7 Effective Tips To Create an Engaging Game Level Design

Published February 20, 2017 by Daniel Stallon, posted by danielstallon
Do you see issues with this article? Let us know.
Advertisement

A good game speaks for itself; the design, gameplay, plot, user interface and every aspect of the game would be well-thought and planned to complement each other. There are multiple factors to be regulated to develop an enjoyable and engaging game, and that's what mobile game development is all about.

Most popular games have a very clear storyline, making it easy for the players to understand what their role is and what they are expected to do. The best games are intuitive and direct the player with their designs. This article is all about creating exciting and engaging game level designs that are sure to be popular.

Below are the Top Engaging Tips For Your Game Level Designing

Storyline

Any game has a story to tell, even the oldest games like Mario had a simple story associated with it. It is important to include a story narrative and present the same in such a manner that the player fully understands it. Once the storyline is clear, it becomes easier to plan the various levels, and the player is able to figure out what to do. An interesting story would have the player immersed in the game in no time.

Engaging Challenges

Challenges are the single most important factor that motivates the player to keep playing. A classic example of this is 'Flappy Bird' - a side-scrolling, 2D retro style graphic game that had just one challenge - to get the bird to successfully fly between the pipes that come its way, was a major hit. Challenges immerse the player in the game, testing his/her skills. You can begin with simple tasks that can get complex as the game proceeds. It also helps to include instructions as the game proceeds so that the player has a clear picture of what has to be done. So, when the game starts the player reacts accordingly and solves the various challenges as the game progresses. Another interesting way to keep gamers engaged in a challenging game is to give them the opportunity to ask for clues or help. Often trivia, crime, and mystery games employ this trick to keep the player engaged even as the challenge gets tougher.

Planned Levels

During mobile game development, levels are not about randomly placing buildings, walls, rooms and other objects present in the built-in library. Each and every level has to be planned in such a manner that they complement the story narrative and is intuitive enough for the player to keep him/her hooked. You will have to chalk out how each level will unfold to take your game forward. From a design point of view, it helps to create a point of focus to catch the player's eye and guide him about the direction, or on what to do next.

Scenery that unifies the game

Varying the scenery improves engagement as it would be a refreshing deviation from the mundane scenes that are typical of your game. However, while varying the scenes, it is essential to maintain rhythm and unity so that the player isn't confused. This can be achieved by keeping some aspects of the scene common such as color, furniture, architectural aspects, etc. This way the new scene would still feel and look like it is an integral part of the game. Other aspects that unify and give rhythm are repetitive motifs, music beats, textures, patterns, etc.

Perfect balance between player discovery and design influence

It is not fun to always have everything in black and white. An interesting gameplay would be able to lead players without spoon feeding them. Gamers love figuring things out on their own, and the game level design should be such that it leads the player in the right direction. An experienced Mobile game development company would be able to strike a perfect balance between design influence and player discovery.

Player Incentives

These rewards are a major reason that gamers keep coming back to play for. You would have to sufficiently reward the player depending on the various tasks achieved. Small challenges like bumping into coins are also rewards which can be used buy ammunition or any other gear to help the gamer in achieving tougher challenges.

Design Aspects

Besides the above factors, a good game development company would also focus on the various design aspects to ensure that the gamer finds the game interesting and enjoyable. Some of these aspects are balance, scale, proportion and the uniformity in theme.

Mobile game development is a highly competitive market, and you have to be the best the get the most out of your creation. A bad game level can destroy your chances of making it big; even you have the fanciest graphics and detailed models. It's these simple points that set an experienced game development company apart from the crowd.

Image Credit:- http://www.gamedev.net/uploads/af27cb9d0bb4173bd91ac4a72fea8dd0.jpg

Cancel Save
0 Likes 0 Comments

Comments

Nobody has left a comment. You can be the first!
You must log in to join the conversation.
Don't have a GameDev.net account? Sign up!

A good game speaks for itself; the design, game play, plot, user interface and every aspect of the game would be well-thought and planned to complement each other. There are multiple factors that have to be regulated to develop an enjoyable and engaging game, and that

Advertisement
Advertisement

Other Tutorials by danielstallon

danielstallon has not posted any other tutorials. Encourage them to write more!
Advertisement