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Level Design &Game Industry landscape
Level design Level design
Gaming Landscape
Indie games
Course Recap
Level design
Game designer
Making the rules
Overall
Level designer
Applying the rules
Environments
Level Design deals with those game rules which are manifested as spaces.
In the past
● Level Designers didn't really exist● Many technical limitations; smaller games● Usually the programmer or the game designer makes
the levels● Designing in the code
Now
● Games are BIG● Level Design is a science● Multiple level designers● Many tools available
Games that are ABOUT making levels
Game Design
Game Design
Game Design
Game Design
Game Design
Make a fun game
Level design
Dependent on the genre, different aspects
● RTSs● Action games● RPGs● Platformers● FPSs● ….
RTS Level Design
Action Adventure
FPS SP
FPS MP
Platformers
Puzzle
Level design
Level design is nearly all game design in some genres
● Puzzle games● Platformers● …
Level design
Different ways to approach level design
● Level design to teach the player○ Tutorials○ Introducing new mechanics
● Balancing the level design○ online multiplayer FPS games○ SP experiences
● Composition of the level design○ Can support the narrative
● …
Balancing multiplayer games
Balancing through the level design
Balancing single player games
Balancing moments.
● Connect● New area’s● New challenges● Encounters
Composition
Use the level design composition (for the narrative & experience)
● Draw attention usingcolor and light
● Play with perspective○ Looking upwards makes
the player feel small● …
Fun vs competition
Fun in games is mostly about practice and learning, not about executing knowledge.
● A game is fun when you can be the expert● You have to learn a lot in little time● If learning is what makes a game fun, you have to learn
throughout the whole game.
Cognition“The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.”
Learning in games: Cognition
Instructional level design
Humans are animals
Our brain works efficient, predictable
Let’s look at the psychology behind games…
Instructional level design
Object to learn: Platform
Enemy placement
Enemies keep their distance.Learning in a safe environment.
Natural encouragement
Coins give bonus and therefore encourage to investigate.
Natural encouragement
Starbit reward to make sure the player experiences the effect when the platform is down completely
Learning
● Safe environment● Encourage● Communicate● Reward
Instructional level design: cueing
Exclamation mark draws attention(signposting)
Instructional level design: cognitive guidance
Coins guide the player to go somewhere(cognitive guidance)
Instructional level design: color coding
Important surfaces have a different color than unimportant surfaces.
Instructional level design: color coding
Color coding consistent throughout entire level.
Science behind level design
Fysiologie / neurologie
How to draw attention to certain objects.
Cognitive psychology
How people process information.
Pedagogy
Where to place enemies.
Motivational science
What givessatisfaction
How do players learn?
Working memory
limited
Long termMemory
unlimited
Information
How do players learn?
Working memory
Long termmemoryInformation
Color coding works as a ‘retrieval cue’. It ‘activates’ knowledge from the LTM..
Game time
● Remember the numbers● No cheating!● 5 seconds
Remember
8 - 53 - 4
Remember
?
Remember
8 - 5 - 2 - 0 - 9 - 1
Remember
?
Remember
10 - 8 - 13 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 5 - 11 - 2
Remember
?
Working memory
● Magic number of seven plus/minus 2● Miller’s law● Our working memory is limited to how much
information we can process at a time
Prevent cognitive overload
● Problems with overload: Unable to distinguish important from unimportant things or not able to see relations between actors.
● Irrelevant information kan also be more noticeable
Cueing
Cues are important when a player needs to process too much information at once.
(Cognitive overload)
Center of attention
Center of attention
Center of attention
Old games had natural attention cues
(Level of Detail / drawing distance)
Attention cues
Attention cues in HD games
● Now more power therefore more in background● No more natural attention cueing
Guidance cues
Use of cues to guide the player
Indoor guidance
Eyes automatically focus on high contrast
Guidance in open world
Guidance in open world
Background waypoints
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing can be used to help the player figure out a problem.
NPC giving hints or taking lead so you know what to do.
Backtracking
Constantly updating the mental model of the world
Compartmentalize
Compartmentalize the game world to balance the learning curve.
Predictability
Games should be a bit predictable.
If you know how the game will behave, you learn best and make good decisions.
Summary
Games are about learning
People learn in specific ways (science)
Brain can handle only so much
Help the player to learn
Signposting
Cognitive Guidance
Cueing (attention / guidance)
Center of attention
Foreshadowing
Backtracking
Compartmentalize
Predictable
Gaming Landscape
Level design
Gaming Landscape
Indie games
Course Recap
Overview
Game developers
indie
AAA
Gamers
casual
core
Publishers
Middleware
Support
Journalism
Game research
The Netherlands
Many serious game studios
● Almost 50% of all jobs!● Not well known to the public
The Netherlands
Only a few larger studios
The Netherlands
Many indie studios
● Many more than on this slide● Several successful studios are founded by HKU/UU alumni
Dutch Game Garden
Important hub for small game companies
● Started in Utrecht○ Now also in Hilversum and Breda
● Provides meeting opportunities● Incubator program● Houses many game studios
Indie games
Level design applications
Cognitive level design
Gaming Landscape
Indie games
Course Recap
Indie games
What is an indie game?
● Short for independent video game
So indie games are independent from publishers?
● Let’s look at some developers who call themselves indie
Indie game developers
Vlambeer
● Indie duo from Utrecht
Indie game developers
Abbey Games
● Small team founded by (former) UU students
Indie game developers
Mojang
● Company behind Minecraft● Founded by Markus Persson● Until it was bought by Microsoft
Indie game developers
Crytek
● Calls itself independent● Employs ~800 people● But started to publish games itself
Indie game developers
EA publishes indie games
● What?
Indie games
“Independent from publishers” doesn’t seem to be such a great criterion
The idea behind “independent”:
● Retaining freedom● Which should result in more creativity
So indie games are highly creative games?
Indie game developers
Thatgamecompany
● Creates very unique games● Was funded by Sony● Does not call itself indie…
Indie games
Other terms associated with indie games:
● Personal● Experimental● Low budget● Intellectual● Artistic● Pretentious● Weird
● No profit● Cheap● Niche● Untechnical● Work of love● Small teams● Small games
History
Let’s look at the history of the term “indie game”
Indie games (developers) have always been there
The term “indie” was not used a lot until ~2008
History
A few major successes started the indie boom
● Braid (2008)● World of Goo (2008)● Minecraft (2009)● Audiosurf (2008)
● Machinarium (2009)● Crayon Physics Deluxe (2009)● Flower (2009)● The Path (2009)
Indie game
The first boom of indie games
● Creativity was a key part of their success
So, what is an indie game?
● Started out as a name for creativity/uniqueness● But the broad term “independent” allowed everyone to
join in
Indiepocalipse?
More supply of indie games: Average number of sales per game drops
Indiepocalipse?
Does this mean that indies are doomed?
Well not really, the total sales are stable
● It just becomes harder to make money● Compare it to the music and film industry: a lot of
hobbyists and small earners
The game industry is continuously transforming
● If you want to make money, stay ahead of the curve
Course RecapLevel design
Gaming Landscape
Indie games
Course Recap
Recap
● Intro to game-design & A history of games● The game-designers role● Crash Course Unity● Design Process – Agile Development● Fundamental theory● MDA Framework● Analysis● Challenge● Balance● Narrative● VR for the masses● Game Studies 101 & Societal Context● Playtesting● Serious / Applied Games
History of games
Role of Game Designer
Responsibility
Vision Statement
Importance of communication
Crash course Unity
Plan
Create
Test
Analyze
Agile Development
Scrum
Fundamental theory
Magic circle
Types of experience
MDA
Aesthetics
● Sensation● Fantasy● Narrative● Challenge● Fellowship
● Discovery● Expression● Submission● Collection● Competition
Challenge
Flow theory
Skill
Dif
ficu
lty
Low
High
High
Flow
Anxiety
Boredom
Goals & Rewards
Balance
(In)transitive relations
Narrative
Branching Narrative
Conflict of play
Story structure
Setup Confrontation Resolution
VR for the masses
Game Studies 101 & Societal Context
Playtesting
Playtesting
Serious / Applied Games
What’s left?
● Final practicum on Friday April 7th
● P2.5 (evaluation playtesting) deadline also Friday 7th
● Deadline Second Analyse deadline Sunday April 9th
● Exam on Wednesday April 12th
Grading
10% Assignment 1
30% Assignment 2
30% Assignment 3
20% Exam
10% Mini-tests
