Use when you have a written implementation plan to execute in a separate session with review checkpoints
level-design
6
0
# Install this skill:
npx skills add pluginagentmarketplace/custom-plugin-game-developer --skill "level-design"
Install specific skill from multi-skill repository
# Description
|
# SKILL.md
name: level-design
version: "2.0.0"
description: |
Level design fundamentals, pacing, difficulty progression, environmental
storytelling, and spatial design for engaging gameplay experiences.
sasmp_version: "1.3.0"
bonded_agent: 01-game-designer
bond_type: PRIMARY_BOND
parameters:
- name: level_type
type: string
required: false
validation:
enum: [linear, open_world, hub, procedural, puzzle]
- name: game_genre
type: string
required: false
validation:
enum: [action, adventure, puzzle, platformer, fps, rpg]
retry_policy:
enabled: true
max_attempts: 3
backoff: exponential
observability:
log_events: [start, complete, error]
metrics: [completion_time, death_count, exploration_percentage]
Level Design
Level Design Philosophy
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β LEVEL DESIGN PILLARS β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β 1. FLOW: Guide the player naturally through space β
β 2. PACING: Control intensity and rest moments β
β 3. DISCOVERY: Reward exploration and curiosity β
β 4. CLARITY: Player always knows where to go β
β 5. CHALLENGE: Skill tests that teach and satisfy β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Level Structure Patterns
LINEAR LEVEL:
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β [Start] β [Tutorial] β [Challenge] β [Boss] β [End] β
β β
β PROS: Easy to pace, clear direction β
β CONS: Limited replay value, less exploration β
β BEST FOR: Story-driven games, action games β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
HUB & SPOKE:
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β [Level A] β
β β β
β [Level B] β [HUB] β [Level C] β
β β β
β [Level D] β
β β
β PROS: Player choice, non-linear progression β
β CONS: Can feel disconnected β
β BEST FOR: RPGs, Metroidvanias, open-world β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
METROIDVANIA:
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β βββββ βββββ βββββ β
β β A βββββ B βββββ C β (locked: need ability X) β
β βββ¬ββ βββββ βββββ β
β β β β
β βββ΄ββ βββ΄ββ β
β β D βββββ E β (grants ability X) β
β βββββ βββββ β
β β
β PROS: Rewarding exploration, ability gating β
β CONS: Can get lost, backtracking tedium β
β BEST FOR: Exploration games, 2D platformers β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Pacing & Flow
INTENSITY GRAPH (Good Pacing):
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β High β β±β² β±β² β±β² β
β β β± β² β±β² β± β² β± β² β±β² β
β β β± β² β± β² β± β²β± β² β± β² β
β Low βββββ±βββββββ²β±βββββ²βββββββββββββββ²β±ββββββββ β
β ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ Time β
β β
β PATTERN: Build β Peak β Rest β Build β Peak β Rest β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
PACING ELEMENTS:
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β BUILD-UP: β
β β’ Introduce new mechanic safely β
β β’ Increase difficulty gradually β
β β’ Foreshadow upcoming challenge β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β PEAK (Combat/Puzzle): β
β β’ Test player skills β
β β’ High stakes moments β
β β’ Boss encounters β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β REST: β
β β’ Safe zones β
β β’ Story/exploration moments β
β β’ Resource replenishment β
β β’ Save points β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Environmental Storytelling
STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES:
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β VISUAL NARRATIVES: β
β β’ Abandoned objects tell stories β
β β’ Environmental damage shows history β
β β’ Character belongings reveal personality β
β β’ Graffiti and notes provide context β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β ATMOSPHERE: β
β β’ Lighting sets mood (warm=safe, cold=danger) β
β β’ Sound design reinforces tone β
β β’ Weather reflects narrative beats β
β β’ Music cues emotional state β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β DISCOVERY LAYERS: β
β β’ Surface: Obvious story elements β
β β’ Hidden: Rewards for exploration β
β β’ Deep: Lore for dedicated players β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Whitebox Process
LEVEL DESIGN WORKFLOW:
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β 1. CONCEPT (Paper) β
β β’ Sketch rough layout β
β β’ Define key beats β
β β’ Identify player path β
β β β
β 2. WHITEBOX (Engine) β
β β’ Block out with primitives β
β β’ Test scale and timing β
β β’ Place placeholder enemies β
β β β
β 3. PLAYTEST β
β β’ Get feedback early β
β β’ Iterate on layout β
β β’ Fix flow issues β
β β β
β 4. ART PASS β
β β’ Replace with final art β
β β’ Add lighting β
β β’ Polish visual details β
β β β
β 5. FINAL POLISH β
β β’ Audio integration β
β β’ VFX placement β
β β’ Performance optimization β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Player Guidance
VISUAL GUIDANCE TECHNIQUES:
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β LIGHTING: β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β [Dark] [BRIGHT PATH] [Dark] β β
β β β β β
β β [OBJECTIVE] β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β
β LANDMARKS: β
β β’ Tall structures visible from distance β
β β’ Unique colors for important locations β
β β’ Repeated motifs for path clarity β
β β
β ARCHITECTURE: β
β β’ Lines leading to objectives β
β β’ Framing important elements β
β β’ Negative space around key items β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Difficulty Progression
TEACHING THROUGH DESIGN:
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β STEP 1: Safe Introduction β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β [Player] βββ [Gap] βββ [Platform] β β
β β (No enemies, can't die) β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β
β STEP 2: Add Stakes β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β [Player] βββ [Gap+Spikes] βββ [Platform] β β
β β (Same mechanic, consequence for failure) β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β
β STEP 3: Add Complexity β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β [Player] βββ [Moving Platform] βββ [Goal] β β
β β (Timing + previously learned jump) β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β
β STEP 4: Combine Mechanics β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β [Player] βββ [Enemy] + [Gap] βββ [Reward] β β
β β (Combat + platforming together) β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
π§ Troubleshooting
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β PROBLEM: Players get lost β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β SOLUTIONS: β
β β Add stronger visual guides (lighting, landmarks) β
β β Use environmental cues (footprints, trails) β
β β Place NPCs or signs at decision points β
β β Add map/compass UI elements β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β PROBLEM: Level feels too long/boring β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β SOLUTIONS: β
β β Add more pacing variety (peaks and valleys) β
β β Cut redundant sections β
β β Add shortcuts for backtracking β
β β Place more rewards and discoveries β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β PROBLEM: Difficulty spikes frustrating players β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β SOLUTIONS: β
β β Add training area before hard section β
β β Place checkpoint closer to challenge β
β β Provide optional resources before boss β
β β Playtest with different skill levels β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β PROBLEM: Players skip optional content β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
β SOLUTIONS: β
β β Make secrets more visible (partial reveal) β
β β Place rewards near critical path β
β β Use audio cues for hidden areas β
β β Reward exploration with meaningful items β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Level Metrics
| Metric | Action | Puzzle | RPG | Platformer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Completion | 5-10 min | 10-20 min | 30-60 min | 3-8 min |
| Deaths/Level | 2-5 | 0-2 | 1-3 | 5-15 |
| Secrets | 2-3 | 1-2 | 5-10 | 3-5 |
| Checkpoints | Every 2 min | Puzzle start | Safe rooms | Every 30 sec |
Use this skill: When designing engaging levels, pacing gameplay, or creating environmental narratives.
# Related Skills
Use when starting any conversation - establishes how to find and use skills, requiring Skill...
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Learn more about the SKILL.md standard and how to use these skills with your preferred AI coding agent.