Level Designer On How Elevations Shape Gameplay Dynamics

If you're a Level Designer, Narrative Designer, or just curious about the logic behind level design, check out Jesus Machina's series of posts that offer miscellaneous insights, sketches, and tips on how to craft urban environments that help players easily identify buildings and navigate cityscapes with ease.

In his most recent entry, the artist explored the use of elevation and ramps as a design tool. He explained how these elements can be leveraged to guide the player's attention, control their line of sight, and regulate the pacing of their movement through the environment, ultimately allowing one to tell a story through the space itself. In the sketch above, the artist illustrated two scenarios (extreme case examples) where elevation is used to craft different gameplay dynamics.

In simple terms, the key elements of a route that we see in these examples are:

• Where the player is (Origin);
• Where they need to go (Objective);
• The surrounding navigable areas near the objective (Location);
• And the path to reach the objective (Path).

The upward slope creates an inviting start, potentially signaling a clear objective while keeping the final area hidden: perfect for scripted events, boss fights, or big reveals. Conversely, the downward slope directs the player toward their goal while obscuring the path ahead, building anticipation as they know the destination but remain uncertain about what lies in between.

Read the full breakdown here and see Jesus Machina's previous posts on The Building Pie, The 5 Ingredients of Game Town Design, How Cameras Shape Levels, and The Closest Unexplored Area in Sight.

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