harrysanders818]

This is somewhat oddly enlightening, even though kinda already known. Todays problem with big budget games: Too many cooks in the kitchen.

[@timdoesleveldesign]

Keeping heart and soul in a creative project gets more challenging when you have more and more people involved with deeper specialisations.
Not impossible, but surely more of a challenge.

[@jasonl9266]

Am t r u l y i n s p i r e d !

[@wallacesousuke1433]

Teams got way bigger but most games became more derivative and less fun and enjoyable :/

[@timdoesleveldesign]

Yeah, one of the bottlenecks is that big publishers don't want to take big risks on multi-billion franchises and markets, when they know that the old formula will still sell.
Additionally, the level of expected visual fidelity now requires a coordination of teams of hundreds or thousands of people across multiple years and countries, which is a very difficult feat on its own.
It's actually mindblowing how big AAA games, good or bad, even manage to get finished and released nowadays.

[@wallacesousuke1433]

@@timdoesleveldesign indeed I'm one of those 30-something boomers who prioritize gameplay over graphics (not saying I dont like pretty games ofc) and this trend towards increasing "realism" and cinematic experience at the expense of almost everything else has basically killed my interest in games (I still play but mostly revisit games I enjoy and emulate retro games). I hope UE5 and AI allows indie devs to deliver AAA-level content while still making games fun and unique without relying so much on tried-and-true, overused formulas, like most AAA companies have