PREPRODUCTION

BLUEPRINT:
HOW TO PLAN GAME ENVIRONMENTS & LEVEL
DESIGNS
By Alex Galuzin
www.WorldofLevelDesign.com

copyright © 2016 World of Level Design LLC and Alex Galuzin
All Rights Reserved

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“Preproduction Blueprint: How to Plan Game Environments and Level Designs”
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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I want to thank Stacey, my Mom and Dad and my sister Olesya for their
continuous support.
I want to thank all of my fans, readers, subscribers who have visited World of
Level Design.com and learned from its tutorials. I want to thank everyone who
has purchased and supported World of Level Design throughout the years,
including you – reader of this book. Without you I would not be doing this. I
promise to continue to create high-quality tutorials for you to become the best
level designer and game environment artist.

TABLE OF CONTENT:
Inner Cover
Legal: Copyright, Trademarks, Disclaimers
Acknowledgements
Table of Content:
The Secret Behind Preproduction Blueprint
11 Step Planning Overview
How to Follow “Preproduction Blueprint”
Playable Level or Stand-Alone Game Environment
Step 1: Ideas
Step 2: Setting, Location and Theme
Step 3: Project Purpose
Step 4: Features
Step 5: Photo/Video Reference and Research
Step 6: Story
Step 7: Objectives, Obstacles and Set Pieces
Step 8: Focal Point
Step 9: Top Down Layout
Step 10: Visual Development
Step 11: Making Lists
Final: Preproduction Blueprint
Thank You!
Reference
Preproduction Blueprint Worksheet
Preproduction Blueprint Checklist

THE SECRET BEHIND PREPRODUCTION BLUEPRINT
WHAT IS PREPRODUCTION BLUEPRINT
Preproduction Blueprint is a complete system for planning your game
environments and level designs. This could be for a playable level or a game
environment exploration to show off in a portfolio.
Planning process is called pre-production and what you end up with is a
Preproduction Blueprint. It is an essential step to finishing your projects.
Unfortunately, planning tends to be a rushed part of the process or completely
ignored.
When a house is built the owner must decide on a budget, find a building lot
(land), create house plans, obtain all the permits and insurance, hire
subcontractors, clearing the land and excavate, order and arranging utilities
(plumbing, electric, water), lay foundation and deal with soil treatment, not to
mention constant surveying and inspection of the land.
All this before a single wall for the house goes up.
Up until this point, nothing is built that resembles a house. If any of the steps are
ignored or rushed through, there is a higher chance of a faulty construction.
 Lot of planning is required before a single wall goes up in this house (Photo by
Paul Brennan)
Creating a game environment or a level design is very similar. Once you have an
idea you have to go through the steps of:
• knowing what you are going to create
• knowing what you are going to create
• how it’s going to look
• how it will play
• location where your environment takes place
• creating a top-down layout
• defining objectives
• setting a project purpose
• collecting photo reference
• creating a story
• visual development
• prototyping
Rushing into a project without planning will most likely result in unfinished
game environment.
Good news is you don’t have to worry about permits, land, utilities and
excavation. All you need is a solid plan of what your environment is going to
look like and play prior to creating it.
4 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF CREATION
Level design and game environment creation can be broken down to 4 essential
elements:
1. Planning or Preproduction: having a proper plan to follow. The
vision of an idea to go after that is concrete and worthwhile to pursue.
2. Gameplay: this includes BSP block-in and prototyping level design
elements such as pacing, flow, objectives, set pieces, scripting, player
 progression, player’s experience and play-testing. It is the game level
mechanics.
3. Visuals/Artistic: this includes 3d models, textures, materials and
lighting. The aesthetics of the game environment.
4. Technical: knowledge of the 3d modeling software, level editors and
art theory; this makes the first 3 elements possible.
We are going to focus on the first element – planning process or preproduction.
WHY I FAILED FOR YEARS AT LEVEL DESIGN AND GAME
ENVIRONMENTS
I used to rush into creating a game environment as soon as I had an idea. I didn’t
plan or research. I would jump inside the level editor or a 3d modeling software
and begin building. For a few hours it was fun. The idea would begin to take
shape and become real.
But then the entire project would begin to collapse.
As I encountered my first problem with the environment, I wouldn’t know what
to do next. I would make “in the moment” decision since I had no larger vision
or a plan to follow.
As I continued to work through the project, more “cool” ideas would come to
me. Instead of sticking to a plan and a specific theme, I would try to incorporate
new ideas into my current environment. It would add more complexity to the
project and make the environment lack consistency.
I would become overwhelmed and frustrated.
I would then think if I change the layout, update the theme and incorporate more
ideas it would work.
Soon after, the entire environment would fall apart and I would end up
abandoning the project.
Without figuring out why I failed, I would start on a new idea – new level design
or game environment project. Thinking this time will be different. I will push
through and finish.
Of course nothing different happened, because I didn't change my process. This
persisted for few years.
I would often get mad at myself that every project I started did not get finished.
It came to a point where I stopped creating maps and game environments.
I gave up.
I reached a point where I walked away from level design and game
environments. I told myself I should pursue other things. I began to believe that
level designing and game environment art wasn't for me.
Over the next few years I studied filmmaking, drawing, painting, architecture,
programming, web design, photography, business and management. I ended up
graduating with B.F.A in Computer Animation from Ringling College of Art and
Design.
But my love for level design and game environments never left. Throughout my
4 years in college I wanted to design game environments. I would always get
ideas I wanted to create, environments I wanted to see come to life.
I was obsessed about level design and game environments. I just suppressed it
and pushed it away.
For our senior thesis in Computer Animation, we had to create a 2-minute
animated short film. Before anything could be modeled, textured or animated,
we had to spend an entire semester during junior year in preproduction.
Preproduction or prepro as it was often called, was a full semester class where
we had to create a story, design characters, props, visual style and all the
environments prior to doing anything in 3d.
In addition we had to create a storyboard of the final film, while presenting
everything worked on to faculty for feedback. No modeling, no lighting, no
animation. Only preproduction for a 2 minute short for an entire semester.
 Concept Art From Animation Thesis

If this is what I had to do for a 2 minute animation then I should be doing the
same for level designs and game environments. Perhaps not a full semester but
enough time should be dedicated to planning before to starting any new level
design or game environment.
A lot of questions need to be answered when you create a game environment or a
level design.
• Is the idea worth my time?
• Is the idea interesting and unique? Has it been done before and if yes,
can I make it better and put my own vision into it?
• Where does the environment take place? What location?
• How am I going to pull this off? What would I need to learn and
improve on?
• What is the story of the environment? Does it make sense for the
game and/or game type to take place in this location?
• Is it a single player map? Multiplayer map? Stand-alone game
 environment?
• Do I need to create custom assets? Textures? Does the engine or the
level editor include everything I need?
• Which game engine and level editor will I use?
• What is the time period? Environment setting?
• Have I done my research about the story and location I want to make?
• What is the theme of the environment?
• What is the color palette I want to use to convey the emotional impact
of this environment?
• Do I have a top-down layout to follow?
• What do I want the player to experience in this environment?
• What are the objectives for the player to complete, if any?
• How will the flow and pacing play out in the map?
• How will I tackle the project? What will I do during the production
stages?
• Have I collected photo reference for architecture, lighting, props,
location and setting of the environment?
• What is the purpose of this project? Why am I working on this?
There are many more questions. Figuring these out has to be done before
opening up a level editor.
THE TRIP THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
After a full semester of preproduction class it was summer time. I had 3 months
to reflect and collect my thoughts before beginning my animation thesis in
September.
To relax and recharge I took a 19-day trip to Switzerland.
While in Switzerland, I kept seeing ideas for level designs and game
environments everywhere I went. I couldn't ignore it anymore. I realized I didn’t
want to be an animator. I thought I did when I first got into college but the more
I animated, the less I enjoyed it. I never wanted to animate anything again. Level
design and game environments was something I had to do.
After I came back from the trip, I started and finished a fan-made map DM-
IcyApex in only 3 weeks (with provided assets). For me this was huge
revelation.

Reference Idea and Finished Fan-Made Map (Stock Assets from UT2k3)

During these 3 weeks I spent first week planning and two weeks creating the
map.
Next breakthrough happed a few months later. I was half way through my senior
year during my winter break. I created a fan-made playable deathmatch map
(some custom assets) in 11 days called DM-Lighthouse.
 Planning Idea Drawings

Finished Fan-Made Map (Stock Textures from UT2k3)

For both of these levels I began to follow the planning process I learned in
preproduction semester, but heavily modified and expanded to level designs and
game environments. This was the beginning of Preproduction Blueprint.
Now, planning my projects did not make me finish all of my maps and game
environment. It will not make you finish everything you start either. But
planning provided a sense of purpose, a clear goal to aim for and to know
exactly what I wanted to create before opening a level editor or a 3d application.
PREPRODUCTION BLUEPRINT
You are now holding this planning system in your hands.
These are the same steps that I use to design environments and levels. It took me
years to refine but you don’t have to figure it out yourself. I laid everything out
for you to use in a step-by-step process.
After going through the book, you’ll be able to close your eyes and walk through
the environment. The level will be finished in your mind. The next step will be
to open up a level editor and begin construction.
Let’s get started.
 11 STEP PLANNING OVERVIEW

11 STEPS OF PREPRODUCTION BLUEPRINT
Before we get into each chapter and a step-by-step workflow, let me outline the
entire process for you here so you know what to expect.
Overview of each step:
STEP 1 - IDEAS
First step covers your ideas for a project.
You will learn how to generate ideas, how to keep track of them and how to pick
one to work on.
STEP 2 - SETTING, LOCATION, THEME
In step 2 you will come up with an environment setting, location and theme.
STEP 3 - PROJECT PURPOSE
In step 3 you will learn how to define a project purpose – why you want to create
this game environment.
STEP 4 - FEATURES
Step 4 will have you create a set of features to aim for. Features are your bulleted
point list of what will make this project unique and different.
Think of this as a “unique selling proposition” for your level design or
environment.
STEP 5 - PHOTO/VIDEO REFERENCE AND RESEARCH
In step 5 you will collect photo reference and research your environment setting.
STEP 6 - STORY
In step 6 you will create a story behind your environment or level design.
There are two types of stories within the environment.
1. What happened in the environment prior to the player getting there?
What is everyday life like in this environment?
2. The story of how and why the character has come to this location.
What are they doing there?
STEP 7 - OBJECTIVES, OBSTACLES AND SET PIECES:
In step 7 you will define objectives, obstacles and set pieces for playable level
design or a stand-alone game environment. Objectives are goals for player to
achieve, obstacles are challenges to overcome and set pieces are scripted events
to make the world seem alive.
STEP 8 - FOCAL POINT
Step 8 you will set a focal point in the environments. It is often a dominant piece
of architecture or landscape. Focal points are used for visual landmark locations
and to help the player orient themselves in the world.
STEP 9 – TOP-DOWN GAMEPLAY
In step 9 you will design a top-down layout. Top-down layout is a schematic
drawing of your level.
STEP 10 - VISUAL DEVELOPMENT
In step 10 you will spend time in visual development. It is the style and art
direction of the game environment. The concept art behind how the environment
will look. You’ll define color, lighting and overall atmosphere of the world.
STEP 11 - MAKING LISTS
In step 11 you will make lists. This is everything you need to create, collect and
set into motion in order to begin creating your playable level or stand-alone
game environment.

HOW TO FOLLOW “PREPRODUCTION BLUEPRINT”

WHAT TO DO AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS BOOK?
Preproduction Blueprint is a book and a workbook. It’s meant to be read and put
into practice right away. Each chapter contains action steps to do. By the end of
the book you would have done all the preliminary preproduction work for your
level design or game environment project.
Overview:
• The book contains 11 primary Preproduction steps or chapters
• At the end of each chapter, there are action steps to do
• After reading each chapter/step, perform the action step items for
your own level design or game environment project
• Follow each chapter/step in sequence; each step builds upon the
previous step
Some ideas throughout this book may not apply to your project. This is due to
what type of a project you are working on – playable level or stand-alone game
environment. The difference between the two will be explained in next section.
Your workflow for preproduction will change from project to project and with
experience. But to start things off here are the steps to maintain until you modify
Preproduction Blueprint to fit your needs and experience.
Preproduction Blueprint Worksheet:
Begin with “Preproduction Blueprint” sample worksheet. This is a blank
document that you use to fill in all the action steps as you go through the book.
This worksheet will make things easier to start with “Preproduction Blueprint”.
You can access “Preproduction Blueprint” sample worksheet:
1. At the end of this book in resource section
2. Download as a .PDF, .DOC and .DOCX to enter data into or to print
out.
Download both (.PDF, .DOC and .DOCX) files – compressed/zipped:
www.worldofleveldesign.com/preproductionblueprint/worksheets.zip
View online .PDF:
www.worldofleveldesign.com/preproductionblueprint/worksheet.pdf
Project Folder:
Before you begin any level design or game environment project, create a folder
on your computer where all the content for that project will go into.
Inside this folder you will store all files for the entire project. I named mine
“Level Design-Game Environment Project”

Creating a “Project Folder”

Now, inside “Level Design-Game Environment Project” folder, create another

folder and name it “Preproduction Blueprint”.
Inside this folder you will store all planning or preproduction files that you will
acquire from this book.

Creating a “Preproduction Blueprint” Folder Inside the Project Folder

So:
• Inside “Project” folder, store all project files including planning steps
from this book and future production work such as textures, models,
map files etc.
• Inside “Preproduction Blueprint” folder store all planning files that
you will acquire from this book.
Next Step:
As you go through each chapter/step of the book, do the action steps that follow
it.
1. Place any files (images, drawings, reference, scans etc.) that you will
collect for your ongoing level design or game environment project into
“Preproduction Blueprint” folder within your Project folder.
2. Enter all the answers into “Preproduction Blueprint” sample
worksheet from “Action Steps” at the end of each chapter.
3. Place “Preproduction Blueprint” sample worksheet into
“Preproduction Blueprint” folder within your “Project” folder.
Now you are ready to begin.

PLAYABLE LEVEL OR STAND-ALONE GAME
ENVIRONMENT

CHOOSE BETWEEN A STAND-ALONE GAME ENVIRONMENT OR A
PLAYABLE LEVEL
Before you begin Preproduction Blueprint, there are two questions you want to
answers:
1. Do you want to create a full playable level for a specific game?
Or
2. Do you want to create a stand-alone game environment to explore
and showcase with no gameplay?
The answer will help you choose which game engine you want to work with and
which game level editor you will use.
Playable level includes gameplay mechanics, scripted events, obstacles and
objectives for the player to complete. This may be a single-player or a
multiplayer map.
• Playable map for a specific game
• Requires player interaction and participation
• Contains gameplay (objectives, obstacles, puzzles, enemy or friendly
AI, story)
• If multiplayer map, requires a specific gametype (Deathmatch,
Capture the Flag, Search and Destroy, Hostage Rescue or Defuse)
• Must be optimized for performance and for gameplay
• Requires scripting
• Part of an already created game; it’s an extension of the game's world;
a new map
• End result is for others to download, play and experience your map
for a specific game
Stand-alone game environment does not include any playable mechanics and
does not require player participation. Stand-alone game environments are usually
created for a portfolio, a scene to admire, to explore, to showcase or to learn the
software.
 • Not a playable level
• Can be created in any game engine and are only limited by your
current skill and what the game engine can do
• No gameplay elements, no player paths, no objective. Other players
will not be interacting with the environment but may include scripted
elements such as a walkthrough or camera fly-through.
• Environment created for a portfolio, to get a job, to showcase your
skill or to learn and expand a specific skillset
• Usually involves creation of custom models, textures, materials
• No need to optimize, primary focus is on visuals
• End result will be a fly-through video or screenshots to showcase
game art, models, textures, materials and your skill
Once you know if you want to create a stand-alone game environment or a
playable level going through this book will be a lot easier.
LEVEL DESIGNER VS. GAME ENVIRONMENT ARTIST
Level designer and game environment artist are two different disciplines with a
lot of overlap between each one. The outcome of both is to create a game
environment for a player to play in and experience.
Level designers are responsible for creating gameplay experience of the
playable level. The map, in which the player walks through, fights through,
participates in the story and explores the world.
Level designers create the layout, script events, set up level gameplay
mechanics, place props and assets that game environment artist created then
finalize and optimizing final playable map.
Game environment artists are responsible for aesthetics of the level by creating
game assets (3d models) that level designer will use to place and detail the world
with. These assets or props have to be modeled, sculpted, UVed, textured and
exported from a 3d modeling application such as Maya, 3DSMax, Blender,
Modo and imported into a game engine.
Level designers and game environment artist work very closely with each other
to create the final level.
Level design and game environment art is often split between different
individuals. Level designer focuses on gameplay; game environment artist
focuses on creating 3d models. But this depends on the gaming studio you are in.
Larger studios or larger projects will have a set of artist working on level design
and another set of artist working on environment art. Smaller studios or smaller
projects may combine these two disciplines into one and assign both roles to one
person.
If you are the only person working on the project, you will be doing both.
STEP 1: IDEAS
DIGITAL ARCHITECT
Every object, building or city was once an idea. It started out as only a thought in
a mind of an artist, an engineer or an architect.
Game environments and level designs are no different.
Every game and level was once an idea. An intangible thought in the mind of the
artist. That idea eventually became a game environment, a level design or a
playable game.
You must begin to think of yourself as a digital architect and as the creator of
playable spaces.
It doesn’t matter if you create game environments and level designs as a hobby
or as a profession. You are the creator of worlds. You bring ideas to life. A
thought can become a game environment for others to experience.
To begin thinking as a digital architect you must shift your perception to look at
the world a bit different. To do this you must become an observer of playable
game space everywhere you go.
HOW TO BECOME AN OBSERVER OF PLAYABLE SPACES
You are about to learn a technique that will help you generate hundreds of ideas.
Ideas are everywhere. Everything around you has a potential of becoming a
stand-alone game environment or a playable level.
Here is an image of water valve pipes I took near where I live. These are regular
pipes, nothing special.
These pipes are very common near residential and public buildings. So common
that I don’t notice them anymore; but within everyday objects and locations are
unique ideas.
 Street Water Valve Pipes Reference

All I need to do is to shift my perception for how I am looking at my

surroundings. I need to stop labeling things as I see them and ask myself: How
can I turn this into a game environment?
You must change your perception and begin looking at locations as a potential
game environment.
It’s a change of perspective. A shift at how you look at the world around you.
Become aware of shapes, forms and player paths. As you do, the ideas for
playable worlds will begin to appear.
Begin to see everything around you as playable space.
For the street water valve pipes I inserted a player scale reference into an image,
which instantly transformed everyday object into a possible game environment.
You have already done this shift hundreds or even thousands of times.
If you ever had an idea for a game environment or a level design, then you’ve
shifted your perception to the world around you as playable space. You just may
not have realized it.

Adding Character Silhouette Into An Image Reference

Every time you looked at concept art, a painting or a photo you already saw that
environment as a game environment.
As you do this, ideas will begin to emerge. It’s a habit you must cultivate.
On my trip to Switzerland back in 2008, I took a photo on top of Jungfrau, a
Swiss Alps summit. This image inspired me to create DM-IcyApex, fan-made
Unreal Tournament 3 level.
 Reference from Swiss Alps

Finished, Fan-Made Map (Stock Assets from UT2k3)

Another photo I took of a hotel up in the mountains in a very dense mist, which
later turn into a fan-made Left4Dead level.

Hotel/Diner in Very Dense Mist Reference

Finished Fan-Made Map (Stock Assets from L4D2)

Develop a habit of continuously seeing the world around you as playable space
everywhere you go and in everything you see. Make it into a daily practice to
look at everyday environments and locations as possible ideas.
Do the same with movies and tv shows you watch, games you play, magazines
and books you read.
While watching movies or shows take a moment and shift your perspective to
seeing locations, themes, setting and playable spaces for game environments.
Work on shifting your perspective all the time. At first you’ll have to make a
conscious effort to remind yourself. Eventually it will become a habit and you’ll
do it automatically. Begin to see game playable space everywhere you go and at
everything you look. Within a week you’ll hundreds of ideas to browse through.
RECORDING YOUR IDEAS
As you begin to explore every day spaces as possible level designs and game
environments you have to start recording your ideas. If you don’t write down
your ideas, you usually won’t remember them.
4 ways to capture ideas and inspiration:
1. Write it down in a journal or sketchpad
2. Do a quick sketch of the location or a top-down layout
3. Take a photo
4. If you are browsing the web, save the images you find into “Ideas”
folder
WRITE & SKETCH
Purchase a 5x8 or smaller sketchpad to carry with you. Anytime you get an idea
as you practice perspective shift to seeing playable game spaces - write it down
or sketch it.
 Level Design/Game Environment Sketchpad and Journal

Carrying a sketchbook helps with:

• A way to record your ideas
• You will always remember your ideas
• You will capture things you find interesting, that are unique to you
• It helps you to develop looking and analyzing environments
• You become an environment and level designer everywhere you go
• It is a way to continue improving while you are away from a
computer
If you are short on time, write the idea down or take a photo. If you have a bit
more time, do a quick sketch of the environment.
• Do a sketch of the location as you see it
• Do a top-down layout sketch
These sketches should not be beautiful works of art. They are only for you to
record an idea.
 Idea Sketch on Location and Idea Sketch as Top-Down Layouts

4 WAYS TO SKETCH FOR UNIQUE IDEAS

Sketching is one of the best ways to develop your design skillset for game
environments and level designs. Saying the word “drawing or sketching” often
stops people. I used to think “I have to learn how to draw first before I start
sketching anything.” It was a wrong mindset. Remember, sketching doesn't have
to be pretty or refined. It is only a way to capture your ideas so you have them.
Start sketching no matter how bad you think you are. If it is something you want
to improve then spend time learning how to draw. But start sketching, regardless
of your current skill.
Here are 4 ways to help you develop and sketch unique ideas.
Sketch from Life
Drawing teaches how to look at the world around you as it really is and not as
you wish or want it to be. It makes you pay attention to the details of your
surroundings. It trains your mind to avoid symbols and representations of an
object and forces you to observe what’s in front of you.
 Drawing from Life – Environment Focus

You learn how to pay attention to shapes (positive and negative), light values,
shadows, line quality, mass and composition. Drawing teaches you focus and
discipline.
 Quick Sketches

Drawing from life is a very active and focused process. Because of such intense
observation you will recall environments and locations better in your mind and
on paper. To become a level designer or game environment artist, you do not
need to know how to draw, but the benefits of drawing greatly improve you as an
artist. Carry a small sketchbook with you. Sketch things that will improve you
as a level designer and game environment artist such as architecture, props,
object detail, foliage and location layouts.
Sketch from Life, Then Build On It
A technique I really like is to sketch from life, then build on it. If you see an
interesting building, house or a prop, sketch it as you see it. Then continue to
build on it from imagination.
Objects and locations you draw will be grounded in reality which then you can
make them unique by expanding the sketch using your imagination.
Pull from experiences you remember, games you played, movies you watched,
art work you've seen. You may add some futuristic or historic element to the
object. Maybe add additional functionality to the building, merge different
elements from one building to another
 Sketch from Life then Build on it

Sketch from Imagination

You will have glimpses of images in your mind during the day. Sometimes right
before you fall asleep and many times in your dreams.

Sketch from Imagination

Salvador Dali has been known to take naps throughout the day. Some stories
have him hold a pencil under his chin, so it would slip right before he dosed off
to sleep.
Other stories have him hold a skeleton key in his hand, which he would drop
onto the floor right before he fell asleep, waking him up. He would then sketch
the images he saw right before dozing off. The idea is the same; Dali used
images from imagination to construct his artwork.
Another method I like is to sketch random lines and shapes on paper then go
from there.
I don't have anything in mind what I want to draw ahead of time. I let the lines,
shapes and scribbles define objects and architecture for me, which guide me to
refine the next shape.
Sketch on the right was done this way. You can see the messy lines behind the
drawing.
This is called pareidolia.
 Sketch Using “Pareidolia” Technique

Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon of recognizing and seeing shapes,

patters, objects, bodies and faces in random patterns of clouds, scribbles, ink
blots, food, tree knots etc.
Use this to your advantage and try to recognize architecture, environments,
props, and layouts from these random patterns.
Drawing from imagination is very intimidating if you have never done it.
Three things that helped me are:
• Practicing drawing from life; this will help you to draw from
imagination.
 • Draw from imagination anyway, but know that this isn't to show
anyone; but a way to visually capture ideas from your mind and expand
your imagination.
• Use Pareidolia, recognizing shapes in random patterns, scribble,
painting blobs etc.
Sketch Top-Down Layouts

Top-Down Sketch Layouts

Every level design and game environment you do should start with a top down
floor plan. A layout of how a map will play, player paths, spatial relationships of
architecture, locations of rooms, items, spawns, important story elements, AI
zones etc.
By sketching top-down layouts you begin to visualize the playable space in your
mind. You see it, you walk through it, and you imagine it. This will teach you to
begin seeing environments already completed in your mind’s eye.
Two ways to capture top-down layouts for ideas:
• Record top-down layouts from life as you observe locations for
playable spaces
• Create top-down layouts from imagination
Also, sketching top-down layouts is often less intimidating to start with than
drawing from life or from imagination.
TAKING PHOTOS TO CAPTURE IDEAS
Your memory of an object changes after the moment you are no longer looking
at it. The mind creates symbols and representations of what something should
look like when trying to remember it. The longer the span of time you
experience between being in a specific location and remembering it what it
looked like, the more distorted that memory becomes.
Without a lot of practice, it is difficult to remember a location with all the
intricate details, shapes, imperfections, dirt and grime that makes the
environment unique. Taking a photo will help you to remember and collect ideas
from life.

Carry a Camera to Take Your Own Reference

Carrying around a digital camera or a phone with a camera will help you to
capture reference ideas. Many of environments and level designs began from a
single image.
Reference image ideas are visual inspiration images, to remind and to show you
what an environment looks like.
Just like the two examples before of a Swiss Alps peak and misty hotel. Each
photo led to a completed game environment.
You can take reference ideas of architecture, props, prop placement, lighting,
time of day, and detail on an object, etc. Anything you find interesting and that
will help you to remember the environment.
Reference idea I took in Oklahoma during a trip. This would make an interesting
game environment.
Collect reference image ideas from life with your camera and from images you
find on the web.

Photo Reference for a Possible Environment

To take it a step further, record a video. Most, if not all cameras allow for some
type of video recording.
Video will allow you to capture sound, mood and the layout of the space better
than a still photo can. So when you see something that may be used for an idea,
record it. Film it for 10-15 seconds and continue with your day.
After you get back to your office or home, move photos and videos you took into
an “Ideas” folder. I usually let the photos collect inside the camera for a week
and then move them all at once. Renaming and organizing in the process.
3 TECHNIQUES TO GENERATE ORIGINAL AND UNIQUE IDEAS
There are three techniques you can use to expand beyond a photo you captured
or collected from the web.
Both techniques require a 2d image editing software. I personally use Adobe
Photoshop; which is standard software for environment and texture artist.
These three techniques are:
1. Including a character reference scale into a photo
2. Doing a photo paint-over
3. Combine different photos
1. Include a Character Reference Scale
In this technique, you take a photo and introduce a quick sketch of a character
reference into it - a silhouette of a player character.
The key to character reference silhouette is the size of it. It needs to help you to
judge scale of the environment. For example, the pipe image shown earlier; in
Photoshop, I included a silhouette of a character and it instantly changed the
perception of the environment to playable space.
This technique works best when you take everyday objects, props or close-up
images of environments.
Another photo I took of palm tree branches wrapping around the ground, then
introduced a human reference scale. Photo was taken at a low angle to get the
player’s point of view.
Introduction of a silhouette character reference changes how you see the
environment.
 Including a Character Reference Scale

2. Image Paint-Over
In this second technique, you open an image in Photoshop, create a new layer
and use simple round brush to paint over the photo with your own ideas.
You build onto an existing image with your own ideas. You can introduce new
architecture, props and change lighting. As you can see, I used simple shapes for
architecture and props while using one of the default round brushes.
 Image Paint-Over Before

Image Paint-Over After

It is important to note that you are not creating concept art. Avoid spending a lot
of time here. The focus is to explore, expand and re-imagine a photo as a unique
game environment by introducing your own ideas into it.
3. Combine Images
In this third technique, you start with a base photo of the environment, then bring
in other photos and image elements into it.
You are copying, pasting and erasing to include different props, architecture
elements and objects from one existing image into another.
To the right is an image of low angle foliage (base photo). I then brought a single
element of a statue from another image and also added a character reference
silhouette for scale.
Combining images technique offers a visual way to composite elements together
for a new and unique idea to prototype. Instead of relying on a single photo to
provide you with the idea, you are creating your own original idea by combining
different images.

Combining Images (Vines and Statue)

Just as with sketching and photo paint-overs do not focus on completing this
“combining images” as work of art. Sole purpose is to expand on your ideas to
create something original and unique.
11 WAYS TO GENERATING EVEN MORE IDEAS
The following is a reference list of where to go for more ideas. Remember to
shift your perspective to look at everything as playable game world.
Movies/TV: movies and TV offer a never-ending supply of ideas.
Watching movies is great way to reference shots, ideas, and environment setting.
Reference all kinds of film genres such as action, drama, horror, thriller,
suspense, independent, blockbusters, documentaries, foreign etc.
Watch educational channels such as Discovery Channel, History Channel and
National Geographic.
Always keep a sketchpad next to you for capturing ideas.
It is important to be an active viewer, meaning you are looking for ideas while
shifting your perspective to look at locations as playable spaces.
Books: books offer great image reference for architecture, nature, history,
composition, color and lighting of the environments. Single image is often
enough to inspire to create a game environment.
Games: you create game environments and level designs, so it is only natural to
look at games for inspiration and idea generation. Take screenshots of locations,
props and environments that appeal to you as you play. Also make sure to play
variety of different games to expand your frame reference of art styles and game
mechanics.
There are so many games being released on weekly basis and not enough time to
play them all. If you are short on time but still want to reference games, you can
watch gameplay videos, browse through game news websites and collect
screenshots of environments you find interesting.
Strategy Guides: strategy guides are great for top-down layout ideas. They
often show you all the item placements, spawn locations and player paths with
obstacles to overcome. You can learn a lot from strategy guides on how
developers designed such environments.
Comic Books: great reference for ideas into story, characters, color, value,
lighting, drama and composition.
Architecture: architecture is an important part any game environment you
create. No house or a building was ever built without prior thought of which
architecture style to use.
Start collecting various architecture books for reference to browse through. Visit
websites that are focused on architecture and research the web for specific
architecture styles you are going to use for your environment.
History: history is full of stories. All stories are ideas. There is a whole genre of
games based on history. It doesn’t have to be history hundreds or thousands of
years ago. It could be historic events that happened just a few decades or few
years ago.
A way to make historical setting unique is to start with a real life historic event
and then build on it with your own ideas.
Take an example of “Gladiator” a film released in 2000. It took real events and
then created fictional characters and story within a historic context.
Use history as a backdrop then create your own story and environment.
Travel: traveling has been consistent inspiration and idea generation for many
designers. Every time I travel, I always come back with more ideas than I will
ever have time to do. Traveling opens you up directly to new experiences and
environments.
Travel to new places. Schedule a trip every year to a new place in your city,
another state or another country. Traveling will help you to become a better
environment artist and a better designer.
Photography: one single image can communicate so much emotion and story.
Photography is one of the best resources for environment reference.
Art: paintings, photography, sculpture, filmmaking, theater are some of the art
forms that introduce you to new ideas. Best way to see art is to visit museums
and art galleries.
Music: listening to different kinds of music will evoke a certain emotion. Many
screenwriters and authors write while listening to music. It helps to set the mood,
pacing, atmosphere and mood.
The type of music you listen to will dictate the kind of environment you create.
It could help you or it could limit you. For example listening to heavy metal as
you are creating serene, fantasy environment setting isn’t your best option;
however listening to soundtracks, new age or classical music can help.
Use music that will set the pace and mood to the type of environment you are
creating.
COLLECT IDEAS
Begin collecting images, photos, game screenshots, artwork, concept art and
sketches. Connect ideas to a visual image.
To do this, start a folder on your computer and name it ‘IDEAS’. Inside this
folder create subfolders of various topics or subjects. Such as:
• Architecture
• Interiors
• Lighting
• Color
• Videogames
• Film
• Concept Art
• Sketches
• Top-Down Layouts
Anytime you see an image or a screenshot online, capture your own photo or
scan a sketch - place them into an appropriate subfolder. Over time you will see
this ‘IDEAS’ folder evolve and grow.
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR IDEAS
Your Own Ideas:
Now that you have unlimited ideas to pull from, it is time to decide which you
going to pursue.
Pay attention to what you find interesting, what you are naturally drawn to and
what do you find interesting, exciting and inspired by.
Things you enjoy doing, TV shows and movies you watch, games you play and
books you read - all are hints to game environments that have a very good
potential to becoming a project. These are unique things you like and find
interest in. They are the ideas you want to pay attention to.
 • What games do you love to play?
• What movies do you watch, what shows do you like? Why? What is
it about them you like?
• What books do you read? What magazines do you enjoy?
• What places would you like to visit? Which locations would you
want to explore?
For example, some of the things I feel drawn to are overcast days, rain, snow,
abandoned locations (houses, buildings, cities), modern contemporary
architecture, realistic, dark and gritty movies. Most of my environments I create
reflect that. Of course that doesn’t mean you should only do those types of
environments. It is important to develop yourself as a full artist and explore
variety of styles that you aren’t comfortable with. But, I initially pick ideas on
things I am interested in and feel passionate about. If I don’t feel a high level of
interest it won’t be long before I abandoned that idea.
Whatever the idea you are naturally being pulled to explore is the ideas you
should pursue.
Ask yourself:
• Are you excited about this idea?
• Do you feel passion for this idea? As if you have to create this
environment and play it or to explore it?
• When you look at reference for that idea, are you inspired to see this
environment come to life?
• Which ideas do you feel natural inclination to pursue?
These should be your deciding factors to work on an idea. If you don’t feel
anything, then maybe you should let that idea go.
Inspiration and excitement are an invisible force that pulls you into a certain
direction. Pay attention to your first gut reaction when you see an image, watch
a TV show or a movie, play a game or observe playable spaces in real life.
When you have an idea, do you hear you inner voice saying “Oh, that’s cool”? If
you do, that is a good indicator that you may want to pursue that idea further.
Excitement, passion and inspiration are very hard to beat. These will show
through to the final product. At the same time, I don’t want to disillusion you to
thinking that passion, excitement and inspiration is all you need. They are only
indicators to pursue an idea, but they will not make your project easier or faster
to complete.
Persistence, discipline and continues work will still be required to finish any
project, but the initial excitement, passion and inspiration for the idea will keep
you going when the project gets difficult.
Working with Someone Else’s Ideas
You may find yourself working for a client or in a studio where you are working
on someone else’s idea. You have specs to follow and an art director to answer
to. It could be difficult to find excitement and inspiration to continue working on
ideas that are not what you would choose.
The key is finding something about that idea you can be excited and inspired
about. It doesn’t matter what it is and it can be a very small aspect of the bigger
picture. Maybe you like the lighting within the environment or you care about
the story being told. Whatever it is, find that aspect of the environment in any
way you can.
When I was in my fourth year working on animation thesis, I already decided
that I didn’t like or wanted to animate. But to get through the project and
graduate I had to complete my thesis. One thing that kept me inspired, persistent
and moving forward is the story I wanted to tell. My animation thesis story was
about a Russian astronaut stuck on a Space Station who just realized that he ran
out of Vodka. The story became my purpose to continue with animating.
So if you working on other people’s ideas, which will be very common if you
work in a studio or freelance – find an aspect of the idea that you can be excited,
inspired and persistent about.
LET IDEAS INCUBATE
If you are struggling with multiple ideas and cannot pick one or if you are not
sure the idea you picked is the right one - there is a solution. Walk away and give
some time for your mind to figure it out. Let your subconscious do the work
while you disconnect and do something else.
Anywhere from 24 to 72 hours will often give you enough clarity to decide
which idea to pursue.
So let it go for a day and revisit tomorrow. If you still feel the idea you picked is
the right one, then you should go through and create that environment.
121 GAME ENVIRONMENT AND LEVEL DESIGN LOCATION IDEAS
In the back of this book you will find 121 different location ideas. If you ever get
stuck and need help, flip to Reference section for location ideas.
ACTIONS – STEP 1: IDEAS
It is time to put everything in this section to work and begin to develop your
Preproduction Blueprint. Let’s get started.
Step 1.1: Get a sketchpad to carry around with you everywhere you go.
Step 1.2: Record one idea right now by shifting your perception to see the
location you are in as playable space.
Ask yourself:
• What type of game could you see this environment in? What specific
game?
• How would the player navigate through it?
It’s helpful to put the environment within a context of a game you may want to
design this level for.
Step 1.3: Before today is over, record 10 ideas in your sketchpad. You may write
it down, sketch them out or take reference idea image. You may use any idea
generation techniques we discussed in the chapter.
Step 1.4: Choose one idea you want to see come to life as a playable level or a
game environment.
Step 1.5: Decide if this is going to be a stand-alone game environment or a
playable level.
Step 1.6: Choose game engine or a game to develop this idea for.
If it is a stand-alone game environment without any gameplay mechanics:
• What game engine do you want to use to create this idea? Will you
use Unreal Engine 4? CryEngine? UDK? Unity3D? Other?
If it is a playable level for an existing game:
 • For what game do you want to create this game environment? Is it
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive? Left4Dead2? UT2k4? Team
Fortress 2? Other?
Step 1.7: In one single sentence describe the idea. Example of some ideas I have
in my sketchpad:
• A modern or contemporary apartment interior during a snow storm
(CryEngine 3 SDK)
• A modern thermal bath complex (stand-alone game environment)
• An abandoned apartment complex during a zombie apocalypse
(Left4Dead2)


STEP 2: SETTING, LOCATION AND THEME

DECIDING ON SETTING, LOCATION AND THEME
Develop your idea further and decide on three main aspects of your
environment:
• Environment Setting
• Location
• Theme
ENVIRONMENT SETTING
Environment setting is a general, physical location of where your game
environment takes place. Where does your environment take place? A list of
environment settings to choose and decide on:
• Artic, Winter, Snow, Glaciers, Ice, Tundra
• Caves, Dungeons, Underground, Earth’s Structure
• City, Urban, Streets
• Desert, Sand
• Forest, Woods
• House, Building, Structure
• Indoors, Interior
• Industrial, Commercial, Residential
• Jungle, Tropical, Islands, Rainforest
• Lake, River, Sea, Ocean
• Landmark
• Marshlands, Wetlands, Swamps, Grasslands
• Military, Government
• Mountains, Hills, Rockland
 • Post-Apocalyptic, Destroyed, Abandoned
• Psychological, Dreams
• Rural, Farm, Country
• Solar System, Space/Planets
• Specific City, State, Country
• Town, Village
Here is the same list with visuals for inspiration and ideas:

Artic, Winter, Snow, Glaciers, Ice, Tundra (Photo by Anders Jilden)

Caves, Dungeons, Underground, Earth’s Structure (Photo by Justin Luebke)

City, Urban, Streets (Photo by Stacey Hines)

 Desert, Sand (Photo by Tim de Groot)

Forest, Woods (Photo by Paul Summers)

House, Building, Structure (Photo by Bonnie Meisels)

Indoor, Interior (Photo by Stacey Hines)

Industrial, Commercial, Residential (Photo by Andre Robillard)

Jungle, Tropical, Islands, Rainforest (Photo by Love Maldives)

Lake, River, Sea, Ocean (Photo by Quino Al)

Landmark (Photo by John Towner)

Marshlands, Wetlands, Swamps, Grasslands (Photo by Justin Cron)

Military, Government (Photo by Zac Nielson)

 Mountains, Hills, Rockland (Photo by Yang Song)

Post-Apocalyptic, Destroyed, Abandoned (Photo by Hoshino Ai)

 Psychological, Dreams (Photo by Sweet Ice Cream Photography)

Rural, Farm, Country (Photo by Stacey Hines)

 Solar System, Space, Planets (Photo by NASA)

Specific City, State, Country (Photo by Thomas Bormans)

 Town, Village (Photo by Stacey Hines)

This should get you started but feel free to add more categories to the
Environment Setting.
LOCATION
Location is the actual place where your idea is set. It is a more specific than an
environment setting.
• Environment setting is the starting point, a general physical location
• Location is the specific place within the environment setting
For example: if an environment setting you chose is “Specific City, State,
Country” then make this more specific by defining an exact location such as
New York City. Then narrow it down even further to a specific location within
NYC. Which part of NYC? To choose Manhattan would be too broad. Where in
Manhattan? Which location? A landmark location in NYC – Grand Central.
So once you have chosen a general environment setting, narrow it down to a
specific location.
THEME
Theme is the subject matter of your location. It is a unifying and dominant idea
that brings your environment together. You will find some overlap between an
environment setting and theme. Theme is more abstract such as a particular
design style, time of day, time in history, weather, atmosphere, mood, feeling or
an event, where and environment setting is a general but physical place.
Examples of environment setting, location and theme:
• Environment Setting: Woods, Forest
• Location: Cabin
• Theme: Ghost, Haunting, Paranormal
• Environment Setting: Urban/City – New York City
• Location: NYC Grand Central
• Theme: Historic, construction of the Grand Central Station
• Environment Setting: Landmark – Paris
• Location: Eiffel Tower
• Theme: WW2 (Historic Event)
• Environment Setting: Landmark/Structure
• Location: Coliseum in Rome
• Theme: Abandoned, modern
You can also begin to stack themes.
• Environment Setting: Urban/City – New York City
• Location: NYC Grand Central
• Theme: Abandoned, overgrown, post-apocalyptic, dawn
With just a few of these examples, your mind already begins to create the
environment. It is either an image of something you’ve seen or your mind
created a new image. Even a possible story begins to reveal itself. That is the
creative power of environment setting, location and theme.
There are hundreds of themes you could choose. Each will give the environment
a different atmosphere, story and gameplay opportunities.
In “Resources” section at the end of this book you will find a large list of themes
you can use to get started.
SETTING, LOCATION, THEME ORDER
Be specific in choosing your environment setting, location and theme. Once you
define these three critical elements, your environment begins to shape itself.
Sometimes the order can be reversed based on initial idea. You could start with a
theme as an idea and then decide on environment setting and location.
Some of the settings can be used as themes and vice versa. Just remember that an
environment setting and location are actual physical places. Theme is a unifying
and dominant idea, a subject matter or an event within the environment - a
description.
By choosing an environment setting, location and theme you are ready to begin.
You now know what kind of references you may need, what kind of story the
environment may have, and why the characters might be in this location.
To summarize:
• Pick an Environment Setting
• Pick a Location
• Pick a Theme
ACTIONS – STEP 2: SETTING, LOCATION, THEME
Step 2.1: Choose an environment setting for your idea from the list.
Will it be in an Urban setting? A city? A mountains? Rural area?
Use the Environment Settings list in this chapter to help you.
Step 2.2: Narrow down the environment setting to a certain location. The more
specific you are about the location and more defined your idea will be.
Step 2.3: Choose a theme for your environment. What is the unifying idea of
your level design or game environment? Remember: theme is a description, style
and feel of your environment.

STEP 3: PROJECT PURPOSE

PROJECT PURPOSE
Nothing great has ever been done without a sense of purpose and a vision for
desired outcome. You must know the purpose of why you want to create this
stand-alone game environment or level design.
Every project you begin should have a sense of purpose behind it.
Definition of purpose is “a result, end, aim, or goal of an action intentionally
undertaken, or of an object being brought into use or existence.” (source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purpose)
Project Purpose:
• Why do you want to create this level/map?
• Why do you want this idea to become as a game environment?
• What is your purpose behind this project?
• What do you want the final outcome to be?
• When it is all done and over with, what are key elements you want to
take away from this project?
You always want to strive to become better and purpose gives you that aim.
Without purpose, you are stumbling in the dark, hoping that an idea will be
enough to carry the project forward.
During production you will encounter technical glitches, crashes and constant
problems. It is just part of the process. Being able to center yourself on the
purpose of your environment helps you keep the bigger picture in mind and to
keep working.
HOW TO IDENTIFY PROJECT PURPOSE
Identifying project purpose is not difficult. The core question to ask is:
• What is the reason you want to create this environment?
Here are some examples of project purpose:
• A portfolio piece for xyz studio
 • A map for a ‘Mod’ (modification for an existing game) you are
working on
• To enter a competition or a challenge
• To win a contest, challenge, ‘xyz’ prize
• To learn better organic modeling techniques
• To learn how to create open ended urban environment
• To learn interior lighting for architectural visualization walkthrough
• To create a 3 map/level campaign set in your hometown
• Improve texturing process of weathered metallic surfaces
• Create a full game to enter into an Independent Game Contest
• To create and post something cool on the forums and online for
recognition
You don’t have to limit yourself to one single project purpose. It could be a
combination of the above.
It makes no difference if your project purpose is internal (to become better) or
external (get a job, recognition, make money); the important part is that you
have one.
Project purpose will set you on a path, it will give you a reason to fulfill the idea
and see it to completion. It will help you keep the bigger picture in mind.
KEY QUESTIONS TO SET PROJECT PURPOSE
Answer the following two questions to define your Project Purpose:
• “Reason I want to create this game environment or level design…
(Describe why you want to work and finish this project)”
• “From completing this project, I want to achieve...”
Project Purpose can be a single sentence or a short bulleted list.
For example, my project purpose for DM-IcyApex map I created after coming
from Switzerland was:
• To create my first UT3 fan based map that I can be proud of
 • To capture the isolation atmosphere being up in Alps
• To complete a playable map in 3 weeks
ACTIONS – STEP 3: PROJECT PURPOSE
Step 3.1: Answer the following question:
• What is the reason you want to create this environment?
Step 3.2: Answer the following two questions to define your Project Purpose:
• “Reason I want to create this game environment or level design…
(Describe why you want to work and finish this project)”
• “From completing this project, I want to achieve...”
Step 3.3: Write a single sentence or few bulleted points describing your project
purpose of why you want to pursue and create this game environment or level
design. What are you after? What is your desired outcome?
STEP 4: FEATURES

SET OF FEATURES
Features are a list of 3-5 defining elements in your level design or stand-alone
game environment that lets the player or viewer know what to expect. It is a
“selling point” of your project.
USP or Unique Selling Proposition is a term that is used in business to identify
what makes your product or service stand out from everyone else.
For you, it will be to identify what makes your level design or stand-alone game
environment stand out from everyone else, what makes it different and what
your project will feature.
A “features list” helps to focus on what to aim for in your project. Features
become milestones or goals that you incorporate into your environment. They
help to define how your environment will be different and unique.
Features lists tend to be focused on visuals, story, gameplay and technical.
Features become the primary focus of your environment.
To give you an example of features in recent games:
“Grand Theft Auto 5” – Product Features:
• “The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world ever
created and now packed with layers of new detail.”
• “Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways
as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three
lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story.”
• “Grand Theft Auto V also comes with Grand Theft Auto Online, the
dynamic and ever-evolving Grand Theft Auto universe for multiple
players.”
“Skyrim” – Product Features:
• “Re-imagines the open-world fantasy epic, pushing the game play
and technology of a virtual world to new heights.”
• “Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you
want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling.”
 • “Skyrim's new game engine brings to life a complete virtual world
with rolling clouds, rugged mountains and ancient dungeons.”
• “Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities; the new
character system allows you to play any way you want.”
“Unreal Tournament 3” – Product Features:
• “Vast Arsenal of Weapons: Unreal Tournament has always been
known for brutal weaponry, and now the arsenal is even bigger and
badder. Detonate your opponent from a distance with the ever popular
Shock Rifle or blast away at close range with the Flak Cannon.”
• “New Single Player Campaign: Unreal Tournament like you've never
seen it before! The Necris invasion has begun, and your clan was one
of the first to be slaughtered. Join this Epic battle to defend humanity
while taking your revenge.”
• “New and Favorite Characters: Fight side-by-side with or compete
against new and returning characters from the Unreal universe, all with
enhanced abilities, extremely detailed designs, and distinct
personalities.”
• “Enhanced Popular Game Types: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch,
Capture the Flag, and all-new Warfare mode and more.”
• “PC version bundled with the award-winning Unreal Engine 3
Toolset. Build your own levels, game types, and more, or download the
latest mods from the massive Unreal community.”
“Left 4 Dead 2” – Product Features:
• “On day one, Left 4 Dead 2 features more co-operative campaigns,
more campaigns and maps for the versus game modes than the original
Left 4 Dead did, plus support for Survival Mode right out of the box.”
• “Left 4 Dead 2 features quality co-op action gaming from the makers
of Half-life, Portal, Team Fortress and Counter-Strike.”
• “Updated “AI Director 2.0" technology expands players’ ability to
customize level layout, world objects, weather, and lighting to reflect
different times of day, creating fresh gameplay every time.”
• “Put a whole slew of melee weapons including axes, chainsaws,
 frying pans and baseball bats to use which allow you to get up close
with the zombies.”
• “The game features four different survivors, a new storyline and new
dialog.”
The examples above are from full games. But, these can be directly applied to
stand-alone game environment and level design project. Instead of focusing on
the entire game, you are focusing on one game environment.
Features list should make the player want to buy your game, download your map
or experience your environment. It should describe in a phrase or a sentence how
different and unique your environment is and what you want the player to
experience.
Features fall into five categories:
1. Visual
2. Technical
3. Gameplay
4. Story/Emotional
5. World
You can pick one or all five categories to focus.
• What does your environment feature?
• What do you want the player to experience?
• How will this stand-alone game environment or level design be
different from anything else out there?
• How will this stand-alone game environment or level design be
unique from what has been done before in the same genre, location or
theme? How does it improve upon an existing genre, location or
theme?
• How will you define the environment and create a unique world for
player to experience?
Note: The more features you include in your project, the longer the production
stage may take. The production process will lengthen depending on how much
you know, how much you’ll have to learn and test as you are implementing these
features.
Here is an example of a custom stand-alone game environment features. The
idea is set in New Orleans, French Quarter:
• Explore New Orleans, deep into the French Quarter
• Experience what happens after the party is over and everyone goes
home
• Witness what lurks in the darkest corners in one of the most famous
party street in the world
• Features all new custom textures, materials, and 3d models to create
the atmosphere and authenticity that hasn’t been seen before
• Download and use these custom assets in your project to construct
and to re-imagine your own French Quarter experience
Feature list help to set goals for you to achieve for your project before you get
started. It defines a larger picture for you to achieve. It also gives the player a
reason why they should download your map or buy your game. With hundreds
of maps, game environments and games being created - this will give you a
unique position to stand out from the rest.
ACTIONS – STEP 4: FEATURES
Step 4.1: Create 3-5 features that will be the defining elements of your stand-
alone game environment or playable level. Focus on the following categories:
• Visual
• Technical
• Gameplay
• Story/Emotional
• World
Step 4.2: Answer some of the questions below to help you start defining
features:
• What does the environment feature that is unique to your idea?
• What do you want the player to experience?
• How will this stand-alone game environment or level design be
different from anything else out there?
• How will this stand-alone game environment or level design be
unique from what has been done before in the same genre, location or
theme? How does it improve upon an existing genre, location or
theme?
• How will you define the environment and create a unique world for
player to experience?
STEP 5: PHOTO/VIDEO REFERENCE & RESEARCH

FIRST FOUR STEPS
First 4 steps had you dealing with a lot of writing, thinking, visualizing and
deciding on the direction of your environment.
Once you picked a setting, location, theme and features – the idea is set. Begin
collecting photo reference for your level design or stand-alone game
environment.
Every step from here only strengthens the idea and narrows it down to what you
are going to create. It becomes more difficult to change ideas and switch themes
without having to start over with the first 4 steps.
VISUAL REFERENCE IMAGES
Based on the work you’ve done so far (first 4 steps) you have a basic concept of
what the environment is going to look like.
Next step is to collect visual reference.
Collecting visual reference is one of the most important parts of preproduction.
Reference helps you to create more believable and authentic environments –
from object placement, to architecture, to style, and texture detail.
There are 2 types of visual reference:
• Photo Reference
• Video Reference
The human brain is not very good at remembering details.
The mind categorizes and forms symbols based on what something may look
like and it’s rarely an accurate representation of the real object or a real location.
If you were to create a building as a game environment right now, your mind
would form various images from memory of what a building may look like. It
would be a general representation or a symbol of that building. Perhaps you
would try to remember a building from your life or a building you recently saw.
Maybe you would incorporate an architectural style you know. But when it
comes to creating game environments, this is not practical. There are hundreds
of various details you would miss, from weathered surfaces, to human contact to
natural decay of the materials.
Creating authentic and realistic interpretation of environments comes from
intense research and observation from life, photo and video reference.
Collecting and using visual reference for your level designs and stand-alone
game environments is the key to creating believable worlds.
Photo Reference
Photo references are images or photos of your environment setting, theme and
location.
Photo reference is the most common type of reference. It is easily accessible and
simple to collect. Most of your photo reference research will be done online.
There are many websites you will find for photo reference research, but the one
you should start with is: http://images.google.com/
Type in the location or environment setting you are after into search and begin
going through hundreds of images available.
Video Reference
Video references are video footage of your ideas on location. It provides you
with a better sense of space and layout of the environment. You can often find a
movie or a TV show that took place in a similar location.
In addition to video reference, you can use Google Maps with street view. This
will provide you with more specific reference of environment space and layout.
5 VISUAL REFERENCE CATEGORIES
Each visual reference can be broken down into five distinct category types that
you want to collect:
• Architecture reference
• Environment reference
• Light reference
• Prop reference
• Inspiration reference
After collecting these five types of reference you’ll be able to piece together a
story of your environment through images.
Architectural Reference
Architectural reference are specific architecture styles.
These include:
• Design and construction of buildings
• Architectural detail
• Interior and exterior of architecture style

Example of Architecture Reference

Environment Reference
Environment references are visual images of the environment setting. It is an
overall idea for your environment.
This includes but not limited to:
• Location of the streets
• Cityscapes
 • Mountains
• Terrain, Landscapes, Skies
• Atmosphere

Example of Environment Reference (Photo by Stacey Hines)

Think of environment reference as wide-angle shots of the entire environment –

locations and atmosphere.
Lighting Reference
Lighting is probably the most important element to creating mood and
atmosphere for a game environment. With lighting reference you will need to
collect images that are similar to the type of lighting scenario your environment
takes place in.
You may have already collected some lighting images during architecture and
environment reference, but now you are focusing on collecting specific images
of how your level will be lit.
 Example of Lighting Reference

These should include both interior and exterior lighting, if your environment has
both.
Focus on collecting color, shadow and the time of day you environment takes
place in.
Look and collect images that evoke specific feelings within your environment.
Remember: lighting creates mood and atmosphere.
• What time of day does your environment take place in?
• What is the lighting color palette?
• What are the light and shadow patterns you want to use?
• How much light and how much shadow ratios are you after?
What do you want the player to feel within your level?
Prop Reference
Props are individual objects within your environment (furniture, set dressing,
scene detail).
What are the objects that will make up your scene?
• Collect visual reference of all the props to be within your scene
• Collect prop placement ideas; how are props placed in similar
locations

Example of Prop Reference

Inspiration/Style Reference
Inspirational/Style reference is art direction.
The focus is to inspire and to maintain the vision you have for the project.
This type of reference includes color palette, visual style, and visual quality of
your environment.
One of the common inspiration and style reference is concept art.
In studio setting, there will be a concept artist who creates inspirational and style
environment reference. But if you are working on the project by yourself and
digital painting is not your strength, then you will have to collect those
references yourself.
Collect concept art you find online, look through traditional paintings, and watch
movies with a specific art style. You aren’t trying to re-create other artists’ work
but only use it to inspire you and guide your art style direction.
As you collect inspirational and style reference, focus on the visual and the
emotional impact. Certain reference images will evoke “This is cool” response.
If the image doesn’t evoke that response, find the one that does.

Example of Inspiration/Style Reference

REFERENCE FOLDER INSIDE PROJECT FOLDER

You want to collect visual reference for the current project you are working on.
Whatever the idea you decided to pursue, collect reference for that idea only.
Begin collecting images from the five visual reference categories. You will need
to organize them in one place and keep them accessible.
Create a “Preproduction Blueprint” folder inside the main “Project” folder if you
haven’t done so yet. Inside “Preproduction Blueprint” folder create another
folder called “Reference” to collect all photo references for your project.
1. Create a new “Reference” folder inside “Preproduction Blueprint”
folder
2. Place all collected visual references into “Reference” folder
3. *Optional: you can create subfolders to help you organize for each
visual reference category (architecture, environment, lighting, props,
style)
CONDUCTING ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH
As you collect visual image references, questions will begin to pop up.
• What is this architecture style?
• Why is this prop damaged? What caused it?
• What types of foliage grows in this environment setting?
• At what elevation do these types of trees stop growing?
• How many traffic lanes does a major downtown area have?
• Why do pavement roads have a slight elevation in the middle and
taper off on the sides?
• Etc.
Write down these questions as they come up. Then, spend some time researching
and answering them. The more you know about your environment, more
believable the game world will be.
I was working on a “Winery Project” where I had to create a small scene with
rustic old props.
One of the props I had to design was a wooden barrel. The type of barrel they
store wine in. Some of the questions that came up from research were:
• Why do wooden barrels have a curve in them?
(Curve in the barrels was created to make them easier to transport by
rolling them on the ground.)
• What is the wood commonly used to create these barrels?
(White oak.)
• How heavy are the standard wooden barrels?
(125-140lbs.)

Wooden Barrel Research

These questions and answers helped me to create the scene. I had a deeper
understanding about the props and environment there were in.
You don’t need to do deep research about the history and construction of each
objects but focus on widening the knowledge of your game world beyond what
you think you know.
ORGANIZING REFERENCE AND RESEARCH
All visual reference images and research you collect should go into
“Preproduction Blueprint” folder within your main “Project Folder”.
Whether you organize all images by folder category, place all images into one
“Reference” folder or arrange images on a single image sheet – that is up to you.
Personally, I place all image reference into “Reference” folder. Often, I rename
those images to organize them better.

Organizing Reference and Research

For research, start a “Project Management” document.

Create a Word document and name it “Project Management” or something
similar. We will use more of “Project Management” document in Step 11 for
making lists, notes, to do items, bugs, errors, changes and various outlines. But
for right now use this for collecting environment research notes.
ACTIONS – STEP 5: PHOTO/VIDEO REFERENCE AND RESEARCH
Step 5.1: If you haven’t done so yet, create:
1. Project folder and rename it to your project name
2. Inside that folder, create another folder and name it “Preproduction
Blueprint”
3. Inside “Preproduction Blueprint” folder, create another folder and
name it “Reference”
Step 5.2: Begin collecting visual image reference for your environment.
Go online and search for your environment setting, location and theme.
Place all of the images you collect into “Reference” folder.
If available to you, go on location that is similar to the environment you are
creating and take on location photo reference.
Step 5.3: Collect all five category references you need for your project:
• Architecture reference
 • Environment reference
• Light reference
• Prop reference
• Inspiration/Style reference
As you are collecting reference images, write down questions that come up in
your mind.
Step 5.4: Research your environment. Answer the questions you wrote down
when you were collecting reference images.
Step 5.5: Start a document and name it “Project Management”. Record answers
from researched questions into this document.
STEP 6: STORY

STORY IS KING
Storytelling is one of the most effective ways to communicate your ideas. It is
what holds the game world together.
Story is a universal way to communicate between people. We tell stories to our
family; to friends and to people we just met. Best way to connect with someone
is to share stories.
Stories create connection. As a level designer and game environment artist you
are telling a story of an environment.
Broken door to a building, blood splatter in the bedroom apartment or a crashed
vehicle that blocks the way to a location – all communicate a story.
TWO OPTIONS FOR STORYTELLING
When it comes to storytelling for a game environment and level design you will
have two options to choose from:
• First: if you are creating a level or stand-alone game environment for
an existing game that already contains a storyline to follow.
• Second: if you are creating a stand-alone game environment that is
not part of an already established game or a mod. You would not need
to follow a pre-existing storyline of the game world.
Existing Storyline to Follow:
You will experience an existing storyline to follow that has already been written
if you are working on a game or a mod for which you are creating level designs
and game environments for. Main storyline for a game will probably be the first
thing created for a game. Just as a screenplay written for a movie would be
completed before locations picked out and set design built.
For example if you are working in a game studio as a level designer and game
environment artist. You are working on a game that already has a story. Your job
is to create levels and environment assets that fit that narrative.
Another example is if you are creating a custom level campaign for an existing
game such as Left4Dead2 for example. The game’s storyline already has been
written. You have to survive zombie apocalypse by fighting through a horde of
infected with 3 other survivors. Your job here is to create level designs and game
environments that are within the narrative of Left4Dead2 story.
So, when working on a level design or a game environment for an already
established game, a lot of questions have been answered by writer, designers and
programmers. Such as gameplay mechanics, storyline and character arcs. It
provides an existing context within which you will create environments and
level designs.
If you are creating your own game, you will have to write the game’s main
storyline prior to designing or creating any game environment or level design.
Non-Existing Storyline to Follow:
You will experience a non-existing storyline to follow for stand-alone game
environments you are creating that are not a part of any game or pre-existing
game worlds.
Your purpose here is to create your own context within which you design game
worlds in. You would not attempt to create a main storyline as you would for a
game but only focus on creating a visual story of the environment for the player
or viewer to experience.
TWO WAYS TO TELL A STORY WITHIN YOUR GAME WORLD
There are two ways to tell a story within your game environment and level
design:
• Explicit
• Implicit
Explicit: explicit environment storytelling is told through character dialogue or
monologue, cinematic, text on screen and game or level objectives. Explicit
storytelling is told to you, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast is an additional level for the 2004 first-person shooter
video game Half-Life 2. Right from spawn, you encounter an older man that you
cannot avoid. He tells you “explicitly” why you are there and what your mission
is.
 Explicit Storytelling from Half Life 2: Lost Coast, ©Valve Corporation, All rights reserved.

Implicit: implicit environment storytelling is implied. Blood smudge on the

walls, dead body next to an electric fence or specific prop placement – all
communicate story. You don’t know exactly what happened but you figure out
what may have happened.
In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive level cs_militia (left), if you make your way
to the attic you will find a chair, ax and a milk jug that may have had something
other than milk in it. Great implicit storytelling.

Implicit Storytelling from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ©Valve Corporation, All rights reserved.
Implicit storytelling is subtle and indirect, without telling you explicitly what is
going on.
There is some cross-over between both types but to keep this simple:
• explicit is told
• implicit is shown
Explicit environment storytelling would be if a character in-game tells you that
the building you are about to explore was destroyed by fire. Implicit
environment storytelling would be to show you the damage of the building,
allow you to explore it and piece it together yourself.
You’ve experienced both of these environment storytelling techniques in all the
games you’ve played. As you played, the game’s and environment’s story is
revealed to you through these two types of storytelling techniques. Explicitly
through cinematic, game events, game objectives and character participation
through dialogue; and implicitly through environment, prop placement and
atmosphere of the world.
Explicit and implicit environment storytelling is how you would tell the story of
your game world.
TWO TYPES OF ENVIRONMENT STORIES
There are also two different types of stories for game environments and level
designs. They are:
• Story of the environment
• Story of the characters within that environment
The following is a set of questions that will help to guide you defining your
environment story. You should be able to answer all these questions by the end
of this chapter:
• What is the overall story of your game, stand-alone game
environment or level design?
• What happened in the environment prior to the player arriving here?
• How did the player arrive in the environment? What events brought
the player there?
 • How will you show what happened in and to the environment? How
will you tell the story of the environment to the player?
• Why is the character here? What purpose or what goal are they to
achieve?
Let’s break down the What, How and Why in more detail.
What:
The “What” is a first set of questions that deal with the environment itself. Your
goal for this section is to create a background story of the environment’s
location.
Environments and locations exist whether the player is there or not. The player
just happens to pass through this location but eventually he/she will leave, yet
the environment will continue to exist. Streets, building, cars, closed down shops
and prop placement all tell a story. Everything in the environment gives you
clues to what type of environment it is and what happened there prior to the
player arriving there.
• What is the overall story of your game, stand-alone game
environment or level design?
• What happened in the environment prior to the player arriving here?
Write a short story (2-4 paragraphs) or a list explaining what this location is like.
This will help you to create more believable environment through prop
placement, materials/textures, architecture style, detail to include and
atmosphere.
• What types of people live here?
• What do they do on daily basis?
• What is a normal, routine day look like?
• Has any events happened in this location that changed the physical or
psychological landscape?
• Anything else significant happened prior to the player arriving there
that may change the normal and daily routine?
Write a description of this environment from point of view of a character that
lives there.
It helps to imagine that you met someone who lives in this location and they are
telling you their experience of it. How it was created, what happened to it, which
places to visit and which to avoid, etc.
When the time comes to create textures/materials, model environment assets and
place props – you will know exactly what to do for this location. The
environment will tell you if it’s a proper prop placement, enemy pathway, how
the player should navigate and what the objectives will be, all based on the
history you created.
How:
The “How” is a second set of questions dealing with the player arriving into this
environment.
There tends to be a linear progression that you experience throughout the day. If
you had to explain to a friend what you did all day yesterday, you would
probably tell them how you woke up, went to the bathroom, had breakfast, got
dressed, got in your car, drove through traffic, arrived at work and so on in a
step-by-step linear process.
There may have been things that happened along the way. Perhaps there was an
accident that was caused by an alien invasion and you had to fight to survive.
These things happen; at least they do in games.
So, as you create you game environments, you need to know:
• How did the player arrive into this environment’s location?
• What were the events that brought them there?
• What events happened in the environment or to the player prior to
him/her arriving into this location?
• How will the player navigate through the environment?
These questions and your answers create a set of actions and consequences that
influence your environment, how that location may look and obstacles the player
will need to overcome based on where they came from.
For example, if you are creating an environment set in a prison:
• How did the player get there?
• Was he or she a prisoner? If yes, what is he or she there for? What
 crime did they commit?
• If not, then is this an abandoned prison that the player has to get
through? What was the player doing right before they arrived at the
prison environment? Why are they near the prison to begin with?
• Are there any prisoners that escaped and are currently around in this
area?

Prison Story Setting (Photo by Bedazelive)

All these questions will help to create depth in the story and the environment
itself.
The “How” may not always be apparent and you will not always have to show or
explain every single event that happened. But you still need to know everything
about the environment and the character’s participation in it – even if it is never
going to be shown to the player.
Why:
The “Why” is a third and final set of questions which deal with purpose of the
character being in this location.
The “why” question will help to define an objective for the player to achieve.
The reason they are in this environment and what do they have to do in it.
Why question is closely tied to the “How” question.
• You know how the player got to the environment but why are they
here, in this location?
• What purpose or what goal are they to achieve? Is it to fulfill an
objective? Collect something? Escape? Loot? Explore?
The “why” will help to establish a relationship between the environment and
player character.
SHOW, DON'T TELL
Once you have developed the background story of the environment and its
location, it is time to show it.
You want to let the player or the viewer to experience the environment through
visuals rather than through summarization of text on screen or character’s
dialogue and description.
• How will you show what happened to the environment?
• How will you tell the story of the environment to the player?
For example, if you are creating World War 2 destroyed city, show this through:
• Destroyed buildings through mortars, tanks and air raids
• Props placement through debris, destroyed vehicles, bodies and
emptiness of the streets
• Fire and smoke
• Sounds of gunfire and engines in the distance
 WW2 Destroyed City

Every prop placement in the environment is telling a story to the player. The
more thought you spend on creating background story of the environment, more
believable the environment will become. Every prop will have a reason to exist.
Make a list of how you will show what happened in the environment through
design, prop placement, texture creation, lighting, mood, enemy placement, or
friendly AI.
When you have to make a decision on what you should do, such as “is this prop
or this texture is appropriate to the location”? The background story will tell you
if it is fitting for this environment or not.
CREATING A STORY OF THE PLAYER WITHIN THE
ENVIRONMENT AS THEY NAVIGATE THROUGH IT
Every location in the environment and player within it is telling a story. This is
done through architecture, textures, lighting, props and player’s actions.
If a player arrives to a location and sees a car parked outside, it tells them you
one story; same car with a hood opened and a flat tire tells another. If a player
continues through a location and sees a building that is freshly painted, grass
mowed and foliage landscaped, it tells them one story; but the same building
with few broken windows, trash outside and graffiti on the wall tells them
another.
You are to create a brief story, a description of your environment and player’s
participation in it. To do this you can choose one of two options:
1. You can write out few (2-4) paragraphs describing as the player
navigates through your environment
2. You can write a list describing as the player navigates through your
environment
Use the questions you have already answered in the What, How and Why
sections to create a story of a player character navigating through your level
from beginning to end.
Note: If you are creating a stand-alone game environment then you do not have
to create a story of the player navigating through the environment.
Option 1: Writing 2-4 Paragraphs
1. Write out few (2-4) paragraphs describing as the player navigates
through your environment
The following example is how I approached a single-player fan based custom
campaign for Left4Dead2. The game’s story is already established by the game.
But I created a story of the environment and what the player will experience in
the level from start to finish.
In this option I wrote out the description as a linear story.
“Survivors spawn in a 3-story, car parking garage. It used to be a safe place to
rest and wait to be rescued, but since then it has become another abandoned
location.
Upon spawning in the car garage, survivors find out the location of the meet up
has been changed to a nearby mountain hotel called Hotel Swiss. Previous
survivors left signs to let anyone who arrives in the car garage to head for Hotel
Swiss. These signs are shown with graffiti on the wall, spray paint text and Hotel
Swiss poster.
Survivors have to start moving due to night closing in.
Hotel Swiss is a popular tourist location. It’s up in the mountains and the only
way to get there is ride a cable car to the top. Hotel contains a pool and a
gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains.
As the survivors travel through the town in order to arrive at the cable car ride,
they will continuously see Hotel Swiss advertising posters to reinforce the end
location.
Before survivors can make to Hotel Swiss, they will have to navigate through
shops, restaurants and coffee shops of the downtown area. Downtown location
used to be busy with tourist, now it is full of infected.
The downtown is straightforward from start to finish. There are various horde
panic events that take place such coffee shop massacre, bridge collapse and last
dash to the finish line rescue room which takes the survivors through a highway
tunnel into the second map.
Second map is set in suburban area which changes the scenery into residential
and rural landscape. This location is full of houses and few apartment buildings.
The setting is more open than the tight closed spaces of the downtown area. Due
to night time coming up, the visibility is now low. The area is full of infected
which are former residents whom used to live in the area.
The supermarket is the center location of this small town. It is currently empty
and dangerous to enter. The survivors must reach the supermarket in order to
make through to the cable car controls. There will be a supermarket panic event
to make the survivors fight through a horde of infected in order to get through
the store.
Once the survivors make it through the supermarket, they arrive at the cable car
station. Unfortunately the cable car is at the top due to previous survivors never
sending it down. If activated, the cable car controls light up producing loud
noise, which attracts hordes of infected. There will be at least 2-3 minutes of
waiting for cable car to arrive down on the ground and the survivors will have to
fight off a horde after horde of infected until they make it to into the car to leave.
Once the cable car arrives, the survivors can make the short safe trip up the
mountain and arrive at Hotel Swiss.
Third and final map is at Hotel Swiss. Upon arrival, the players discover that
previous survivors died in attempt to start up the generator that lets the rescue
helicopter know where to land. After getting ready by loading up on ammo,
health and supplies - the survivors must activate the generator. Once done, they
have to maintain the generator running and wait for the helicopter rescue, while
fighting off hordes of infected.”
Option 2: Writing a List
2. Write a list describing as the player navigates through your
environment
The following example is using the same story but instead of writing out a
narrative paragraph structure, I opted out to make a list.
The idea here is the same as the first option, but offers a different approach.
• Survivors spawn in a 3-story, car parking garage, a former rescue
location
• Car garage is abandoned
• Survivors must travel to a new rescue location at Hotel Swiss, set in
the mountains
• Graffiti on the wall, spray paint text and Hotel Swiss poster
foreshadow where to go and what the final location goal is
• Survivors must start moving due to night closing in
• To reach Hotel Swiss, survivors must traverse through downtown
area and a small rural town to reach a cable car
• In downtown area, survivors must fight and navigate through shops,
restaurants and coffee shops
• Downtown location features 3 panic level events; coffee shop
massacre, bridge collapse and last dash to the finish line rescue room
through a highway tunnel
• Due to urban setting, downtown location contains more close-quarter
combat areas
• Second map is set in suburban area which changes the scenery into
residential and rural landscape
• Second location is full of houses and few apartment buildings and
features more open spaces
• The supermarket is the center location of this small town
 • The survivors must reach the supermarket in order to make through to
the cable car controls.
• Supermarket location contains a level panic event to make the
survivors fight through a horde of infected in order to get through the
store
• Arrival at the cable car location also features a level panic event
• Survivors must call for the cable car to arrive to the bottom station;
and while it is in transit, players must fight non-stop horde of infected
• Once the cable car arrives, the survivors make the short safe trip up
the mountain and arrive at Hotel Swiss
• Final map is at Hotel Swiss, location set at the mountains
• Previous survivors died in an attempt to start up the generator which
calls for a rescue helicopter
• Survivors must start up the generator and they have to maintain the
generator running
• The rescue will arrive but in the meantime, survivors must fight off a
horde of infected in a continuous steam until the helicopter arrives
Should I Use a List or Write The Story?
It does not matter which option you choose. Written out paragraph description
allows for more detailed and descriptive information. As if you were writing a
story. If you are a good writer then long-descriptive story format (option 1)
might be better for you.
If you are short on time or writing descriptive stories isn’t your strong point, then
you can go with the list option. List option allows you to focus on the facts in
chronological order.
Sometimes I use a list to quickly outline what the player will experience. Other
times I spend a bit more time on describing in detail, painting a visual picture
with words.
ACTIONS – STEP 6: STORY
Some of the questions may not pertain to you. This depends if you are creating a
stand-alone game environment (no gameplay, no player participation) or if you
are creating a level design (playable map for a game). Answer the questions that
apply to your project type.
Step 6.1: Write the answers to the following questions about your environment.
What?
• What is the overall story of your game, stand-alone game
environment or level design?
• What happened in the environment prior to the player arriving here?
Write a short story (2-4 paragraphs) or a list explaining what this location is like:
• What types of people live here?
• What do they do on daily basis?
• What is a normal, routine day look like?
• Has any events happened in this location that changed the physical or
psychological landscape?
• Anything else significant happened prior to the player arriving there
that may change the normal and daily routine?
Write a description of this environment from point of view of a character that
lives there or someone who has already been through it.
How?
• How did the player arrive into this environment’s location? What
were the events that brought them there?
• What events happened in the environment or to the player prior to
them arriving into this location?
• How will you show what happened to the environment? How will
you tell the story of the environment to the player?
• How will the player navigate through the environment?
Why:
Why question is closely tied to the “How” question.
• You know how the player got to the environment but why are they
 here, in this location?
• What purpose or what goal are they to achieve? Is it to fulfill an
objective? Collect something? Escape? Loot? Explore?
The “why” will help to establish a relationship between the environment and
player character.
Step 6.2: Show, Don't Tell
How will you show what happened to the environment? How will you tell the
story of the environment to the player?
Make a list of how you will show how, why and what in the environment?
Step 6.3: Creating a story of the player within the environment as they navigate
through it.
You are to create a brief story, a description of your environment as the player
participates and travels through it. Choose one of two options:
1. Write out few (2-4) paragraphs describing as the player navigates
through your environment
2. Write a list describing as the player navigates through your
environment
Use the questions you have already answered in the What, How and Why
sections and create a story of a player character navigating through your level
from beginning to end.
STEP 7: OBJECTIVES, OBSTACLES AND SET PIECES

OBJECTIVES
Objectives are goals for the player to achieve within a level.
• What does the player need to do in order to finish the map?
• Where do they need to go?
• What do they have to accomplish?
The game environment may contain one single main objective or multiple
objectives.
OBSTACLES
Obstacles are opposition for the player to overcome. Obstacles follow objectives.
• What stands in the way of the player to completing an objective?
For example: Objective could be to reach a castle on top of a mountain. Obstacle
to complete this objective could be to fight 10 AI enemies. Enemy AI is an
obstacle that stands in the way of completing the objective.
Most objectives in games have obstacles for the player to collect, overcome or
defeat. These could be puzzles or enemy AI battles.
SET PIECES/SCRIPTED EVENTS
Set pieces are events that happen in the environment. They are also known as
scripted events. Set pieces help to immerse the player into the game by providing
an interactive game environment. These events come from direct and indirect
response from the player’s actions or are part of the world itself.
Set pieces or scripted events may happen from direct action of the player such as
placing an explosive next to a closed gate which would open a path to a new
location. The explosion and destruction would be a set piece. Player completes
an objective and that causes a scripted event to happen.
Set pieces can also be indirect which cause an obstacle for the player to
overcome such as an alien drop ship arriving into a location where the player is
traveling through. The player did not cause the indirect event to happen, other
than just exploring a location.
Set pieces can also be a non-player participating environmental events. These
scripted events help the environment to be more believable such as traffic,
people living out their own lives, day and night cycles, or random events such as
weather and natural disasters. These set pieces do not create an obstacle or an
objective.
Half Life 2 is full of set pieces or scripted events that happen to progress the
story forward. Some of the events happen from player’s participation, others
happen without any input from the player.
Call of Duty series is full of epic set pieces, and a good study of scripted events.
These are just a couple of games with heavily scripted set pieces, but of course
there are many games out there you could look at and study.
Set pieces can be very large elaborate scripted events or subtle detail of the
environment:
• Building destruction by enemy AI helicopter (Uncharted 2)
• Crashing helicopter (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3)
• Submarine sinking as the player has to escape (Crysis 2)
• AI Boss fights
Or a subtle detail of the environment:
• AI character interacting with the environment
• Birds flying overhead
• Day changing to night
For gameplay level design: objectives, obstacles and set pieces (scripted events)
is an important part of the process during the production. You will be designing
various scripted events that support the story and provide objectives for the
player to complete.
For stand-alone game environment without any gameplay: an objective could
be as simple as to explore the environment, or a fly-through the environment to
showcase its features. You won’t have much of objectives and obstacles to create
and you mostly will be dealing with environmental scripted events.
THE OBJECTIVES, OBSTACLES, SET PIECES SEQUENCE
Objective leads to obstacles, which leads to set pieces or scripted events.
Objectives > Obstacles > Set Pieces (Scripted Events)
First begin by defining the map’s objectives, then define set of obstacles for the
player to overcome and then design set pieces (scripted events) around it.
Basically, the player has an objective to complete. There are obstacles in the
way. The player must complete an objective by overcoming these obstacles
which trigger a scripted event (set piece).
1. Define the objectives for your map
2. Define obstacles to overcome
3. Define direct or indirect set pieces (scripted events) that will support
the game’s story, environments story and objectives
Feel free to reverse the order of this sequence. Such as an obstacle that creates an
objective or a scripted event.
1. Player arrives into a location
2. Indirect scripted event within the environment creates an obstacle to
overcome
3. Player now has a new objective to complete
CREATING OBJECTIVES
Objectives are goals for the player to achieve to complete a level and advance to
the next stage.
Most if not all games contain a set of objectives that you need to accomplish to
beat the game. Objectives are usually created from the story of the game being
told. If you know your game’s story and you already crafted environment’s story
then you can create objectives that have a sense of purpose in the world.
Key factors to creating level’s objectives:
• Objectives should have obstacles to overcome
• Objectives have to reflect and push the story forward
• Objectives have to be believable for the game world
Objectives can be communicated through scripted events, on-screen menus, AI
character dialogue, through character’s inner dialogue or props picked up (such
as books or notes – e.g. Elder Scrolls series).
One question you need to answer to help you create objectives is:
• What does the player need to do in order to complete the map?
Half-Life 2 is a good study for indirect events that cause objectives for the player
as well as AI character dialogue based objectives.
Alan Wake is a good study of for inner dialogue based objectives. Main
character’s inner voice guides the player forward to what they need to do to
complete the objective of the level.
Elder Scrolls (Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim) is a good study for AI and prop
based objectives.
CREATING OBSTACLES
Once an objective has been set and the player knows what they need to do to
accomplish a level –they now needs an obstacle to overcome that stands in the
way.
• What does the player need to do to overcome this obstacle?
Example of obstacles can be:
• Defeating enemy AI or Boss fight
• Evade and escape the police
• Steal an item without being caught
• Solve a puzzle in order for the door to open
• Items to find and collect to bring back to an AI character
• Explore and gather information about a location in the world
Obstacles can be as easy or as difficult as you need to make them for a given
skillset of the player and how far they are in the game.
CREATING SET PIECES
You will now have to decide what set pieces (scripted events) to include in your
level or stand-alone game environment. These set pieces should either create a
new obstacle or be a result of a completed objective. Unless of course it is
environmental scripted event which happen outside of player’s control and do
not create an obstacle or objective.
Scripted events fall under 3 categories:
1. Direct: happens from player’s action or participation. Player does
something then a scripted event happens.
2. Indirect: happens due to the player being in the environment but did
not do anything directly to cause an event (e.g. reinforcements arrive
because player is in a wrong part of town or reached a checkpoint
location). Indirect scripted events create an obstacle and an objective
for the player, without the player doing anything directly to make it
happen.
3. Environmental: events that happen by themselves in the
environment. Timed or cycle scripted events (traffic, night/day, other
game characters living in the world etc.) These by themselves do not
create an obstacle or an objective. Environmental scripted events are
there to create a more believable world and help to immerse the player
in it.
Both direct and indirect closely tie themselves to an existing obstacle or
objective by creating one or accomplishing one.
The questions you want to answer are:
• What set pieces (scripted events) could come from this objective or
obstacle?
• What direct scripted events would you need to set up?
• What indirect scripted events would you need to setup?
• What environmental scripted events do you need to create to help
immerse the player in the world?
• What do you want the player to experience in your environment?
HOW TO CREATE SET PIECES & OBJECTIVES FOR PLAYABLE
LEVEL
Creating objectives, obstacles and set pieces for gameplay is where you will be
spending quite a bit of time during production. So it’s important to set very clear
objectives and set pieces in preproduction.
Objectives, obstacles and set pieces you create will depend on the story of your
environment and the story of the game. How will the player navigate through the
environment? What do they need to do in order to achieve their goal of the map?
Focus on designing objectives and set pieces that immerse the player and add to
the atmosphere of the world. Follow the game’s main storyline and
environment’s story that you created to define a set of objectives for your map.
Simplest way to begin is on a piece of paper. Start by drawing objectives
progression chart. Define where the player will start and where they will end up.
Then in the free empty space write what do they have to do in order to complete
the map.
Visually design the objectives. Here is an example of Objectives Progression
Chart created for Left4Dead 2 fan based custom map. First define a set of
objectives, a set of actions the player needs to do to complete the map. There are
no obstacles or scripted events planned just yet.
Set of objectives can be reaching a certain locations, finding an item or meeting
up with friendly AI. During this step you may also begin designing decision
trees (red text).
These are different responses depending on the choices a player makes.
Next, create a set of obstacles for each of the objectives. What are the obstacles
the player will encounter for each objective?
The obstacles are written in blue text, below the objectives.
Once you write out objectives and obstacles – begin to define set pieces that you
want the player to experience.
An AI boss fight, helicopter crash or vehicle chase. These will need to be
scripted for obstacles that happen along the way to completing your
environment’s objective (scripted events are written in green text color).
Also note: not all objectives and obstacles need a scripted event.


The Formula:
Objectives > Obstacles > Set Pieces (Scripted Events)
The Objectives Progression Chart helps to get a visual on what is important in
the map and what you want the player to do. It defines important aspects to focus
on within your playable environment. Create objectives that fit within the world
and progress the story forward. Each objective has to make sense within the
game’s story and its world.
Examples of questions when designing Objectives Progression Chart:
• Where does the player need to go? What areas do they need to
navigate to?
• Will there be enemy AI, puzzles, exploration or other?
• Will simply getting to a check point in the map complete an objective
or will the player have to do something in direct participation to
complete an objective?
• Are there any alternate objectives or optional quests that will be
created to offer choice?
• Once you have objectives planned out, what are the obstacles if any
for each objective?
• What scripted events for obstacles and objectives will you create to
add depth of immersion and participation from the player?
There is a difference between setting objectives for single-player maps and
multiplayer maps. Usually, you wouldn’t need to create an Objective Progression
Chart for multiplayer maps.
Single-player maps tend to be linear and story driven. There is a lot more
involvement between the player, game world and game’s story. Multiplayer
maps usually have one simple objective that is clearly defined. Such as capture
the flag, rescue the hostages, get the most kills or plant a bomb. Setting up
objectives for single-player will take a bit longer than for multiplayer.
Here is an example of Objective Progression Chart for multiplayer map. It is
more straightforward than it is for single player maps and everything flows into
each other.
HOW TO CREATE SET PIECES & OBJECTIVES FOR STAND ALONE
GAME ENVIRONMENT
Stand-alone game environment usually do not contain any gameplay, objectives
or obstacles for the player to complete and they are not a part of an existing level
structure of a game. These environments tend to be created for exploration,
portfolio or beauty scene to learn the game engine.
Since stand-alone game environments will not have a player spawning into your
map, you do not need to create objectives and obstacles.
The only thing you would need to focus on is environmental set pieces (scripted
events).
• Environmental: events that happen by themselves in the
environment. Timed or cycle scripted events (traffic, night/day, other
game characters living in the world etc.) These by themselves do not
create an obstacle or an objective. Environmental scripted events are
there to create a more believable world and help to immerse the player
in it.
Look over your environment’s story and create a list for what kind of set pieces
(scripted events) will happen to make the world see more alive and unique.
Two important questions to help you define which scripted events you want to
include:
• What events could you script to help your stand-alone game
environment come to life
• What do you want the viewer to experience? What emotional
response do you want the viewer to have?
Some examples of environmental set pieces (scripted events):
• Simple cloud movement in the sky
• Sounds effects of traffic and dogs barking in the distance
• Day to night cycle and as it turns into night the interior lighting inside
the house turns on
• Sunny day turns to overcast and it begins to rain
• Subway train arrives at the station, doors open, few seconds later
doors close and subway train leaves the station.
ACTIONS – STEP 7: OBJECTIVES, OBSTACLES AND SET PIECES
Playable Level
Step 7.1: Following the game’s main storyline and environment’s story, begin to
define a set of objectives for your map.
Start by drawing objectives progression chart. Visually design the objectives.
Define where the player will start and where they will end up. Then in-between,
come up with objectives for what the player has to do in order to complete the
map.
• What does the player need to do in order to complete the map?
You may want to open reference images you collected. Seeing photo reference
will help you to define various set pieces and objectives for your environment
that will be unique to your level.
Step 7.2: Check to make sure that all objectives push the story of the game and
its environment forward.
Step 7.3: For each of the objectives, define obstacles the player has to overcome.
Obstacles are conflicts that stand in the player’s way in a form of opposition
from AI enemies, puzzles or environment exploration.
Step 7.4: For each objective or obstacle, begin to define direct set pieces
(scripted events) which are caused from player’s actions and participation.
Player does something then a scripted event happens.
Step 7.5: Also begin to define indirect set pieces (scripted events) if any. These
will happen due to the player being in the environment but did not do anything
directly to cause an event. Indirect scripted events could create an obstacle and
an objective for the player to complete. Remember these happen without the
player doing anything directly to make them happen.
Step 7.6: Define environmental set pieces (scripted events) if any, to add
atmosphere and interactivity along the way in the environment. Timed or cycle
scripted events (traffic, night/day, other game characters living in the world etc.)
Step 7.7: Create Objective Progression Chart for your playable level.
Stand-Alone Game Environment
Step 7.1: Following the environments story, begin to define a set of
environmental set pieces (scripted events) that happen by themselves in the
environment. Timed or cycle scripted events (traffic, night/day, other game
characters living in the world etc.)
Browse through collected photo reference. Seeing them will help you to come up
with environmental scripted events unique to your world.
• What events could you script to help your stand-alone game
environment come to life
• What do you want the viewer to experience? What emotional
response do you want the viewer to have?

STEP 8: FOCAL POINT

FOCAL POINTS
Focal point is environment’s landmark. It is something that a player can identify
an individual locations or the entire game environment by.
It is the focus of your game environment location.
Focal points can be anything that draws attention of the viewer or the player to a
certain section of the environment, a contrasting element within your level such
as a dominating piece of architecture, landscape or pathway.
For example: in a playable map, a focal point can be either a physical element
such as an architectural structure, a landscape section or it can be an element
within a section of a map that directs the player where to go – a well-lit doorway
or headlights on a car in a dark alley.
If you could only show one screenshot of your environment, you would want to
show off your focal point.
Every game environment should have a focal point.
Focal point is your map’s location identity. It is how the player remembers the
level and as visual reference of player’s orientation within the world.
Examples of Focal Points/Landmarks:
 Windmill Focal Point (by Willem Roelofs 1822–1897)

Architecture and Lighting Focal Point (by Carl Blechen 1798–1840)

• Specific architectural structure (statue, house, building, bridge)

• Specific physical element within architecture (broken window with
 light on, the only red door in a house)
• General area (street block, hallway, base)
• Contrast of lighting, architecture or landscape silhouette (fire or a
light in a dark cave, contrast of lighting and color)
• Landscape (certain section of it)
You will use focal points in two ways:
• For visual aesthetics; to define composition for the viewer to
experience, to make the environment stand-out and become identifiable
• For functional gameplay importance; to draw attention for the
player to examine a location, an item, navigate towards an objective
and to help the player orient themselves in the environment so they
know exactly where they are and where they should go.
CREATING FOCAL POINTS
Whether you are creating a gameplay level or a stand-alone game environment,
focal point is a very important part of the environment location.
Every environment should have a focal point. It is:
• It is a way to make your environment visually stand out and become
identifiable
• It is the landmark of your environment
• It is your level’s location identity
• It is how the player will remember the environment
• It is a reference point for player’s orientation in the world
• It is a way to draw player’s or viewer’s attention to an item, objective
or obstacle
Your approach for creating focal points in playable level or in stand-alone game
environment without any gameplay will be different.
In playable level you will use focal points for visual aesthetics and for
gameplay. To help the player orient themselves within a location and as aesthetic
beauty to make your location stand-out.
In stand-alone game environments, you will only need visual focal point for
compositional aesthetic.
With a location already chosen for your environment, begin to identify a specific
landmark to use as a focal point.
Questions to help choosing the focal point:
• What would make your environment stand out?
• How will the player remember the environment?
• What would help the players orient themselves in the environment?
• What would make your location interesting? Visually and
functionally.
• Does the focal point support the story of the game and the
environment?
Go through your game’s story, environment’s story, setting, theme and location,
objectives and set pieces. Come up with one or multiple focal points for your
environment.
Use photo reference you collected in Step 5 to help choosing the focal point of
your environment.
SINGLE OR MULTIPLE FOCAL POINTS
Depending if you are creating a playable level or stand-alone environment, you
may have one single focal point or multiple focal points in each section of your
level.
General guideline to follow:
• Stand-Alone Game Environments: one single focal point used for
compositional aesthetic purposes
• Playable Level Design: one large dominating focal point in the level,
then multiple focal points in each location or section that help to guide
the player from one location within the level to the next
The size of each focal point may also vary. You can have large, grand focal
points (bridge, skyscraper) that dominate an area or small focal point within a
location such as a lit up doorway, or a vehicle on fire at night.
Will the environment have a single focal point?
Single focal point is often used in smaller level designs and especially in stand-
alone game environments.
In stand-alone game environments you are creating a non-playable environment
to showcase a specific area for portfolio, to learn the game engine or to
prototype a location.
So for stand-alone game environments focus on one single dominating landmark
as a traditional artist would for a painting.
Single focal point in level design is usually done in linear single-player and
multiplayer maps.
Single focal point creates contrast, visual interest and player orientation in the
map. It also helps to guide the player towards this location.
It draws player’s attention towards this specific structure. You would then
reinforce everything around the environment to help the player towards this
location.

Single Focal Point from Half-Life 2: Lost Coast. ©Valve Corporation, All rights reserved.

The map “Launch” in Call of Duty: Black Ops contains single dominating focal
point of a space shuttle that can be seen anywhere in the map.
It is a very powerful and dominating focal point that is referenced and seen
almost anywhere within the map. Player always knows where they are upon
spawning in relation to this focal point. Focal point also helps to set up a visual
theme and landmark to make the map stand out.

Single Focal Point from Call of Duty: Black Ops ©2010 Activision® Publishing, Inc All Rights Reserved.

Will the environment have multiple focal points?

Multiple focal points are mostly used in single player, multiplayer and in some
cases for stand-alone game environments.
Single player levels or worlds will often contain multiple focal points guiding
the player from one location to another.
For example, you could have a village, cave and castle focal points all within
one map. Mountainous landscape could be the setting, which makes these
structures stand out. Each one would need to be spaced apart so they don’t
dominate the landscape and making focal points less important. The castle could
be the final place the player would need to get to and it would be far off in the
distance guiding the player, while the village and the cave would be along the
way.
Most open-world games contain multiple focal points that help the player orient
themselves and to identify sections within the world. Some open-world games
that do this are Grand Theft Auto series, Fallout 3 and 4, The Elder Scrolls V:
Skyrim.
Multiple focal points help to reinforce the player’s direction to a location.
Left4Dead2 is a great game to study multiple focal points within its levels and
campaign. For example, Dark Carnival campaign contains distant roller coaster
silhouette and sky spotlights at the start of the campaign.
Then within each map you progress from one focal point (highway, hotel,
woods, parking lot) to another to reach roller coaster landmark.

Multiple Focal Points from Left4Dead 2. ©Valve Corporation, All rights reserved.

Multiplayer maps can have single or multiple focal points. This helps each
player reference themselves in the environment after they spawn. If you want to
include multiple focal points in a multiplayer map, make sure they are different
enough so the player knows within the first second of spawning where they are
in the level.
In “Modern Warfare: Black Ops”, Hanoi multiplayer map contains multiple focal
points. As the player spawns in various positions within the map, these focal
points help orient the player within the level.
Some of these multiple focal points include watch tower, search light with
guillotine, water well and gallows.

Multiple Focal Points from Call of Duty: Black Ops ©2010 Activision® Publishing, Inc All Rights
Reserved.

For stand-alone game environments it is best to stick with one focal point. In
some cases you may have multiple focal points, in which you would have one
focal point for each location. For example an environment that contains an
interior and exterior location.
FOCAL POINTS FOR PLAYABLE LEVEL DESIGNS
In playable level design, you will either have one or several focal points. This
depends on how large and involved your environment is.
Three Options are:
1. One main focal point for the entire level
2. One dominating focal point within the level then smaller several
focal points within each important location
3. Several main focal points but each should be given enough space to
dominate its own area, then smaller focal points within each important
location (good for open world levels)
Each Focal Point Will Serve One or More Functions:
• Visual graphic to make the location stand out
• As a functional gameplay element to help the player orient
themselves in your level
• To guide the player to their next location
• To call player’s attention to a specific location, an objective or an
obstacle.
How to distinguish if you should use large scale focal points or small scale focal
points?
Of course this will be dictated by your project’s theme, setting, locations,
objectives and obstacles but a simple guideline to start with is to use large to
small approach.
You have one large dominating landmark in your level. It is the main focal point.
Let’s say it is a large building in a suburban area. The player sees that and they
are drawn to it. It is contrasting the entire landscape, provides a theme to your
level and it helps the player orient themselves within your environment.
When the player arrives to the building and enters inside, they are now in the
lobby. What is the focal point inside the lobby? Is there anything inside the
interior of the lobby you want to highlight and let the player know that this is an
important location or area within this lobby that player needs to go to?
Within each location and section of your level, you can provide additional
smaller focal points that guide the player to their next location, objective or
obstacle.
It tells the player that this is a location of interest that needs to be explored.
Look at your environments story created earlier and visualize how the player
would navigate. Think of how you want the player travel through your level and
how will you highlight important locations?
As you play games, pay attention to focal points throughout the level and how
they are used to guide you to the next section, location, objective or obstacle
within a map.
Left4Dead2 is a great study for level design focal points. Most campaigns
contain a large overall focal point, and then each level guides you from one
location to the next with variety of focal points.
• The Parish: Bridge
• Dark Carnival: Amusement park’s distant lights and roller coaster
• Dead Center: Mall
Then each location within a campaign contains their own focal points to guide
the player to their next section of the level.
FOCAL POINTS FOR STAND-ALONE GAME ENVIRONMENTS (NO
GAMEPLAY)
As we discussed before, stand-alone game environments are not playable levels
and will likely contain a single focal point.
It helps to treat stand-alone environments as a traditional artist would treat his
painting. It is all about composition, visual impact and telling a story through an
image.
Compositionally, every painting has a focus. When you see it, your eye jumps to
it.
It could be the castle in the distance, a bridge across a 2 mountain peaks or
contrast of a camp fire at night. It is the subject matter of the painting.
As you play videogames, look at screenshots and concept art – pay attention to
what the focal point is in these environments.
 Focal Point for Stand-Alone Game Environment (By Albert Bierstadt 1830–1902)

ACTIONS – STEP 8: FOCAL POINT

Step 8.1: Take your idea and look over the work we’ve already done. Extract a
specific landmark in your map that could be your focal point.
• Look over your Setting, Theme and Location from Step 2.
• Look over image reference from Step 5.
• Look over the game’s story and environments story from Step 6.
• Look over Objectives, Obstacles and Set Pieces from Step 7.
All these are going to reveal to you what the focal points of your environment
should be.
Remember: your approach to stand-alone game environment focal point is
going to be different than for playable level design.
Step 8.2: Here are some questions to help decide on the focal point of your map.
Some may not apply depending on if you are creating a playable level or a stand-
alone environment.
• What would make your environment stand out? Look at your
 reference and all the previous steps that you have done.
• What focal point would make your location interesting? Aesthetically,
visually and architecturally?
• Does the focal point support the story of the game and the
environment?
• How will the player or viewer remember the environment?
• Will you have one focal point or multiple?
• How will the players reference and orient themselves in your
environment?
• How will they know where they are within a second upon spawning?
What will help them know where they are? (important in multiplayer
maps)
• How will they move from one location to another?
Step 8.3: Choose what the focal point or focal points are going to be within your
environment. Have an image reference for each one.
STEP 9: TOP DOWN LAYOUT

TOP DOWN LAYOUT
Top down layouts are schematic drawings or designs of what a stand-alone game
environment or playable level design is going to look and play like.

Top down layouts help you to figure out how a player is going to play the map or
walk-through the stand-alone environment. You are visualizing the game
environment and planning the player’s interaction and experience before creating
it inside the editor. It is important to create a top-down layout before you jump
inside the game engine. You will decide on many aspects such as:
• Boundaries of the world
• Spacing of the environment
• Boundaries of the map
• Player spawn locations
• Item placement
 • Weapon placement
• Player pathways
• Alternative routes
• Cover
• Choke points or various confrontational battle areas
• Sight lines
• Starting and ending areas of the map
• Landmark/focal point locations
• Level progression
• Objectives, obstacles and set piece positions (scripted events)
• Friendly or enemy AI locations
• Storyline plot points
• Placement of buildings, objects, and landscape
Top-down layout is the thought process behind what you are going to do and
why. You will use this as a starting point template for BSP block-in.
In this chapter we’ll cover a lot of important theories and principals behind level
design and what it takes to create top-down layouts. Although a single chapter
cannot describe the depth of creating playable game environments. However, we
will focus on the common threads in designing gameplay and we’ll go deep
enough for you to begin understanding what it takes to create a playable map.
Most of this chapter is focused on gameplay principles for playable level
designs, but we will still cover how to create top-down layouts for stand-alone
game environments.
Stand-Alone Game Environment: top down layout will focus on spacing and
spatial relationship of architecture, objects and landscape. These may also
include focal points for detail, screenshots or camera pathways for a fly-through
video.
Playable Level Design: top down layouts for playable level will include
elements from the list on previous page. Playable levels require more thought
process and ability to think of all possible ways the player may play your level.
There are issues of balance, skill, strategy, flow and pacing that will need many
iterations and gameplay testing. We will cover these topics in Gameplay
Overview section.
Whether you are creating a playable level or a stand-alone game environment,
you want to create a top down layout.
The rest of the chapter is broken down into 2 sections:
1. Gameplay Overview
2. Generating Top-Down Layouts
GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW
The following section will detail gameplay theory and principles for level
design.
If you are creating a stand-alone game environment that will be used for
exploration or portfolio and will not include any gameplay you may skip this
section and begin at “Creating Top-Down Layouts”.
Single-Player or Multiplayer Maps
Creating maps for single player or multiplayer games is very different.
Single-player map experience is focused on story and objectives for the player
to complete. What does the player need to do in order to move on to the next
location or mission and progress the story forward? For single-player games,
story is very important and often drives gameplay of each level. It also tends to
be very linear in progression and its design.
Player will go from point A to point B within the environment. There are some
variations within the level by using alternative routes, but overall it is a very
straightforward progression to the finish line. Even in open-ended world games,
you still have a goal and a location to reach for the story to progress; you are just
given the freedom to approach the location on your terms.
For single player maps you will not be choosing a game mode or gametype to
design for. Single player maps are focused on moving the story forward. You
will use already defined storyline, objectives, obstacles and set pieces from an
earlier chapter to create your top-down layout.
Multiplayer map experience is focused on online gameplay. You are
participating against other real-life players in a single or multiple objective map.
These objective maps tend to be Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Search and
Destroy, Demolition, Defusal, King of the Hill, Capture Point Domination,
Conquest, etc. Multiplayer maps are usually self-contained and closed off maps.
Like a figure eight, never ending loops.
Gametypes or game modes are used for multiplayer maps to define an objective
the player or the team has to complete. You will have to choose a gametype for a
multiplayer map.
• Choosing a gametype will be determined by the game you are
designing for.
Counter-Strike is primarily focused on hostage rescue and defusal gametypes.
Unreal Tournament is primarily focused on deathmatch and capture the flag
gametypes (often with vehicles).
Battlefield 3 also has many gametypes, but most popular tend to be Conquest,
Conquest Assault, Rush and CTF.
Each game has a dominant gametype that you need to decide your map design
on.
What is the gametype you are designing for?
• Free-For-All
• Deathmatch (DM)
• Team Deathmatch (TDM)
• Capture the Flag (CTF)
• Vehicle Capture the Flag (VCTF)
• Search and Destroy or Defusal
• Demolition
• Hostage Rescue
• Escort/VIP
• Domination, Conquest, Onslaught ,Base Point Control
There are more options and variations than what’s listed, but most gametypes
stem from the basic game modes above.
Specific gametype will dictate the experience, flow and pacing of the map. If
you have a map that plays and flows well in Deathmatch then it may not
translate into the same “fun” experience if you convert it into Capture The Flag
(CTF).
Focus designing your maps for one specific gametype. It is better to have a great
Capture The Flag map, rather than the same map layout used for three different
game modes such as a CTF, DM and Domination. If you are going to convert a
map to another game mode then make sure to spend time on constructing a
layout for that specific gametype. Often this will require redesigning the map’s
paths, objectives and geometry.
Strategy, Skill and Challenge
Strategy, skill and challenge are very hard to define gameplay concepts. The idea
is to create a playable level that gives a player power to:
• Choice of strategy for how they want to approach a specific area
• The execution of that strategy
• While maintaining a level of challenge without being too easy or too
frustrating for the player
• And providing satisfaction when that strategy is executed
Strategy: is plan of action or a decision what the player wants to do about a
given situation
Skill: is the player’s execution of that strategy
Challenge: how difficult is the task to complete that challenge
Let’s take a look at a possible scenario.
The player arrives at an enemy base.
Strategy would be a choice the player has to make on how they want to
approach this section of the map. They might have only a single option or
multiple options depending on the design of the level. Do they want to confront
or to avoid? The player has some freedom to choose which strategy they want to
use.
If the player decided to engage the enemy, then the environment needs to support
that with proper cover, interesting AI placement, weapons, ammo, power ups.
If the player decided to hide in the shadows, use cover and sneak around then the
level should also support that option.
Of course what the player can do or cannot is determined by the game
mechanics; but the outcome is the same. The player is presented with a challenge
to overcome.
Skill comes from execution of the choice made by the player. Skill often comes
from experience playing the game and learning the game mechanics. This can be
a skill with a certain weapon, aim or they know the best hiding and sneaking
spots in the map. It is the ability that player uses to overcome the obstacle.
Challenge is how difficult the obstacle is. It can’t be too easy and it can’t be
frustrating or impossible to overcome.
For each encounter, for each obstacle, for each section and for each choke point
of the map you have to consider and balance these three elements.
As the player arrives at a location within your map where an obstacle or a choke
point is, spend time designing these three aspects into your layout:
1. Strategy: give the player multiple options of how they want to
approach a given situation; in multiplayer maps, think of how a player
on both teams would approach this section of the map
2. Skill: give the player necessary tools (weapons, items etc.) to
execute the plan with their own experience
3. Challenge: provide an obstacle that is difficult yet achievable, it
should be satisfying to overcome the obstacle and move on to the next
one
In order to understand and incorporate these three elements into your map, you
have to intimately know the game you are designing for. You should have a lot
experience playing the game or a game with similar game mechanics.
Constant testing and iteration of gameplay layout will be a common theme
during production to achieve a proper balance and integration of strategy, skill
and challenge; especially at the beginning stages of your map development.
In single-player maps you want to progressively increase difficulty of each
objective. This may include environment obstacles, enemy AI battles or puzzles.
By increasing the complexity and introducing certain player abilities, new
weapons and power ups while focusing on the storyline is not easy to do but
achievable with proper planning.
Strategy, skill and challenge in multiplayer are about creating a map that is easy
to learn but difficult to master. Longer you play a map the better you become at
it, but at the same time a new player can also play this map and learn it within
just a couple of rounds.
Multiplayer maps require deliberate thought for each section so that one play
style does not dominate the level.
If you play Counter-Strike, maps such as Dust 2 and Inferno are two maps that
come to mind that have routes that could be dominated by long-range weapons
but alternate routes provide assault with medium to short-range weapons and are
a disadvantage to long-range. That kind of balance is achieved through planning,
play testing and iteration during production. No single player class should
dominate the map.
All maps have some form of strategy, skill and challenge. Well-designed maps
are planned with all three in mind. Think through each section of the map and
how can you integrate all three -strategy, skill and challenge.
Balance
Balance is a very important element for single player and multiplayer player
maps. To achieve balance in your level designs you have to plan for and
integrate all three aspects mentioned before: strategy, skill and challenge.
In level design, balance is not equality. It is not 50/50. It is about offsetting one
section of the map against another.
If you have a map that only contains long open areas, this map is unbalanced
towards one type of playing style – long-range weapon sniping. All other classes
or playing styles are at a disadvantage. They don’t have any strategy to allow the
player to succeed. But if you introduce one or two additional routes that are
tight, close-quarter interiors that allows the player to come behind sniping
positions then you just balanced your layout.
Certain areas of your map should offer a disadvantage to specific playing type or
playable class type, while another section should encourage it.
Focus on balancing your maps where gameplay does not cater to one specific
type of player (sniper, close-quarters, run-n-gun, explorer etc.) Balance must be
achieved. This can only be done through proper planning, continuous play-
testing and iteration of the layout; tweaking and changing layout geometry
during production.
Balance also needs to be achieved with weapon and item placement. For
example too many weapons and too much ammo can make it easy for the player
to win, while running out of the ammo will increase their frustration.
Flow
Flow refers to the player’s movement or progress within the level from one area
to another.
Good map flow helps the player navigate your environment without explicitly
telling them where to go next. It happens intuitively and the player just “knows”
where to go and what to do next. But in reality, you are guiding the player
through the environment using focal points, lighting, geometry, props,
objectives, landmarks and other navigational design tools.
The goal is to have the player move from one area to another without becoming
lost, knowing where to go and what to do next. Your job is to fine tune entire
layout to keep the player on main paths by eliminating dead ends and areas that
confuse the player and guide them off main path for no reason.
It is important to provide illusion of freedom within your level to allow the
players to explore and to provide strategic options for the player to use within
each section of the level – at the same time player needs to know where they
should be going next.
The process of achieving a good flow starts with a top down layout. Designing
pathway direction from start to finish will give you an idea how you want the
player to travel through your world.
Next is to design ways of helping the player navigating from one location to
another without being lost.
Here are some ways that help to guide the player through your world:
• Lighting: use of contrast in lighting, silhouette, colors; having lights
on versus lights off – players tend to go towards lit areas rather than
into darkness.
 • Color: warm colors attract and invite; cool colors repel.
• Game’s interface; this is programmed into the game by showing the
direction on screen where the player should be going. Sometimes it is
in a form of distance meter (Call of Duty Series) other times it is
shown through in-game map, highlighting the location.
• Begin actively playing through your favorite games. Notice how you
are being guided from one area to another. Keep notes on what you
find and how you are being guided through the game environment.
Pacing
Pacing is the rhythm or tempo of the level. A repeated pattern of intensity,
tension and difficulty for how each level or campaign plays out.
Let’s look at an example of pacing. The level starts off with a few minutes of
exploration and walking to a location to reach an objective. Upon reaching the
location few bad guys pop up. This obstacle introduces the player to combat and
to gets them familiar using a weapon. In the process the player may pick up a
better weapon from the enemies after killing them.
Following the first battle you allow the player to regroup, collect more items,
gather health and explore a bit further without any conflict.
Then another obstacle comes their way. This time it is little bit more challenging
with more enemies. Once the player defeats this set of enemies, it is another
calm moment.
You then lead the player into a final obstacle – the boss fight.
The slow rise of challenges that increase in difficulty and frequency provides
proper pacing.
Introducing obstacles in the players’ paths while providing exploration or non-
combat events in-between to calm and regroup. In-between obstacles the
character can explore, talk to other characters, collect items, weapons, solve
puzzles etc.
In the following diagram is an example of rising tension and pacing. This
formula is often used in movies and games.
As the player progresses through the level – difficulty, tension and pacing
increases until a final boss battle and resolution. This creates a rising action of
events, building up slowly until a steep fall off (boss battle). Think of a roller
coaster, slowly rising until the first drop.

You can find examples of this in many games. The example I like to use is Half-
Life 2: Lost Coast, which is a stand-alone level that was originally planned to be
a part of the full game, but ended up being a graphical showcase demo.
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast is a small, self-contained playable level with rising
difficulty, tension and pacing.
The map contains a short exposition, some exploration, objective, obstacles,
scripted events, rising conflict, rising tension, point of no return, boss battle and
resolution.
All this in just 10-15 minutes of gameplay. It follows the formula perfectly and it
is a great way to learn tension/pacing quickly.
 Level Progression from Half-Life 2: Lost Coast. ©Valve Corporation, All rights reserved.

The tension and pacing diagram on this page is one of the ways to introduce a
rising set of events and to pace your level. But you can play around with
different methods. You can set variety of tension and pacing of your level. Some
examples:
• Progression Based
• Slow/Fast
• Easy/Difficult
• Long Distance/Short Distance
• Open/Enclosed
• Stealth/Direct Encounters
For example first level starts off slow where nothing happens. The player
collects items, weapons, and explores. Second level puts the player right into
intense battle and doesn’t let you breathe for the entire map. Third level brings
you back to a slow pace and exploration, allowing the player to catch their
breath.
Rewards
A reward is a way to satisfy player’s actions for exploring, engaging in a fight,
attempting to grab a better weapon in a high-risk combat area or completing an
objective.
If a player takes a risk to explore an alternate route, then provide a reward for
their exploration into uncharted territory. This can be a weapon, more ammo,
skill points, leveling up, a new landmark to scavenge or an interesting
experience etc.
If the player decided to engage in a fight with some enemies but they could have
avoided them, what is the reward for confronting them?
Reward ideas:
• Ammo
• Health
• Special items
• Life (e.g. Mario 1-Up mushroom)
• Weapons
• Fun, engaging experience
• New area to explore, new landmark to scavenge
• Side story or side quest
• Leveling up
• Skill/Experience points
Reward players for certain actions or taking risk. You can even make the player
play a certain way due to how you structure your rewards.
Max Payne 2 is a third-person shooter where you play as a NYPD detective. The
most notorious feature of the game is bullet time; where you could slow down
time as you enter a room full of bad guys.
Due to this feature I looked forward to every encounter with the bad guys. Every
gunfight battle is unique and interesting. I try to run and jump into a room full
of bad guys activating bullet time and attempt to take every one out before
landing on the floor.
Example of Rewarding Gameplay from Max Payne 2. ©Rockstar Games. Dev: Remedy Entertainment. All
rights reserved.

In Max Payne 2 game the reward was the experience of taking out bad guys in a
cool, stylistic and unique way.
No One Lives Forever 2 is a first-person shooter set in the 70’s as you play a
super-spy protecting the world against an international criminal organization
called H.A.R.M. The game gives you options how you want to play (direct
confrontation or stealth).
Stealth was rewarded by allowing you to listen to AI characters dialogue as they
talked among each other. The dialogue is funny, well written and it is one of the
most entertaining parts of the entire game.
 Example of Rewarding Gameplay from No One Lives Forever 2. ©Sierra Entertainment Dev: Monolith
Productions. All rights reserved.

Listening often revealed information about where you needed to be and things
you needed to accomplish. You could have gotten the information other ways,
but stealth was rewarded with information, entertainment and experience.
There are many other game examples similar to above. If you play through some
of your favorite games, notice the reward system they use.
Now here is an interesting thing about rewards. You should not provide a reward
every single time and in every single situation.
For example, don’t reward the player with a health pack or ammo every time
they choose to explore a side room; or every time the player accomplishes an
objective you reward them with a cut scene and experience points.
Use intermittent reinforcement.
Intermittent reinforcement or intermittent rewards is a principle that was
discovered by behavioral psychologists.
Intermittent Reinforcement is when rewards are handed out inconsistently and
occasionally. This usually encourages the player to keep pushing until they get
what they want.
If you give the player a reward every single time, for the same action then your
level and your game becomes predictable. You will dull player’s experience.
Aim to give reward some of the time but not all of the time. So if the player
chooses to do a side-quest the reward might be a worthless item, but the next
side-quest offers an expensive and useful weapon. With intermittent
reinforcement you impellent hope, anticipation and unpredictability into your
level.
One of the best examples of intermittent rewards I’ve seen is in Left4Dead2. The
game uses AI Director within each level that controls how often infected
zombies spawn and which items spawn throughout the map. So you may end up
fighting a horde of infected in a specific area but in the next play-through the
horde of zombies doesn’t attack in that same location. You may find a health
pack in a hotel room in one play-through but in your next time play-through, it
isn’t there. Same with weapons, special items and special boss infected.
The unpredictability and not knowing makes you keep pushing through to the
next location in hopes for a better weapon, a health pack, or a special item – but
it isn’t guaranteed.
Choke Points/Bottle Necks
Choke points or bottlenecks are important gameplay elements where you can
force a player to engage in combat with another player or AI.
It is a point of congestion that channels flow of players into a particular narrow
area of the map and forces them to battle for control or advancement into the
next area.
Some examples of choke points are:
• Corridor/Hallways
• Tunnels
• Doors/Doorways
• Alleyway/Street
Choke points are used in both single player and multiplayer maps.
Here is a diagram showing the idea of a choke point:
Counter-Strike game is probably one of the best examples to study for choke
point design. Every official map has stood the test of time and tweaked to
perfection. Here are two most played maps with outlined choke points.
De_Dust contains two primary choke points: tunnels and bridge:
 Choke Point Examples from Counter-Strike: Source. ©Valve Corporation, All rights reserved

De_Dust 2 contains four primary choke points: tunnel, double doors, side stairs,
long alleyway:

Choke Points Examples from Counter-Strike: Source. ©Valve Corporation, All rights reserved
Choke points are also very important in single player maps. They are used to
control pacing and force a player down a path to their next objective. With choke
points you can control when and where you want the player to engage an enemy
or progress a story forward.
Choice
Choice refers to having two or more options for the player to choose. These
options can be in a form of an alternative route to take, or how the player wants
to approach a specific problem.
We discussed this a bit in strategy, skill and challenge section – giving the player
multiple ways of entering an area, approach an obstacle or confront the opposing
team. Having no choices limits the player to only follow one path, which creates
a game environment that is very linear and feels restricted; unless it is deliberate
such as a choke point.
Give the player a choice of what they want to do by providing a couple of
options for how they want to approach a given area. Choice can be:
• Playing style (long range, close-quarter combat, stealth, direct,
hacking)
• Multiple entries into an area (basement, window, door, back door,
rooftop)
• Weapon or item selection
Most games are linear, but just providing 2-3 options will allow the player to
choose which gives an illusion of freedom.
Cover
Cover is an important aspect of gameplay and level’s flow.
Cover is a physical object in the level that allows the player to hide behind
increasing their chances of survival and provide strategy to a situation. This is
mostly used in first-person shooters and third-person action games.
In 3d or 2d platform games, physical objects are often used to aid the player to
get to higher ground or these objects help to solve environment puzzles.
For example in first-person shooter, a crate would be used to help the player hide
behind to avoid getting shot at.
In a platform game, same crate would be used to make the player jump higher or
the player could move this crate to bridge a gap in a level to jump longer
distance.
In this section we’ll focus on cover being used for the player to hide behind to
increase their chances of survival, e.g. 1st/3rd person action games.

Cover Example from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ©Valve Corporation,All rights reserved.

Cover provides a way to minimize risk of getting killed. It is a strategy for the
player to use to hide behind from incoming fire, for stealth, to reload and to
figure out their next plan of action.
You’ve seen cover used in most games you play. These are everyday objects
within a level such as crates, walls, doorways, boxes, columns, turned over
tables, vehicles, ac units, vending machines etc. The list can go on.
Absence of sufficient cover is often frustrating. If a player has to run through a
large open area without any cover to achieve an objective, while being targeted
by anyone with a sniper rifle, there is no strategy or skill required. It’s pure luck
if the player gets across or not. Player might as well close their eyes and hopes to
make it to the other side.
You want to eliminate luck providing sufficient cover which gives choices for
strategy and player’s application of skill. By using cover in your level, you are
balancing out gameplay.
Cover has to serve a function of aesthetics and gameplay. It has to be a
functional object you can hide behind and at the same time it has to be
believable for the idea and theme of the game environment. Wooden crate
doesn’t make sense in a high-luxury apartment building, unless it is remodeled
and there is construction going on.
As you work on your level, think first in terms of gameplay and functionality by
using cover to guide the player forward to an objective and offering strategy that
would facilitate map flow. This is done by using BSP or simple geometry to
block-in a layout of the level.
Then, once you’ve tested a simple blocked out level, you move on to focus on
aesthetics by replacing simple geometry with architecture and prop models that
will be used as cover.
• Cover is to provide gameplay functionality by offering choices of
strategy where the player can go and what they can use for cover
• Focus on facilitating map flow by designing cover that moves the
player forward from one cover element to another.
• Use props and world geometry that fits the theme and location
• Keep cover simple. Don’t over populate your environment with
unnecessary props and architecture.
• Playtest level gameplay with simple boxes and simple geometry first;
then you can do a beauty pass by adding props and architecture models
but only after you are satisfied with gameplay pass.
Symmetrical Layouts
Symmetry is when two sections of a level are facing each other and are exactly
the same. One half of the map is a mirror image of the second half.
Symmetrical layouts are very common in multiplayer maps, Capture the Flag
gametype.
Capture the Flag (CTF) is a gametype where two teams each have a flag and the
objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base" and to
bring that flag back to their own base.
Symmetrical maps tend to be very balanced for each team and it is easy for a
new player to learn the map’s layout. These maps are also simpler to create than
asymmetrical layouts, since all you have to do is create once half of the layout
and mirror to the other side.
But the difficult part is making each half of the map stand out and be different
from the other. This often requires having a visual theme for each side of the
map. Hot vs cold, wood vs metal or day vs night etc. Team Fortress 2 CTF maps
are great study of this.
The downside of symmetrical maps is they are not realistic. Usually there aren’t
any real world location layouts that are an exact mirror image of themselves.
Also outside of Capture the Flag gametype, symmetrical layouts are not ideal for
other gametypes such as defusal, demolition, domination or rescue.
Although with a bit of work on visual theme and changing few things in the
layout can reduce the perception of the map being symmetrical, while
maintaining the advantage of balanced gameplay.
For successful symmetrical layout focus on:
• Visual theme for each side (day/night, cold/hot, sci-fi/primitive,
complimentary color scheme of each base such as orange/blue etc.)
• Focal point for each side of the layout so the player recognizes where
they are within the map quickly
• Change the layout enough to reduce the perception of the mirrored
layout, while maintaining advantages that symmetrical layouts
provides
• Make sure symmetrical layout works for the game and gametype you
are creating for
Some examples of symmetrical maps:
• Call of Duty: Black Ops – Nuketown and Launch
• Team Fortress 2: ctf_2fort
Asymmetrical Layouts
Asymmetrical layouts are unique and lack any symmetry. No section of the map
mirrors the other.
You will find asymmetrical layouts in majority of multiplayer maps but they are
also more challenging to pull off due to balancing issues for each team.
Most Defusal, Onslaught, Rescue, Assault etc. gametypes tend to be
asymmetrical layouts.
In single player, most levels are going to be asymmetrical but remember single
player maps are more about story, experience and progression rather than
gameplay balance.
There are many examples of asymmetrical map, some are:
Counter-Strike:
• de_dust 2
• cs_office
• de_inferno
Call of Duty: Black Ops
• Havana
• Firing Range
Arena Based Maps
Arena based maps are ideal for deathmatch and free-for-all gametypes. These
maps are usually small in size and contain one or two areas where majority of
fighting happens.
When designing arena based deathmatch maps, most of the time will be spent
balancing locations, item and weapon placement. One single player shouldn’t be
able to dominate any point of the map while having a powerful weapon. The
balance has to be achieved with risk vs reward locations and weapon/item
placement.
Deathmatch maps should also flow from one location to another, giving the
player freedom of movement – this means DM layouts should not have any
dead-ends.
Dead-end are pathways which contain no exits. It is an abrupt stop that forces
the player to go back where they came from. This disrupts flow and pacing of
the level.
Many Unreal Tournament and Quake games contain deathmatch and arena-based
maps. Both should be a requirement to study and learn from.
Z-Axis (Height)
Z-axis is the height aspect of gameplay.
Layouts created on a flat plane can often be boring and uninspiring. With
introduction of height, players have to be aware of not only what is around them
but also what’s above and below them. This changes strategy and provides
additional tactical challenges.
Height variation tends to provide players with more choices, discourages
camping and prevents one area being dominated. But of course this doesn’t
happen automatically when you add z-axis to a layout. The map has to be
constantly play-tested and refined due to additional areas of threat.
There are some disadvantages to including height variations in the map. Player
can become paranoid due to so many spots to check every time they play. It
becomes too easy to get shot from places you don’t even see. Player becomes too
worried about checking all locations rather than playing the game.
Some games benefit from a lot of z-axis in the map (e.g. Quake series, Unreal
Tournament series). While in other games, height variation is kept to a minimum
(e.g. Counter-Strike series).
To add z-axis element into your map you can use:
• Landscape (hills, mountains, trees, cliffs, caves)
• Buildings with two or more floors
• Basements, underground tunnels
• Rooftops
• Ladders
• Bridges
• Ledges
• Balconies
• Low-gravity
 • Vehicles (planes, helicopters)
Open-World vs. Non-Linear vs. Linear Environments
The scale and experience of game environments can be broken down into 3
categories.
• Open-World environments
• Non-linear environments
• Linear environments
Open-World environments are also known as sandbox or free-roaming. The
player is given the freedom of the entire game world to choose how they want to
play.
It is basically unrestricted exploration based environment where the player gets
to play how they want, go where they want and do what they want. The player
can focus on the main storyline, choose to do side quests for a while or just
explore the entire world and see what happens.
Some examples of open-world environment games are: Grand Theft Auto 3 – 5,
Red Dead Redemption, Skyrim, Fallout 3 and 4 and Witcher 3.
Non-Linear environments give player the freedom of choice how to complete
an objective within a closed-off section of the game world.
Some examples of non-linear environment games are Dishonored, Deus Ex
Human Revolution, The Witcher 2, Far Cry 1 and 2, Crysis and Hitman
Absolution.
Non-linear environments are not open-world, although sometimes it may seem
like they are. You are given the freedom of choice within one section but it isn’t
a free-roaming game world. The player can choose to use stealth to sneak into a
building through an air vent, they could choose to hack the computer system
without ever entering a building or they could choose the direct route of guns
blazing. Sometimes the player can even ignore a particular objective and find
something else to do.
There are various degrees of open-world qualities in various self-contained non-
linear sections of the game world.
Linear environments contain a fixed sequence of challenges: every player sees
every challenge and sees them in the same order.
Linear environments are sequential and usually don’t offer a lot of choice for
variation. Games that are primarily focused on story-telling and scripted events
often benefit from linear environments. You have full control of when and how
the player experiences the game’s events.
Some examples of linear environment games are: Mirror’s Edge, Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare series, Super Mario Brothers, Doom, Portal series, Max Payne
series.
Linear environments offer one pathway that the player must take to finish the
level. Some linear environment games offer multiple paths, so at times certain
sections offer you a non-linear approach to an objective.
Super Mario Brothers offered you hidden pipes to skip sections of the level or an
entire world. But it is still a very linear game.
Another example is Uncharted 2. Within some levels there are multiple paths to
take, yet it is still a very linear environment game.
There is some overlap between all 3 categories. Most open-world environments
will contain non-linear and linear sections. Many non-linear environments will
contain qualities of open-world and linear sections. Some linear environments
may contain non-linear sections but unlikely to offer open-world free-roaming.
All three categories have their advantages and disadvantages. There are trade-
offs between choosing open-world vs non-linear vs linear environment.
Your choice will depend on:
• Idea
• Story of the game
• Experience you want the player to have
• Time to complete the project (deadline)
• Game engine and its limitations
• Technical and artistic skill
• How many people you have on your team to work on the project
Open-world environments require a lot of time to plan and to create. Giving the
player an open world to run around in is not enough. There must to be something
for the player to do within the world.
Linear environments tend to be heavily focused on story and scripted events.
Non-linear environments are usually a mix between open-world and linear
approach.
CREATING TOP DOWN LAYOUTS
It is time to create a top-down layout of your game environment. We’ll cover a
variety of options for you to choose from.
Creation of top-down layouts can be broken down into two categories:
• Traditional way, away from a computer (e.g. pen/paper)
• Using a computer (software)
Traditional or away from a computer includes:
• Pen and paper (sketchpad or grid paper)
• White board
• Legos, building blocks or other rudimentary physical objects
On computer using software includes:
• Sketchup™
• Adobe® Photoshop®
• Adobe® Illustrator®
• Google Maps™
As we covered before, top-down layout is a schematic design of what a stand-
alone game environment or playable level design is going to look and play like.
Primary focus while designing a top-down layout is to figure out the following:
• Boundaries of the world
• Spacing of the environment
• Player spawn locations
• Item placement
• Weapon placement
• Player pathways
• Alternative routes
• Cover
• Choke points or various confrontational battle areas
• Sight lines
• Starting and ending areas of the map
• Landmark/focal point locations
 • Level progression
• Objectives, obstacles and set piece positions (scripted events)
• Friendly or enemy AI locations
• Storyline plot points
• Placement of buildings, objects, and landscape
You must visualize how a level is going to play or how a stand-alone game
environment is going to look as you create the top-down layout. It is going to be
your template to follow during block-in stages of production.
Remember, the top-down layout is only a starting point to help begin creating
inside a 3d modeling software or level editor. The layout will probably change
based on play-testing and feedback during production.
TRADITIONAL WAYS OF CREATING LAYOUTS
Most common way to create top-down layouts is to use traditional tools such as
pen and paper, whiteboard, Legos or similar physical, primitive building blocks.
With pen and paper being used the most.
Your approach to creating a layout will vary depending on if you are creating a
stand-alone game environment or a level design for multiplayer map or single
player map. What to include and what to focus on will be different for each
option. We will go through 4 examples of creating a layout later in this chapter.
But right now to keep this simple let’s distill to important elements to start with.
Level Design (Playable Map) – start with to include:
• Boundaries of the level
• Main player pathways
• Choke points
• Objectives, obstacles, set pieces
• Placement of buildings, objects, and landscape
• Landmark/focal point locations
For Stand-Alone Game Environments – start with to include:
 • Boundaries of the game environment
• Player paths (only if it is a walk-through)
• Placement of buildings, objects, and landscape
• Landmark/focal point locations
I usually start with player pathways and boundaries of the map but it varies.
Sometimes I may start with the most clearly defined area that I’ve thought about
a lot or a landmark location.
There are 3 ways for creating traditional layouts – pen and paper, whiteboard and
building blocks.
Pen/Paper Top-Down Layouts
The fastest and simplest way to create a top-down layout is to use pen and paper.
It is one of my favorite ways to start a layout and one I use 90% of the time.
For pen and paper layouts use:
• Pen or pencil
• Sketchbook paper (no lines) or grid paper (grid lines)
Creating a layout on paper, you have to start with a rough sketch. Draw shapes
and pathways of what you think the layout should be. Do not edit this rough
draft or attempt to make it clean and perfect. Document your thoughts and ideas
on paper. You will refine this layout later, but right now – don’t edit.
Once you have a rough drawing done, begin to refine and redraw the layout.

You may go through multiple iterations to arrive at a final paper layout.

Remember top-down layouts are only a starting point to follow inside the level
editor. At this point your layouts are not set in stone and will most likely change
by the time you are done with your game environment.
Whiteboard
Whiteboard is an erasable board with a white surface used for teaching or
presentations. It is similar to a school blackboard but instead of using chalk, you
use dry-erase markers which are easier to erase and redraw with.
Start your layout, erase, redraw and refine.
Using whiteboard is very liberating because you can draw and in the same
moment erase and redraw. Allowing you to refine and iterate in the moment.
After you’ve gone through multiple iterations and drew a layout that you are
happy – take a photo of it and store this image inside your project folder. Since
you may need to re-use your whiteboard for another layout.

Whiteboard Layout

Building Blocks
Another way to create top-down layouts is to use physical objects such as Legos,
similar toy building blocks or even paper cut-outs.
The one main advantage of using this method is working in3rd-dimenions. With
pen and paper and whiteboard you are working in 2d – a flat surface. With Legos
or other toy building blocks you are physically manipulating the space in all 3
dimensions.
Legos® are plastic construction toys which consist of colorful interlocking
plastic bricks. Pieces can be assembled and connected in many ways, to
construct variety of props and architecture.
Similar to Legos are any other toy building blocks which are simple wooden
blocks of various sizes and shapes that you arrange around to construct a simple
top-down layout.

Legos® and Wooden Blocks

To experiment with another method of top-down layouts you could also use
paper cut-out shapes to design with.
Which Method to Use?
Experiment with all three but most accessible method is going to be pen, paper
and whiteboard.
5 EXAMPLES OF HOW TO CREATE TOP-DOWN PAPER LAYOUTS
In the following section we’ll go through 5 examples of creating top-down
layouts using pen / paper approach.
Examples include:
• Deathmatch (DM) Map Layout
• Capture the Flag (CTF) Map Layout
• Search and Destroy or Defusal Gametype Layout
• Single-Player Map Layout
• Stand-Alone Game Environment
Process of designing top down layouts for single-player, multiplayer or stand-
alone game environments are very different. Single-player layouts are focused
on story, objectives and flow/pacing. Multiplayer map layouts are focused on
balance, pacing and flow. Stand-alone game environment layouts are focused on
spatial relationships between geometry and showcasing your work in best way
possible. Sometimes all elements must be kept in mind when creating a top-
down layout: story, objectives, flow, balance, pacing and spatial relationships
between geometry.
Examples below are various ways you can begin creating top-down layouts, but
they are not the only way. Sometimes I start with a single section or area and
expand to the entire layout, other times I have an idea for the entire level at once.
I may also start with just pathway flow of the layout or I may jump right into
defining boundaries of the map and working with landmarks.
The point is to start with the layout where you feel the most clarity on.
As you create layouts, be mindful of gameplay mechanics you are creating the
layout for and all the work you have done up until now. So the idea, reference,
locations, focal points, story, objectives and so on – all will guide you to the
map’s layout and what it should play like.
Deathmatch Multiplayer Map Layout
Deathmatch or Free-For-All (DM and FFA) map’s goal is to kill (or frag) as
many other players as possible until the map’s kill limit or time limit has been
reached.
Deathmatch map layouts should have highly refined sense of flow throughout
the map, balanced item placement and no dead-ends. Think of Deathmatch map
layouts as figure 8 – constant flow without any abrupt stops. Location used for
this example layout map is a train station.
1. Start with the rough draft of the map’s sections or areas. Deathmatch
maps can have one or more sections. Keep this to one or two sections
for simple DM maps and more than 2 sections for complex DM maps.
Each section will usually contain a focal point or landmark.
 Map Layout Sections

2. Define player’s pathways as they move through-out the map; this is

the map’s flow. It’s important to avoid dead-ends in the layout.
Remember figure 8 pattern.

Layout Pathways

3. Create a side view of the layout to note height variations (if any).
 Height Variations

4. Refine the layout.

Refining the Layout

5. Include boundaries of the map. These are placement of buildings,

objects, landscape that surround the map. The following boundaries are
non-playable areas.
 Map Layout Boundaries

6. Decide on focal point/landmark locations. Note this map’s 2 focal

points are non-playable areas. Remember focal points/landmarks help
the player to identify the area and where they are within the map. So
the focal points do not have to be within the player’s reach.

Focal Points
7. Identify placement for player starts, weapons, health, items; these
will likely change during play-testing. Although it is good idea to start
thinking about where they are going to be placed within the map. In the
example below I only placed Player Start locations.

Player Starts, Items, Weapons

8. Breaking down floor plans for more clarity (optional). First floor
layout.
 Breaking Down Each Floor (1st)

9. Breaking down floor plans for more clarity (optional). Second floor
layout.

Breaking Down Each Floor (2nd)

10. Breaking down floor plans for more clarity (optional). Third floor
layout.
 Breaking Down Each Floor (3rd)

Refine any part until you have clear understanding of the map’s layout:

Capture the Flag (CTF) Multiplayer Map Layout

Capture the Flag (CTF) is a team based map scenario gametype where two teams
each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at
the team's "base" and to bring that flag back to their own base.
Symmetrical layouts are most common in CTF maps. It is where both sides of
the map are identical or “mirrored”. The way to tell a difference between each
base is through an environment theme such as color, architecture or lighting.
Asymmetrical layouts are also used in CTF maps but they are harder to balance
and to design for; although if done correctly tend to stand out from symmetrical
layouts.
In this example we will create a symmetrical CTF map layout using the same
location used in Deathmatch example (train station). The steps are very similar
to DM map layout.
1. Start with the rough draft of the map’s flow and few main paths.
This is the player’s pathways as they will move through-out the map.
Keep it very simple.

Main Path Layout

2. Refine the flow and add few more paths. Note the mirrored layout
for both sides.
 Path Layout Refinement

3. Outline pathway boundaries of the map.

Defining Boundaries of the Layout

4. Refining boundaries of the map.

 Refining Layout Boundaries

5. Identify focal points/landmarks within the map. For this CTF map,
the focal point is in the middle of the layout.

Focal Point Identification

6. Note any important locations or height variations and write it down.

In this example I used Photoshop and painted dark gray for lower
 floors and light gray for upper floors and I slightly modified the layout.

Height Variation

Player Spawns and weapon load-outs for CTF maps tend to be at each team’s
base. So I did not do these in the layout.
Continue to refine and redraw until you have a good starting point of the map’s
layout to use.
Search and Destroy Multiplayer Map Layout
Search and Destroy is elimination based gametype. It includes two teams, one is
the attacking team and the other is the defending team. Goal for attacking team
is to plant a bomb in certain locations in the map or to eliminate the defending
team. The goal for defending team is to prevent the attacking team from
completing their objective of planting the bomb by eliminating the attacking
team, preventing them from planting the explosive or defusing already planted
explosive.
Each player only gets one life per round and if killed has to wait for new round
to start in order to play again. Another term used for Search and Destroy
gametype is defusal. The layout consideration for such a gametype has to be
very carefully planned out.
Most important consideration for Search and Destroy or defusal gametypes are
choke points, pathways, bomb site locations and spawn positions. The arrival of
each team to the choke point (battle of control areas) and bombsite locations has
to be timed out to the second to make sure proper balance of the map is
maintained.
For Search and Destroy or defusal gametype start with basic pathway layout.
Think of how each team will go and arrive at choke point position in order to
defend it or fight through it to the bombsite.
1. Start with team spawn positions and draw out 2 to 4 pathways for
the player to take. Each pathway has to lead to a choke point and to the
objective of the map. Begin with initial player spawn for attacking
team first (T). Reason to begin with attacking team first is because the
attacking team is the aggressor and has to complete an objective. All
the defending team (CT) has to do is hold their position and defend the
bombsites (objective).

Pathway Layout; CT/T = Team Spawns

2. Identify choke points and objective locations.

3. Add alternative or connective pathways to allow each team for
variation in strategy (choices).

Alternative Pathways

4. Identify focal points or landmarks.

 Focal Points (FC)

5. Begin to add boundaries of the map; still figuring things out.

Map Boundaries

6. Refine and redraw until you have a working layout you can use as a
starting point for blocking in the layout inside the level editor.
 Refine the Layout

7. Continue to refine and redraw until you have a good starting point of
the map’s layout to use.

Single-Player Map Layout

Single player map level design is about story, progression and exploration.
For single-player map layouts you can start in many various ways – pathway
routes, individual map section/area, boundaries of the map or focal point and
story progression. As mentioned before, start with the layout where you have the
most clarity on.
Most important to keep in mind for single-player layouts are storyline beats.
There are specific story plot elements you have to implement in the level which
are dictated by the game’s script.
The layout example below is based on single player story covered in Step 6.
Instead of flipping the pages back, here is the storyline.
“Survivors spawn in a 3-story, car parking garage. It used to be a safe place to
rest and wait to be rescued, but since then it has become another abandoned
location.
First map is set in downtown, urban location of a small town.
Upon spawning in the car garage, survivors find out the location of the meet up
has been changed to a nearby mountain hotel called Hotel Swiss. Previous
survivors left signs to let anyone who arrives in the car garage to head for Hotel
Swiss. These signs are shown with graffiti on the wall, spray paint text and Hotel
Swiss poster.
Survivors have to start moving due to night closing in.
Hotel Swiss is a popular tourist location. It’s up in the mountains and the only
way to get there is ride a cable car to the top. Hotel contains a pool and a
gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains.
As the survivors travel through the town in order to arrive at the cable car ride,
they will continuously see Hotel Swiss advertising posters to reinforce the end
location.
Before survivors can make to Hotel Swiss, they will have to navigate through
shops, restaurants and coffee shops of the downtown area. Downtown location
used to be busy with tourist, now it is full of infected.
The downtown is straightforward from start to finish. There are various horde
panic events that take place such coffee shop massacre, bridge collapse and last
dash to the finish line rescue room which takes the survivors through a highway
tunnel into the second map.
Second map is set in suburban area which changes the scenery into residential
and rural landscape.
This location is full of houses and few apartment buildings. The setting is more
open than the tight closed spaces of the downtown area. Due to night time
coming up, the visibility is now low. The area is full of infected which are former
residents whom used to live in the area.
The supermarket is the center location of this small town. It is currently empty
and dangerous to enter. The survivors must reach the supermarket in order to
make through to the cable car controls. There will be a supermarket panic event
to make the survivors fight through a horde of infected in order to get through
the store.
Once the survivors make it through the supermarket, they arrive at the cable car
station.
Unfortunately the cable car is at the top due to previous survivors riding it but
never sending it down. If activated, the cable car controls light up producing
loud noise, which attracts hordes of infected. There will be at least 2-3 minutes
of waiting for cable car to arrive down on the ground and the survivors will have
to fight off a horde after horde of infected until they make it to into the car to
leave.
Once the cable car arrives, the survivors can make the short safe trip up the
mountain and arrive at Hotel Swiss.
Third and final map is at Hotel Swiss.
Upon arrival, the players discover that previous survivors died in attempt to
start up the generator that lets the rescue helicopter know where to land. After
getting ready by loading up on ammo, health and supplies - the survivors must
activate the generator. Once done, they have to maintain the generator running
and wait for the helicopter rescue, while fighting off hordes of infected.”
Note that this is for a 3 map campaign. We will only focus on creating a layout
below for the first map.
Writing a list that describes and outlines some storyline beats helps to focus in
on the layout you are to create.
• Survivors spawn in a 3-story, car parking garage, a former rescue
location
 • Survivors must travel to a new rescue location at Hotel Swiss, set in
the mountains
• To reach Hotel Swiss, survivors must traverse through downtown
area and a small rural town to reach a cable car
• In downtown area, survivors must fight and navigate through shops,
streets, restaurants, buildings, and coffee shops
• Downtown location features 3 panic level events (coffee shop
massacre, bridge collapse, last dash to the finish line rescue room
through a highway tunnel)
• Due to urban setting, downtown location contains more close-quarter
combat areas
The most clarity I have with this layout are on locations and focal points of the
map.
Begin by outlining a sequence of storyline beats, locations or focal points the
player will travel through:

Car Garage > Coffee Shop > Market > Bridge > Hotel Building > Road Tunnel

Define these locations on a blank piece of paper with some space to work with
between each one.
These could be randomly placed but in the example below, I’ve thought about
the layout a lot already. So I have an idea of how everything will come together:
Using the image above, begin to create player pathway from one location to
another.
Think how the player will progress from one area to another. What will they
encounter, what will they see and how will everything flow together?
Go through the layout and begin filling in the boundaries of the map around
environment’s architecture and pathways.
Also note objectives, scripted events, items, weapons or AI characters (enemy or
friendly) that the storyline beats call for.
You may have to go through this step a few times, refining the layout more and
more each time.
The example above is fairly linear. Meaning that isn’t much for alternative routes
or free-roaming opportunities. This of course all depends on the game you are
designing the layout for.
Create the layout that stays true to gameplay mechanics of your game.
Last step I did was scan the hand-drawn layout into Photoshop then creating a
new layer to redraw and refine the layout to clean everything up.

Stand-Alone Game Environment Layout

Stand-alone game environments do not include any gameplay, no spawn points
(unless it is an interactive walk-through) and no objectives. The entire focus of
creating a stand-alone game environment layout is to identify spatial
relationships between architecture of the world, focal points/landmarks and set
pieces (if any), and they will be very quick to create.
Start with a focal point of the environment. What do you want to show? Where
will you spend most of your time detailing within this project?
The idea is an industrial loading sea dock. The sketch below shows the focal
point and the area of interest. Nothing else will be created other than this one
section.

Based on the sketch, photo reference and all the preproduction work you should
already have done, begin creating the layout. I defined the boundaries and noted
any other important elements in the same layout such as light sources, camera
fly-through movement, scripted events etc.
Layout Cleanup
Layout cleanup is optional. Since your top-down will change based on feedback
from gameplay and working on it inside the editor, you may not need to have a
cleaned up layout. But for clarity and to communicate your layout to others
better, it might be a good idea.
For layout cleanup you can:
• Redraw the layout by hand referencing the rough sketch
• Redraw by placing another sheet of paper over your rough draft and
tracing
• Redraw using “drawing lightbox” (tool traditional animators use and
great way to redraw)
• Scan it into Photoshop and redraw it
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO GENERATE TOP-DOWN LAYOUTS
Pen and paper is the most commonly used tools to create manual top-down
layouts but there other options to integrate into your workflow.
These include using software to manually or automatically generate map layouts.
You can use them as is or as a starting point to refine and adapt.
Using Google Maps™ To Generate Top-Down Layouts
Using Google Maps is a great way to get ideas for layouts and acquire photo
reference.
1. Go to http://www.google.com/maps and go into a specific city or
town that you want to get ideas from. You want to “Browse Street
View images” using the yellow character icon. More specific you are
about the location you are searching for, the better layout ideas you
will get.

Finding Location to Use “Browse Street View Images”Map data ©2016 Google, Google Maps™

2. Use “Street View” to get better layout idea for your location and
environment setting.
 Using “Browse Street View images”Map data ©2016 Google, Google Maps™

Some locations even contain “photo spheres” (user submitted views) or “see
inside” (views of interiors).
2 Techniques for Unique Top-Down Layouts with Adobe® Photoshop®
There are two ways to generate top-down layouts with Adobe Photoshop.
One is to manually draw using a drawing tablet. In the similar way you would
draw pen and paper top-down layout, instead you use brushes palette in
Photoshop. With use of layers and ability to erase as you go allows you to refine
and iterate very quickly.
 Using Drawing Tablet

Layout with Drawing Tablet in Photoshop

Second way is to use a couple of filters that procedurally generate top-down

layout, which could be used as is or refine into your own idea. These filters are
“Wave” and “Polar Coordinates” filter.
• “Wave” filter is great for geometric shapes for urban layouts of
buildings.
• “Polar Coordinates” filter is good for sci-fi futuristic layouts

“Wave” Filter and “Polar Coordinates” Filter Results

Technique #1: Wave Filter

Create new document by going to File > New:

Set document dimensions. I used 1024x1024 width/height. I chose square canvas

and enough area to work with.
Now use “Rectangular” or “Elliptical Marquee Tool” to create selections that
look like outlines of buildings.

• Left-Click Hold and Drag to create marquee shapes.

• To add to a marquee selection hold down Shift
• To subtract from a marquee selection hold down Alt
Fill the marquee selections active; fill it with a solid color. Go to Edit à Fill
(Shift+F5):

Choose “Color” from drop down menu and select a solid color to use:
Here is what my marquee selection looks like filled with black color. Of course
yours will be different, depending on the shapes you created.
Now we are ready to apply Wave Filter. Go to Filter > Distort > Wave:

“Wave” filter menu will pop up. Set options to:

• Square
• Wrap Around
Move the sliders to see how the filter is distorting the layout.
For best results keep “Wavelength” 2 sliders one above the other (aligned).
When you are satisfied with the preview click OK.
The result is random generated shapes that could be used for an urban layout. At
this point you could go back in and clean up the shapes to get more solid
structures.
Left image is Wave Filter generated and right image is cleaned up version.

Default “Wave” Filter Result (left) and Cleaned Up “Wave” Filter Result (right)
“Wave” filer is great for randomizing geometric shapes you crated with Marqee
tool.
Technique #2: Polar Coordinates
Polar Coordinates Filter is used for randomly generated circular shapes. Great
for creating procedural layouts that are futuristic or sci-fi. The first few steps are
very similar to Wave Filter.
Create New Canvas by going to File > New and use the same dimensions for
width/height (1024x1024). Then use “Rectangular Marquee Tool” to create
selections that look like outlines of buildings and fill it in with a solid color.

Marquee Selection Outlines (left) and Same Marquee Selection Filled with Solid Color (right)

Go to Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates:

“Polar Coordinates” filter menu will pop up. Set options to: Rectangular to Polar.
In Preview window you’ll get to see what will be the result. Click OK to apply
the filter.
By playing around with the rectangular shapes you’ll be able to get variety of
results. You can also press Ctrl+I to invert the image to play with
positive/negative shapes.

Result of “Polar Coordinate Filter” (left) and

Inverted (Ctrl+I) Image for Different Visual Result (right)

Using SketchUp
SketchUp (formerly known as: Google Sketchup) is a 3D modeling program that
is used for wide range of disciplines such as architectural, interior design,
engineering, film, and video game visualization design. There is a free and paid
version of SketchUp. For creating layouts you would start with a free version.
Using SketchUp to create layouts is more involved than using any other method
mentioned. You are using a 3d program to create a layout of your game world.
This adds additional layer of complexity and time but the results can be worth it.
The advantage of using SketchUp is ability to visualize your game world in 3d,
rather than in 2d. You can communicate your idea a lot more clearly than you
can with pen and paper drawings.

Created with SketchUp (By: Zbytovsky)

The disadvantage is knowledge of the program and time. If you have never used
it before, it will take you a bit to learn SketchUp to freely create the layout you
see in your mind.
Another disadvantage, it is too easy to begin detailing and get carried away with
spending a lot of time on something that will be used as a guide and will
inevitably change in-game during the block-out stages of your level.
What I Use:
I personally tend to use pen and paper and whiteboard the most.
I begin by looking through the idea, collected photo reference images, focal
points, objectives, story and all other preliminary work that was covered in
previous chapters.
The first few drafts are very rough. I start with areas of the layout that I have
more clear idea of what they are.
I am feeling out the process of where focal points, obstacles and objectives will
take place. I think primarily of how the player is going to navigate through the
environment. The experience I want the player to have.
Another thing I do is visualize the game space in my mind constantly. I close my
eyes and imagine the environment as it were already done.
Once I have a few rough drafts, I redraw them a few times to refine the layout to
how I think it should be. Sometimes I scan these layouts into Photoshop to refine
and clean them up.
CREATING VISUAL PROGRESSION GUIDE
Visual progression guide is a top down layout with visual reference. It helps to
visually define focal points, objectives and visualize your game environment
along with the top-down view.
Creating a visual progression guide is simple and there are 2 techniques you can
use.
Technique #1: Take the top down layout you already created and scan it into
Photoshop:
Use concept art or photo reference images collected to define where focal points,
locations, objectives, obstacles or any other elements you want to include that
you think will help you to clear up the vision of game world:
This first technique is great to use for multiplayer maps and for stand-alone
game environments.
Technique #2: Second technique is to only use images to help you visualize
each location in sequence of how the player will travel through your level or
your game environment.
This is great for single-player level designs.
So instead of placing photos of focal points, objectives, obstacles over a top-
down layout, you use images without a top-down layout.
The following visual progression guide is for single-player zombie level
mentioned in this book.
ACTIONS – STEP 9: TOP DOWN GAMEPLAY
Step 9.1: Is this a stand-alone game environment or playable map?
Step 9.2: The following questions you should already have answered based on
the initial idea.
• If it is a single-player gameplay map, collect a list of objectives in
order of which they need to be completed by the player
• If it is a multi-player gameplay map, what gametype is your level?
(DM, CTF, Defusal, Domination, Conquest, Hostage Rescue etc.)
• If it is a stand-alone game environment, what is your focal
point/landmark?
Step 9.3: Use any of the techniques covered on how to create a top-down
layouts.
• Pen and paper
• Whiteboard
• Building blocks
• Adobe® Photoshop®
• Google Maps™
• SketchUp
Step 9.4: Look back at everything collected so far: photo reference, concept art,
story, focal points, objectives, set pieces (scripted events).
Begin to create a top down layout. Below you will find individual lists that will
help you focus on single-player maps, multi-player maps and stand-alone game
environments.
Designing Top-Down Layouts for Single-Player Gameplay Maps
If you are designing top down layouts for single player maps begin by defining
where the level will start with a player spawn and where the level will end.
Everything in between will be obstacles, objectives, situations and scripted
events for the player to encounter and overcome.
Primary Key Elements to Include for Single-Player Layouts:
 • Player starts and level’s ending position
• Main progression pathways – How will the player go from start to
finish?
• Alternative routes
• Item and weapon placement
• Cover placement
• Side-quests or side missions
• Playable areas and non-playable areas; boundaries of the map
• Objectives the player has to complete
• Obstacles the player has to overcome
• Focal points and landmarks
• Choke points or various confrontational battle areas
• AI enemy placement; where battle areas can happen
• Friendly AI interactions
• Set piece (scripted event) locations and what will trigger them?
• Storyline or cinematic triggers
With the layout completed, scan it onto your computer and create a Visual
Progression Guide.
Designing Top-Down Layouts for Multiplayer Gameplay Maps
If you are designing top down layouts for multiplayer maps, begin with any of
the following - spawn locations, gameplay pathway flow, boundaries of the map
or choke points.
Primary Key Elements to Include for Multiplayer Layouts:
• Spawning locations (player starts) for each player and for each team
• Pathway of flow for each team
• Alternative pathways
 • Playable areas and non-playable areas or boundaries of the map
• Choke points; confrontational combat areas
• Focal points/landmarks
• Map’s objectives (hostage locations, rescue locations, control points,
bomb sites etc)
• Item/weapon placement (if required for the gametype)
• Cover positions
• Sight lines
With the layout completed, scan it onto your computer and create a Visual
Progression Guide.
Designing Top-Down Layouts for Stand-Alone Game Environments
If you are designing top down layouts for stand-alone game environments, begin
with a focal point/landmark or boundaries of the world.
Primary Key Elements to Include for Stand-Alone Game Environment Layouts:
• Focal points/landmarks
• Placement or spatial relationships of buildings, objects, and landscape
• Playable areas (if it is a walkthrough environment) and non-playable
areas; boundaries of the map
• Audio in specific areas (if required)
• Scripted events (if required)
With the layout completed, scan it onto your computer and create a Visual
Progression Guide.
STEP 10: VISUAL DEVELOPMENT

VISUAL DEVELOPMENT
Visual development is the art direction that defines the visual theme, style,
lighting, and color palette of the environment.
Visual development is usually done during concept art stages.
Concept art is inspiration and visual goal of what you want your environment to
look like. Concept artists would create the artwork that sets the art direction of
the game and its environment.
If you are working as a level designer or an environment artist in a studio, or you
are a part of a larger team – you will not be creating concept art. There will be a
concept artist who defines the art direction of the project and you would have to
keep true to the style and theme of the art work for environments and levels you
create.
But if you are a one-person team or a part of a very small team then you’ll have
to find a way to define your own art direction for the project.
So, what to do if you don’t have a concept artist on the team or you are one-
person team?
First option: find a concept artist who you can work with to help you define the
art direction of the project
Second option: create concept art yourself. This option is probably the most
time consuming and not practical for everyone. I am a big believer in learning
and knowing how to draw and paint your own concept art as a side interest, as a
secondary discipline to improve your level design and game environment skills.
Concept artists study color theory, composition, space, layout, form and shape,
and how to capture the essence or emotional impact of the environment. All
these will greatly improve your own environments.
 Example of Concept Art

Final Fan-Made Level (Some UT2k3 Stock Assets)

But the time it takes to learn how to create concept art will be taken away from
creating game environments.
Don’t attempt to become a concept artist but learn the discipline to expand your
artistic knowledge. The goal would be to get good enough to define your own art
direction of any future projects.
Third option: find concept art, traditional paintings, photography and film that
mimic the style you are trying to achieve. Use that as a guideline for your own
art direction of the project. This is probably going to be the most practical and
accessible option out of the three.
STYLE
Style is a distinctive appearance and visual characteristic of the game
environment or level design.
Every game, every game environment and every level design has a particular
visual style. This could be how objects are modeled, how lighting is used, how
materials/textures are created and which color palette is used. All this has to be
decided on ahead of time.

Example of Style from Team Fortress 2 ©Valve Corporation, All rights reserved.

Some examples of games that have defining visual style: Bioshock series,
Mirror's Edge, Crysis, World of Warcraft, Portal series, Left4Dead series, Gears
of War series, Limbo, Mario series and Team Fortress 2 just to name a few. The
list can go on.
Lacking art direction and style often makes a game fall into “average” visual
category. It does not mean the game is bad. But with so many games being
released your environments and level designs need to stand out from the rest.
Also, style does not mean the latest next-generation graphics. 2d 8-bit
environments (e.g. Super Mario Brothers) have style as well as realistic first
person shooter (e.g. Battlefield 4).
Your game environments and level designs need to stand out from others by
having a distinctive visual style.
Questions to help you define visual style:
• What style will your environment be? How will it be visually
different?
• What color palette will you use (colors of the environment)? How
will the props, architecture and characters be modeled? How will you
show the distinctive visual style in your environment?
• Photorealism? (e.g. Battlefield 4)
• Exaggerated? (e.g. Final Fantasy 7)
• Stylized/Illustrative? (e.g. Team Fortress 2)
• Cartoonish? (e.g. Super Mario Galaxy)
• 16-Bit Pixel Art? (e.g. Minecraft)
• Abstract (e.g. Tetris, Geometry Wars)
• Cel-Shaded? (e.g. XIII)
EXISTING GAME AND STYLE OR BRAND NEW PROJECT
WITHOUT PRE-EXISTING STYLE
The main question you need to answer at this point is:
• Are you creating a stand-alone game environment or a level design
for an existing game that already has a visual style defined?
or
• Are you creating a stand-alone game environment or a level design
that is not a part of a pre-existing game and style and you are starting
 from nothing, just an idea?
If you creating for an existing game that already has a visual style defined, this
usually falls into several categories:
• You are working in a studio on a specific game
• You are working on a mod team
• You want to create a custom level for one of your favorite games that
contain modding tools and a level editor such as Half-Life 2,
Left4Dead series, Portal series, Counter-Strike series, ARK: Survival
Evolved, COD: Modern Warfare, Doom 3, Quake series or Unreal
Tournament series etc.
This means the style of the game environment and level design you will create
has to resemble game’s art direction.
It doesn’t mean that you can’t create an environment that is completely different,
visually. Of course you can. But the main purpose you’ll be working on an
existing game is to create and extend that game’s world by creating new levels
that fit into the universe of that game for others to play.
If you are creating a brand new environment and level design that has no pre-
existing game art direction to follow this usually means:
• You are creating your own game and have to define your own visual
style and art direction
• You are creating a single stand-alone game environment without any
gameplay; for main reasons of including the work in your portfolio
• You are creating a new and original style stand-alone game
environment to showcase to others and to learn a specific game engine
In this case, you are free to define any style you want to follow. You are not
bounded to a pre-existing art direction and gameplay. You have flexibility to
explore any visual theme you want.
Of course, this means you’ll have to spend more time figuring out the art
direction of your project. How it’s going to look, color palette, lighting, how
objects/props are going to be modeled, which textures and what material
properties you are going to use etc.
VISUAL DEVELOPMENT FOR LEVEL DESIGN AND STAND-ALONE
GAME ENVIRONMENTS FOR A PRE-EXISTING GAME
In many projects you will create environments and level designs for already
established games or mods. The art direction and visual style has already been
defined by the game for you to follow.
The way textures and materials look, how objects are modeled, the way game
looks and plays – all already set by existing mechanics and graphics. You would
only focus on the visual development of each level and game environment to
stay true to the art direction and visual style of the game. This means you would
focus on the layout, theme, architecture, lighting, focal points, objectives,
obstacles and set pieces.
As an example, if you are creating a custom map for Team Fortress 2 you have
to stay within the game’s art direction and visual style. The level has to fit into
the game world of Team Fortress 2. So a Middle East setting with photorealistic
texturing and real-world layout would not fit into the Team Fortress 2 universe.
Your goal is to create a stand-alone game environment or a level design that fits
into an existing visual style of the game.
So if the game already defines a visual style for you, what do you need to focus
on?
You still have a lot of artistic flexibility within a pre-existing game world style.
Focus on defining the following areas in your project:
• Type of environment you are going to create
• Layout
• Theme
• Focal points
• Objectives
• Obstacles
• Set pieces
• Architecture style
• Lighting (atmosphere, color palette, time of day)
If you are creating a custom level for TF2, then you already know the game’s
style is very cartoony. Player characters are exaggerated, they cover a lot of
distance while they run, some can jump very high and the architecture and
lighting are stylistic.
Pre-defined art style of the game creates a set of constraints for you to follow.
This actually makes your work a bit easier. Instead of focusing on creating your
own visual style and art direction of the project, you focus on the game
environment itself.
Answer this question:
• What would I need to do to create this game environment to be a part
of an existing universe, yet be different than what already has been
done?
If you want to create something that doesn’t fit into a pre-existing game world,
then you have to create your own art direction to follow.
DEFINING VISUAL STYLE FOR YOUR ENVIRONMENT
If you are creating a game environment that isn’t a part of a pre-existing game
then visual development will play a larger role of preproduction. You would
have to define your own art direction of the project.
You would need to:
1. Find a concept artist
2. Create your own concept art
3. Collect images that mimic the style you want to achieve
We covered three options earlier in the chapter and for this section we are going
to focus on option #3.
It is very likely you will be creating a playable map or a stand-alone game
environment by yourself and you are not a concept artist. Yet, you still have to
make sure that your project has a definitive visual style.
Begin by collecting images from traditional paintings, photos and concept art
that resembles the feel and style you are after. These should inspire and help you
to define the visual quality for the game environment.
What do you want your environment to look like? What distinctive style are you
after?
Go back and search the web for:
• Traditional paintings
• Concept art
• Videogame screenshots
• Movies
• “Making of” books for games and movies
Collect similar visual style of work. Focus on:
• Lighting
• Colors
• Stylization of the world (distinctive style of props, characters,
architecture)
• Atmosphere and feel
• Architecture
Create a new folder named “Visual Development” inside your project folder and
save these images into it.
LIGHTING AND COLOR PALETTE
Color and lighting are going to be one of the most important elements that define
art direction of your game environment.
Color and lighting will determine the atmosphere and mood of the world.
• What is the color palette you will use to define your environment?
• What lighting ration of light vs. dark are you going to use?
• Are your primary environment colors cool? Are they warm?
 Example of Color Palette (Photo by Benjamin Lambert)

Example of Lighting (Photo by Patrick Schopflin)

The idea, theme, setting and location will play a large part of this process.
Light vs. Dark
Light vs. dark creates contrast. It is visually appealing and dramatic when you
have clearly defining areas of light and shadow which creates visual interest,
atmosphere and draws the viewer’s or player’s attention.
Not every environment will require high dark to light or light to dark ratio; some
will need slight variation. It all depends on your defined theme.
Using different ration of light and dark within your level or stand-alone game
environment will communicate a different emotion to the player.
Another terms used for light vs dark rations are high-key and low-key lighting.

Example of High-Key Lighting (Photo by Mickey O'neil)

High-key lighting aims to reduce the lighting contrast ratio in the scene. It often
suggests upbeat and uplifting mood.
Low-key lighting aims to increase the lighting contrast in the scene. It often
suggests dramatic, sinister and on edge mood.
In traditional art low-key lighting is also known as chiaroscuro effect which
contains strong contrasts between light and dark.
 Example of Low-Key Lighting (Photo by Stacey Hines)

As you play games and watch movies, pay attention to high-key and low-key
lighting and notice what kind of atmosphere and mood does it communicate.
You must decide before creating a playable level or stand-alone game
environments:
• How much contrast of light to dark are you going to have?
• Are you going to use high-key or low-key environment?
Here are few more examples.
 Light vs. Dark (more light than dark and high-key) (Photo by Nolan Issac)

Dark vs. Light (more dark than light and low key) (Photo by Janus Y)

Cool vs. Warm

Light vs dark was about value or lighting. Cool vs warm is about color.
 • What are the primary colors of your environment?
• Are they warm? (reds, oranges, yellows)
• Are they cool? (blues, greens, violets)
Cool and warm color palette evokes a different emotional feeling within the
player.
Cool color palette environments tend to be used for night time, horror survival,
sci-fi themed settings. These types of environments are usually sinister,
unknown, uninviting settings.
Warm color palette environments tend to be used for day time, fantasy, cartoony,
stylistic themed environments. These tend to be inviting, equal light to dark
ratio, not much contrast.
Super Mario 64 environments primarily use a warm color palette, but few
environments within the game use a cool color palette such as “Jolly Roger Bay”
and “Cool, Cool Mountain”.
Left4Dead 2 environments primarily use cool color palette, but a few campaigns
within the game use a warm color palette such as “Parish” campaign.
You must decide before creating a playable level or stand-alone game
environments:
• What is your primary color palette? Warm or Cool?
Warm Color Palette (By Julius Leblanc Stewart 1908)
 Cool Color Palette (By Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner 1836)

We’ll talk about environment color theory in just a bit. But cool vs. warm color
combinations work well using complementary color scheme.
Complementary color palette contains colors directly opposite each other in the
color wheel, such as red and green, blue and orange or purple and yellow.
• If the dominant light in your environment is warm (orange), make
ambient/shadows cool colors (blue)
• If the dominant light in your environment is cool, highlight important
areas with warm colors
 Warm Dominant Light with Cool Shadows (Photo by Greg Panagiotoglou)

Cool Dominant Light with Highlighted Warm Colors (Photo by Chen YiChun)

Primary/Dominant Light Source

To help decide light vs. dark and cool vs. warm – think of what is your primary
or dominant light source in the scene going to be.
• Is it day time or night time?
• What is the main light source that will illuminate your scene? Where
is the light coming from?
• Is your dominant light the sun? Moon? Interior lights (lamps)?
Flashlight? Fire?
Knowing this will help to decide if your primary colors are warm or cool and if
lighting is high-key or low-key.
Sun will produce warm color palette. Depending on the time of day it can also
create high-key (low contrast) or low-key (high contrast) lighting.
Moon will produce cool color palette. Night time also tends to be low-key (high
contrast) lighting.

Example of Warm Color Palette and Low-Key Lighting (Photo by Anthony Delanoix)
 Example of Cool Color Palette and High-Key Lighting (Photo by Alex Franzelin)

For your level design or stand-alone game environment project decide, how
much of light vs. dark ratio you are going to have and if you are going to use a
cool or warm color palette.
Remember these decisions will be based on the theme of your idea.
If your theme is a survival horror environment then dark muted cool colors and
high contrast of light to dark may be what you need. While a fantasy
environments may require warm color palette and more even distribution of light
to dark contrast.
Doom 3 environments contain high dark to light ratio (low-key) and cool
dominant color palette. Team Fortress 2 environments contain even light to dark
ratio (high-key) and warm color palette.
ENVIRONMENT COLOR THEORY
Knowing color theory is very important to help you decide on a color palette.
Environment color can be broken down into two areas. Psychological effect it
has on the player or viewer and harmonious color palette combinations that
produce that effect.
Psychological Effect
There are psychological effects that color has on the viewer or player and certain
symbolism that is associated with each color.
These are few examples that have been proven to work in evoking a certain
feeling.
• Reds: attention, danger, high energy

Reds: attention, danger, high energy (Photo by Dawn Armfield)

• Blues: calm, serenity, color of the sky and water, freshness but certain
shades can mean depression
 Blues: calm, serenity, freshness but also depression (Photo by Nick Kane)

• Greens: nature, health, vibrancy but certain shades can also mean
envy, jealousy, greed and sickness

Greens: nature, health, vibrancy but also envy, jealousy, greed and sickness (Photo by Paul Summers)
• Yellows: sun, gold, prosperity, but also caution

Yellows: sun, gold, prosperity, but also caution (Photo by Crew)

• Oranges: happy and lively, calm. Autumn colors of change and

seasons
 Oranges: happy, lively, calm and also change, seasons (Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel)

• Purple: royalty, mystical

Purple: royalty, mystical (Photo by Mike Enerio)

• White: truth, purity

White: truth, purity (Photo by Maragda Farràs)

• Black: death, darkness

Black: death, darkness (Photo by Daniel Burka)

Combination of various colors together will yield different result and thus a
different feeling.
Color Harmonies
We can’t talk color without discussing harmonious color combinations.
There are certain colors that complement each other and are recommended to be
used together in the scene. Using these color schemes will help game
environments to be more visually appealing.
Here is the standard color wheel that we’ll use.

Let’s go over some of the most common color combinations and their use.
Monochromatic: is one single color with various light to dark values (tints,
tones, shades) within that one color. You pick one color on the color wheel and
make that color brighter (tinting, or adding white) or darker (shading, or adding
black). As an example, the game “Limbo” uses a monochromatic color palette.
Monochromatic palette is simple, yet very effective.

Example of Monochromatic Color Palette (By Caspar David Friedrich 1808)

Example of Monochromatic Color Palette (Photo by Brady Bellini)

Complementary: colors directly opposite each other in the color wheel, such as
red and green, blue and orange or purple and yellow. Complementary color
palette is very effective and simple to use in any type of environment.
After you choose the dominant light color of the environment, introduce a
complementary and opposite color on the color wheel into the scene to balance
out the dominant light color.

Example of Complimentary Colors (Albert Bierstadt)

Analogous: three colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, with one
color being the dominant and 2 others secondary.

Example of Analogous Colors (Photo by Antoine Beauvillain)

Triad: colors that are equally spaced around the color wheel, linked together by
a straight line to form a triangle.
Triadic color harmony is a bit more difficult to use due to introduction of the
third color. But the key to using triadic color scheme or any other scheme listed
here is to allow one color to dominate the scene and use the other colors as
secondary to accent and detail.
Example below is triad color scheme with yellow, red and blue.

Example of Triad Colors (Photo by Dorothee Hübner)

Split Complementary: is a variation of the complementary color combination.

Choose the complementary colors then take one of the colors and use a color on
both sides of one compliment.

Example of Split Complementary Colors (Photo by Wil Stewart)

Split complementary color scheme is more subtle color use then just using
complementary yet provides same strong visual contrast.
Tetradic: double complementary color scheme. This uses four colors arranged in
two complementary pairs. This color combination is also called rectangular
colors.
Tetradic color combination is more difficult to control and require a bit more
experience with color to make it work.

Example of Tetradic Colors (Photo by Jennifer Langley)

Square: this color combination is similar to tetradic (rectangular); choose 4

colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel.

Example of Square Colors (Photo by Thomas Tucker)

Choosing and Using Color Palette Combinations

Start with looking over your image reference to help you decide on what color
combination you will use. Look over concept art for mood and feel of the scene.
Considering the time of day will help you determine the color combination
scheme.
The key to using any of the color combinations is balance. You have to allow
one color to dominate and be the primary color while additional colors are
secondary and used to accent and detail with.
Two or more colors should not be used equally in the scene.
For example, if you are going with a complementary color palette of orange and
blue, don’t try to make orange color being 50% of the scene and blue also 50%
of the scene. One color has to dominate the scene, while the other is used
sparingly.
• Pick a color combination
• Pick one color that is going to be dominant color in the scene
• Introduce a second, third and fourth color into the scene at a smaller
percentage. For example: dominant color orange at 80% which will
come from the sun and 20% is blue in the shadows to balance out the
orange scene.
As you choose color combination for your environment you will also have to
decide on light vs. dark and warm vs. cool ratios discussed earlier in this chapter.
USING VALUE AND COLOR FOR FOCAL POINTS AND TO GUIDE
THE PLAYER
We covered earlier that you can use focal points and landmarks to guide the
player.
You can also use value (dark/light) and color to guide the player’s attention to
important sections within your stand-alone game environment and playable
level.
Anything that creates contrast will demand the player’s attention.
Using Value
Use value (dark/light) to create contrast.
Instinctually, humans will tend to seek light and avoid darkness. You can guide
the player subconsciously within your game environment by using light.
If presented with a choice of an area with a light on vs an area with a light off –
the player tend to go towards a lit section without consciously thinking about it.
Use this in your own stand-alone game environments and playable levels.
Highlight important locations by creating contrast of light vs dark.

Example of Contrast Using Value (Light/Dark) (Photo by Jani Brumat)

 Example of Contrast Using Value (Light/Dark) (Photo by Robin Rocker)

Using Color
Use color to create contrast and draw attention to a particular section where you
want the player to notice something or go towards. To do this you have to use a
color in uneven ratios, where one color dominates the scene and contrast is
created with addition of complimentary color.
 Example of Contrast Using Color (Photo by Faye Cornish)

Example of Contrast Using Color (Photo by Stainless Images)

ACTIONS – STEP 10: VISUAL DEVELOPMENT

Step 10.1: Define the style of your game environment.
Choose to:
1. Create your own concept art
2. Work with a concept artist
3. Collect concept art online that mimics the art style you are after
Answer the following questions:
• What visual art style will your environment be? Will it be Realistic?
Exaggerated? Stylized? Cartoonish? Etc.
• How will it be different visually?
• What is the color palette of your environment?
• How much dark vs. light ration you’ll use? Is your scene more high-
key or low-key?
• Is your environment using warm color palette or cool color palette?
Step 10.2: Begin collecting reference of concept art that mimics the art direction
you are going after. Focus on the following:
• Concept art
• Traditional paintings
You can expand into looking at videogames and movies to find the visual style
that is similar to your idea.
• Videogames
• Movies
Focus on color palette, lighting, atmosphere and the visual art style.
Step 10.3: Collect all the images you find into the reference image folder within
your project. You can organize these images better by placing them into “Art
Direction” folder.
Step 10.4: Decide on a color palette from the collected images.
• What is the color palette scheme of your game environment?
• What is the dominant color?
• What are the secondary colors?
• What is the primary light source color? Shadow colors?
• How much light vs. dark is in your scene?
• Will your game environment use a warm or cool color palette?
STEP 11: MAKING LISTS

CREATING LISTS
It is the last step of Preproduction Blueprint.
By now you should have:
• Refined idea
• Project purpose and statement
• Features of your level or stand-alone game environment
• A setting, location and theme
• Collected photo/image reference
• Environment story
• Defined objectives, obstacles and set pieces (scripted events)
• Focal points/landmarks
• Top-down layout
• Visual development of how your level or game environment will look
• List for what you need to create and what to work on next; a plan of
action
With all this preliminary work done, it is time to create lists.
Lists will help you organize a series of tasks that need to be worked on, assets
that need to be created, what you should be focusing on at any given time. Do
not keep anything in your head. Write everything down.
Lists are broken down into three following categories:
1. Assets list (3d models, textures, materials, audio/sound, particle
effects)
2. Production list (pipeline of what to work on and in what sequence)
3. Project management document or on-going list that includes notes,
bugs/errors you need to fix, things you need to do next
These are the 3 lists you should start with. Once you have experience and
knowledge working on a few projects you should change and adapt lists that
work for you. Let’s break them down one-by-one.
ASSETS LIST
Assets list includes 3d models, textures, materials, audio, animations, particle
effects, interface menu or any other item that has to be created or collected to be
included in your playable map or stand-alone game environment.
• Make a list of all known assets you would need to include to create
playable level or stand-alone game environment
If you are not sure what assets you need, start by going through your previous
steps of Preproduction Blueprint. Look at you location, setting, features,
objectives, obstacles, set pieces, concept art and photo reference.
Start with assets you known you must have and expand from there.
You may not figure out everything you need to create or collect. Many assets
will be created as you are working on your project. But you should be able to list
most of what you would need just by going over the preliminary work you’ve
done so far.
3D Models/Props
These assets include 3d models to be created or collected in order to construct
your world.
If you are creating an urban city street you know you would need: modular
building assets (windows, walls, doorways, fire escapes, and pillars), light posts,
curbs, roads, sidewalk, trash and debris, trash can, newspaper dispenser, manhole
cover etc. The list goes on.
Look at concept art and image reference of your project. Begin to list 3d models
and props your environment requires.
Break your scene down into 4 elements:
1. Major architectural elements such as buildings, bridges, walls,
windows, doors, doorways, columns, pillars, stairs, roads, sidewalks,
vehicles, trains etc.
2. Minor architectural elements are architectural detail such as pipes,
 fences, railing, light posts, light fixtures, building signs, electric boxes,
ac units etc.
3. Props are fill-in items that are used to detail your level. These
include furniture (shelves, desks, chairs etc.), cups, cans, computers,
wall decorations, trash cans, trash, barrels, debris etc. Everyday item
detail items used by people.
4. Landscape and foliage such as trees, bushes, grass, rocks.
Begin by breaking your environment down into these four main categories and
list all 3d models/props that you would need.
Texture/Materials List
Textures and materials include a list of surfaces that you need to texture your
playable level or stand-alone game environment. You will often hear and use a
phase “texturing” your map or environment but, there is a difference between a
texture and a material.
Texture is a single file, a 2d static image. It is usually a diffuse, specular or a
normal map file that you would create in Photoshop, Gimp or other software
from photographs and hand-painted textures. These 2d static images are then
saved as tga, tiff, bmp, png or other file type and imported into a game engine to
be used as part of a material. You would not apply these textures directly to
geometry inside a game engine but use them as part of a material.
Materials are made up of various textures combined together inside a game
engine. Materials include various textures and expressions that creates a
network of nodes. The final result is a material you can use to apply onto your
geometry inside the game engine. Materials are what you see rendered in-game.
To keep it simple, we’ll use the word “texture or texturing”.
Look back on all the photo reference you’ve collected. Do you need a lot of
wooden textures? Concrete? Brick? What type of wood, concrete or brick? Old,
new, clean, worn out, damaged, weathered away?
• Make a list of all surfaces (textures/materials) you would need to use
(custom or not) for playable level or stand-alone game environments
These textures may need to be created or collected. These textures may also
already be included in the level editor you use. As you make texture/material
list, you don’t have to list every texture that will be a part of your game world.
Only focus on the primary visual texture theme of your project. Focus on listing
textures which make up your game environment.
In the example image below, break it down to primary textures that make up this
environment.

Creating Material/Texture List from Reference Photo

• Columns – Concrete (dirt, some weathering)

• Building – Brick (weathered, red)
• Awning Column – Metal (minor weathering, black)
• Fire escapes - Metal (weathered, peeled paint, red)
• Road – Pavement (used-up, some cracks, weathered, exposed to
constant rain and sun)
You would continue to look at photo reference and breaking down your game
environment, listing all the textures you require with notes about each texture
quality.
If someone were to ask you what textures make up majority of your
environment, you should be able to say what they are and what surface qualities
most of them contain.
You will also notice notes for each texture listed. These notes are broken down
into categories to help specify and clarify a visual surface quality to understand
what you will be dealing with during production.
• Surface Quality: old, new, weathered, damaged, used-up etc.
• Roughness: irregular, uneven, course surface (will not reflect a lot of
light)
• Smoothness: very even, smooth surface (will usually reflect a lot of
light – shiny)
• Specularity: is the surface shiny or matte? Does it reflect a lot of
light?
• Reflectivity: does the surface reflect a lot of light (glass, mirror,
metal)
• Color: what is the main color of the texture
• History: what does the texture experience on daily basis; what is the
history of this surface and how did it come to be damaged or weathered
away?
Audio List
Audio list contains environment sounds and trigger-able sounds.
Environment Sounds are looping ambient, background sounds. Some examples
are nature (rain, wind, foliage, birds, water), people chatter, traffic, ac vent or
other mechanical machinery etc. – sounds that happen in a specific section of the
environment without the player doing something to make them happen.
Trigger-able Sounds are caused by a player directly or indirectly through a
trigger in-game. Some examples are a button click, door opening/closing,
unlocking a chest, explosion then fire and alarm etc.
• Make a list of all audio sound effects to include in a playable level or
stand-alone game environments
If you are in urban downtown area, the audio list maybe: ac units, car engines,
car horns, people talking, crowd noise, dog barking, vehicles such as a garbage
truck, or bus etc. Think of what it would require to create believable city
ambience.
Make a list of everything that comes to mind. Look at reference images to help
envision the audio in your environment.

Creating an Audio List from Reference Photo (Photo by Paul Green)

Particle Effects List

Particle Effects include things like rain, snow, fire, sparks, smoke and dust.
Approach particle effects list the same way as all previous lists. Look through
image reference and note particles you would need to include in the playable
level or stand-alone game environment.
• Make a list of all particle effects to include in a playable level or
stand-alone game environments
All Lists
You now have 4 on-going Assets List for:
• 3d Models for Architecture, Foliage and Props
• Materials and Textures
• Audio/Sound Effects
• Particle Effects
You would either have to create these assets yourself, collect them or pass it
along to another artist on your team who will be in charge of creating or
collecting them.
Don’t worry if you leave anything out. Some assets will never make the final
level or stand-alone game environment and others will be added onto a list
during production. Your project will always be evolving and you will be
removing and adding assets all the way until release.
The key is to write down as much as you can think for what you need and update
these lists as you continue deep into the production.
PRODUCTION PIPELINE LIST
Production Pipeline List is the phases you need to work on in order to create a
playable level or stand-alone game environment.
These phases often includes blocking-in a layout with BSP brushes, play-testing,
creating textures and materials, modeling, baking high-rest to low-res, uving,
texturing the environment, setting up scripted events and so on.
Your production pipeline list will vary from project to project. It will depend on
many factors such as what software, game engine you are using and the style and
scope of the game environment.
For single player you’ll need to focus on gameplay, scripting, AI, story,
cinematics while for stand-alone game environment these wouldn’t apply.
The following are pipeline overviews for 3d modeling, single player level
design, multiplayer level design and stand-alone game environments. Use these
pipeline phases but change them up to fit your project. Depending on the
environment, some process steps may be omitted.
Please note that the following list is an overview and not a comprehensive step-
by-step process to follow. There are many ways to complete a project; the listed
steps are one of many.
3D Modeling Production Pipeline
Modeling game environment assets contain a series of steps in order to finish a
game-ready model.
• Low-poly model
 • High-poly sculpt
• UV mapping
• UV layout
• Diffuse texture
• Normal map texture (Baking High-Poly to Low-Poly to acquire
normal maps)
• Lightmaps
• Clean-up: tweaking and optimizing
• Creation of LOD (level of detail models)
• Collisions
• Export from 3D modeling package
• Import into game engine
Single-Player Level Design - Production Pipeline List:
Single-player level design production steps to complete a playable map.
• Layout block-in (usually done with BSP brushes or with similar basic
primitive function inside the game engine)
• Gameplay integration and scripting (objectives, obstacles, mission
design, AI, story cinematics, combat, map flow etc.) – gameplay focus;
no visuals
• Extensive play-testing and layout changes based on gameplay
feedback
• Texturing the level (may require texture/material creation)
• Placing and detailing with 3d models (game assets: architecture,
foliage, props, etc.)
• Lighting the level
• Atmosphere and post-process
• In-game integration (making the map show up in game menus,
 adding loading map images etc.)
• More play-testing and tweaking (gameplay and visuals)
• Release beta
• Feedback changes and fixes from beta
• Final release
Multiplayer Level Design - Production Pipeline List:
Multiplayer level design production steps to complete a playable map.
• Layout block-in (usually done with BSP brushes or with similar basic
primitive function inside the game engine)
• Gameplay integration and scripting (gameplay map objectives, spawn
for each team, map flow, pathway flow, choke points) – gameplay
focus; no visuals
• Extensive play-testing for balance, pacing and flow and layout
changes based on gameplay feedback
• Texturing the level (may require texture/material creation)
• Placing and detailing with 3d models (game assets: architecture,
foliage, props, etc.)
• Lighting the level
• Atmosphere and post-process
• In-game integration (making the map show up in game menus,
adding loading map images etc.)
• More play-testing and tweaking (gameplay and visuals)
• Release beta
• Feedback changes and fixes from beta
• Final release
Stand-Alone Game Environment - Production Pipeline List:
Stand-alone game environment production steps to complete a non-playable,
non-interactive environment.
• Layout block-in (usually done with BSP brushes or with similar basic
primitive function inside the game engine)
• Play-testing for scale and if it is a walk-through environment
• Texturing the level (may require texture/material creation)
• Placing and detailing with 3d models (game assets: architecture,
foliage, props, etc.)
• Lighting the level
• Atmosphere and post-process
• Creating a camera fly-through of the environment and screenshots
• Final tests and fixes
• Release
PROJECT MANAGEMENT DOCUMENT
“Project Management” includes ongoing notes, research, tasks to do, errors/bugs
to fix, ideas to implement, features to update or remove. All must be noted down
as you work on your project.
If you remember, we started a “Project Management” document in Step 5. You
will now write everything down into “Project Management” document to keep
track of on-going process and updates on your project.
I personally keep this very simple and use Word document; but I also do not
have a team to manage. If you have a larger project that contains a team of
people then you would need to look into Project Management software to help
your development. You may also feel more comfortable with using Project
Management software rather than a simple Word document.
There is a lot of software available for Project Management. Some software is
free while other has a price tag. You can search “game development project
management software” to get your research started. There is also a very
extensive Wikipedia page that lists Project Management software –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_project_management_software
I recommend keeping it simple as much as you can and do not complicate your
pipeline unless you absolutely have to.
Starting a Project Management Document:
• Create a Word document and name it or start a new project using
Project Management software
• Define sections or categories
Categories can include:
• Upcoming Tasks/To Do (can be broken down into further categories
such as Art, Programming, Marketing etc.)
• Currently Doing/Working on
• Done/Completed
• Ideas
• Notes
• Improvements
• Features
• Known Issues
• Errors/bugs
• Feedback and Critiques
• Sections of your game environment and what needs to be done in
each one
• Any other category that you feel you need for your project
Date all entered items so you know when it was included.
Begin your Project Management document where you will enter items into and
keep it on-going work-in-progress document.
VISUALIZING
Visualizing is imagining in your mind’s eye what your final level design and
stand-alone game environment will look like, play like and feel like.
Many artists knew exactly what their final work would look like before it was
created. Michelangelo was asked how he created the statue of David from a
single piece of marble. His answer was that the sculpture was already underneath
it and all he had to do was to carve the pieces that weren’t David.
Visualizing is rarely talked about, but it is one of the most important techniques
you probably already do. Just by having an idea and a few reference images, you
have already begun to see in your mind how you want the playable level or
stand-alone game environment to look, feel and play.
How to Visualize Your Level Design and Game Environment:
• Close your eyes
• Picture/imagine yourself walking through completed stand-alone
game environment or playable level
• If it is a playable level, play it in your mind. See the obstacles, set
pieces and objectives; visualize choke point battles – experience
playing your map. Visualize spawning, running to the choke points and
engaging in battles.
• Visualize the environment’s atmosphere, style, theme, lighting and all
the visual details in the environment.
• Imagine it vividly as you can.
• If some mental images in your mind are fuzzy and unclear – then
focus on sections of your stand-alone game environment or level
design where there is more clarity. Go through concept art, photo
reference, objectives, obstacles and set pieces list. Look over
everything you’ve done up to this point of the book to help.
• The more you visualize and go through preproduction then into
production your mental images will become clearer and update with
how you see your completed project.
• Listening to music that mimics the atmosphere and theme of the
environment you are trying to create helps to visualize better.
Visualizing is extremely powerful tool to see your environment already created
without opening up a level editor.
ACTIONS – STEP 11: LISTS
Step 11.1: Go through all of your preproduction up to this point.
• Refined idea
• Project purpose and statement
• Features of your level or stand-alone game environment
• A setting, location and theme
• Collected photo/image reference
• Environment story
• Defined objectives, obstacles and set pieces (scripted events)
• Focal points/landmarks
• Top-down layout
• Visual development of how your level or game environment will look
Step 11.2: Create Assets List.
Assets list includes 3d models, textures, materials, audio, animations, particle
effects, interface menu or any other item that has to be created or collected to be
included in your playable map or stand-alone game environment.
• Make a list of all known assets you would need to include to create
playable level or stand-alone game environment
These include:
• 3d Models for Architecture, Foliage and Props
• Materials and Textures
• Audio/Sound Effects
• Particle Effects
Step 11.3: Create Production List. What is the process that you are going to use
to create this environment? Here are basic guidelines for single player,
multiplayer and stand-alone game environments. Use these guidelines and
change them up to fit your project.
3D Modeling Production Pipeline:
Modeling game environment assets contain a series of steps in order to finish a
game-ready model.
• Low-poly model
• High-poly sculpt
• UV mapping
• UV layout
• Diffuse texture
• Normal map texture (Baking High-Poly to Low-Poly to acquire
normal maps)
• Lightmaps
• Clean-up: tweaking and optimizing
• Creation of LOD (level of detail models)
• Collisions
Export from 3D modeling package
• Import into game engine
Single-Player Level Design - Production Pipeline List:
Single-player level design production steps to complete a playable map.
• Layout block-in (usually done with BSP brushes or with similar basic
primitive function inside the game engine)
• Gameplay integration and scripting (objectives, obstacles, mission
design, AI, story cinematics, combat, map flow etc.) – gameplay focus;
no visuals
• Extensive play-testing and layout changes based on gameplay
feedback
• Texturing the level (may require texture/material creation)
• Placing and detailing with 3d models (game assets: architecture,
foliage, props, etc.)
 • Lighting the level
• Atmosphere and post-process
• In-game integration (making the map show up in game menus,
adding loading map images etc.)
• More play-testing and tweaking (gameplay and visuals)
• Release beta
• Feedback changes and fixes from beta
• Final release
Multiplayer Level Design - Production Pipeline List:
Multiplayer level design production steps to complete a playable map.
• Layout block-in (usually done with BSP brushes or with similar basic
primitive function inside the game engine)
• Gameplay integration and scripting (gameplay map objectives, spawn
for each team, map flow, pathway flow, choke points) – gameplay
focus; no visuals
• Extensive play-testing for balance, pacing and flow and layout
changes based on gameplay feedback
• Texturing the level (may require texture/material creation)
• Placing and detailing with 3d models (game assets: architecture,
foliage, props, etc.)
• Lighting the level
• Atmosphere and post-process
• In-game integration (making the map show up in game menus,
adding loading map images etc.)
• More play-testing and tweaking (gameplay and visuals)
• Release beta
• Feedback changes and fixes from beta
 • Final release
Stand-Alone Game Environment - Production Pipeline List:
Stand-alone game environment production steps to complete a non-playable,
non-interactive environment.
• Layout block-in (usually done with BSP brushes or with similar basic
primitive function inside the game engine)
• Play-testing for scale and if it is a walk-through environment
• Texturing the level (may require texture/material creation)
• Placing and detailing with 3d models (game assets: architecture,
foliage, props, etc.)
• Lighting the level
• Atmosphere and post-process
• Creating a camera fly-through of the environment and screenshots
• Final tests and fixes
• Release
Step 11.4: Create Project Management document or use Project Management
software.
Project Management includes ongoing notes, tasks to do, errors/bugs to fix, ideas
to implement, features to update or remove etc. All of these must be noted down
as you work on your project. Write everything down into Project Management
document to keep track of on-going process and updates on your project.
Project Management Document Steps:
• Create a Word document and name it “Project Name – Project
Management” or start a new project using Project Management
software
• Define sections or categories
Categories can include:
• Upcoming Tasks/To Do (can be broken down into further categories
 such as Art, Programming, Marketing etc.)
• Currently Doing/Working on
• Done/Completed
• Ideas
• Notes
• Improvements
• Features
• Known Issues
• Errors/bugs
• Feedback and Critiques
• Sections of your game environment and what needs to be done in
each one
• Research
• Any other category that you feel you need for your project
Date all entered items so you know when it was included.
Project Management is an on-going document for you to constantly enter notes
into and keep it up to date on the status of your project.
Step 11.5: Visualize.
Visualizing is imagining in your mind’s eye what your final level design and
stand-alone game environment will look like, play like and feel like.
• Close your eyes
• Picture/imagine yourself walking through completed stand-alone
game environment or playable level
• If it is a playable level, play it in your mind. See the obstacles, set
pieces and objectives; visualize choke point battles – experience
playing your map. Visualize spawning, running to the choke points and
engaging in battles.
• Visualize the environment’s atmosphere, style, theme, lighting and all
the visual details in the environment.
• Imagine it vividly as you can.
• If some mental images in your mind are fuzzy and unclear – then
focus on sections of your stand-alone game environment or level
design where there is more clarity.
• Go through concept art, photo reference, objectives, obstacles and set
pieces list. Look over everything you’ve done up to this point of the
book to help.
• Listening to music that mimics the atmosphere and theme of the
environment you are trying to create will helps to visualize.

FINAL: PREPRODUCTION BLUEPRINT

LEVEL DESIGN/GAME ENVIRONMENT PREPRODUCTION
BLUEPRINT
After going through all 11 sections of the book and completing action steps at
the end of each chapter, you now have a full “Preproduction Blueprint”
worksheet with the following:
• Refined idea
• Chosen environment setting, location and theme
• Defined project and environment purpose
• A set of features
• Collected photo reference and concept art
• Environment’s story
• Defined objectives, obstacles and set pieces
• Focal points/landmarks
• Defined visual style for the project
• Top-down layout
• Lists to work through during production
Project’s “Preproduction Blueprint” will serve as a guideline to follow to begin
creating your playable level or stand-alone game environment.
But remember, this is only a plan to guide you. Once production begins, you will
inevitably experience unforeseen problems and receive feedback that may force
you to change your layout, landmarks and focal points, objectives and obstacles,
environment story, some features, set pieces and style.
Be flexible to change based on feedback you are receiving but at the same time
you must keep true to your initial core idea that excited and inspired you. It is a
balance you will have to achieve and decisions you will have to make.
The initial idea (Step 1), project’s purpose (Step 3) and set of features/benefits
(Step 4) are the essence of your project. You could change everything else about
the project yet still maintain what you wanted the player to experience if you
keep true to initial idea, project purpose and features.
Sometimes the project may change considerable from your initial plan and you
might be forced to change project’s purpose and features. At this point you
should go back to preproduction and figure out a new plan.
You will need to redefine WHY you are doing what you are doing.
Most importantly remember – preproduction is a very small price to pay if you
end up not liking your idea and want to try something else. It is better to know
this before you start your project, rather than in the middle of production.
What do you do when you have completed the entire book and have gone
through the “Preproduction Blueprint”?
Next step is to begin prototyping the playable level or stand-alone game
environment. You must move beyond planning into implementing and testing
gameplay inside a game engine of your choice.
Prototyping involves creating simple geometry block-in of the layout and
integrate gameplay mechanics into the level to playtest. Prototyping only focus
is on functionality and not visuals.
For level design (playable level) Prototyping involves:
• BSP brush (simple geometry) block-in of your layout (also known as
whiteboxing)
• Integrating gameplay map mechanics
• Continuous refinement of the layout and testing gameplay mechanics
of the level before moving on to visual design stage
For stand-alone game environment Prototyping involves:
• BSP brush (simple geometry) block-in of your layout (also known as
whiteboxing)
• Focus is on spatial relationships of the environment, scale and
dimensions
• Integrating scripted gameplay mechanics (if any such as scripted
events, interactive walk-through mechanics)
 • Continuous refinement of the layout before moving on to visual
design stage
During prototyping you do not attempt to light, texture, model or detail your
map. You keep everything basic to integrate functionality and gameplay.
Most game engines contain some version of a primitive geometry tool that
allows you to block-in simple shapes inside the editor. BSP Brush tool is
something you will see most often. With this tool you will block in your layout
of the playable level or stand-alone game environment.
Most important thing about prototyping is constant iteration of your layout and
gameplay map mechanics. You will continuously modify, change and update the
layout and gameplay mechanics until you are satisfied. Only then should you
move to visual design stage, where you “beauty or art” your level or stand-alone
game environment.
Good luck and I wish you the best in working on your game environments and
level designs.

THANK YOU!
You have reached the end of “Preproduction Blueprint” book.
I hope that you learned a lot from it and you will now begin to plan out your
level designs and game environment art projects.
Thank you for your continuing support throughout the years. Please visit
www.worldofleveldesign.com for updates, tutorials and premium guide.
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REFERENCE

REFERENCE CONTENT
Following reference includes 4 sections:
1. Environment Settings
2. 121 Location Ideas
3. Themes/Styles
4. Preproduction Blueprint Worksheet Sample
5. Preproduction Blueprint Checklist
ENVIRONMENT SETTING LIST
Environment setting is a general, physical location of where your game
environment takes place. Following list provides you with environment settings
ideas.
Some of the settings can be used as themes and vice versa. Just remember that an
environment setting is an actual physical, specific location in the world. Theme
is a unifying and dominant idea, a subject matter or an event within the
environment.
• Artic, Winter, Snow, Glaciers, Ice, Tundra
• Caves, Dungeons, Underground, Earth’s Structure
• City, Urban, Streets
• Desert, Sand
• Forest, Woods
• House, Building, Structure
• Indoors, Interior
• Industrial, Commercial, Residential
• Jungle, Tropical, Islands, Rainforest
• Lake, River, Sea, Ocean
 • Landmark
• Marshlands, Wetlands, Swamps, Grasslands
• Military, Government
• Mountains, Hills, Rockland
• Outlandish, Alien, Outer Planet, Non-Human, Not of this world
• Post-Apocalyptic, Destroyed, Abandoned
• Psychological, Dreams
• Rural, Farm, Country
• Solar System, Space/Planets
• Specific City, State, Country
• Town, Village
121 LOCATION IDEAS
Various location ideas to help you get started for when you are stuck.
A
• Airport
• Amusement Park
• Apartments
• Aquarium
• Automotive Shop
B
• Back Alley
• Bank
• Bar, Pub
• Barn
• Bath House
 • Beach
• Book Store, Comic Book Store
• Bridge (Vehicle, Train, Pedestrian, Rope)
• Boathouse
• Bowling Alley
• Brewery, Winery, Distillery
• Broadcast Center Stations (TV, Cable, Radio)
• Building (Residential, Commercial)
• Bunker, Shelter
• Bus Station, Bus Terminal
C
• Cabin, Lodge
• Camping Site
• Canyon
• Casino
• Castle
• Cathedral, Church, Chapel
• Cave
• Cemetery, Crypts, Mausoleums, Crematorium
• Circus, Fun House
• Clubs (Strip Club, Dance Club, Night Club)
• College, University, School, Kindergarten, Pre-School
• Construction Site
• Coffee Shop
• Convention Center
 • Court House, City Hall
• Cruise Ship, Cruise Station, Cruise Terminal
D
• Dams
• Dealership, Showroom
• Department Store (Toy store, Clothing Store, Electronics, Furniture
etc)
• Desert
• Distribution Center
• Downtown
E
• Excavation Site
F
• Factory
• Fire Station
• Forest (Deciduous, Coniferous)
• Fort
G
• Gallery (Art)
• Gas Station
• Government Facility (CIA, FBI, Pentagon, Embassy, Area 51 etc)
• Grasslands
• Greenhouse
• Grocery Store
• Gym, Gymnasium, Fitness Centers
H
• Hangar
• Harbors, Port, Dock
• Hell, Heaven
• Highway
• Hockey, Ice Skating Rink
• Hospital, Clinic
• Hostel
• Hotel
• House
I
• Island
J
• Jail, Prison
L
• Laboratory
• Landmarks, Monuments (Golden Gate Bridge, Taj Mahal, Eiffel
Tower etc)
• Lake, River, Pond, Swamp
• Library
• Light House
M
• Mall
• Mansion, Penthouse
• Market
 • Military Outpost, Military Camp
• Mining Facility
• Motel
• Mountain
• Movie Theater, Cinema
• Museums, Exhibits, Planetarium
N
• Nuclear Plan, Energy Plant
O
• Office, Public Administration Buildings
• Overpass
P
• Park
• Parking Garage, Parking
• Pavilion
• Pharmacy
• Pier
• Plaza
• Police Station
• Post Office
• Psychiatric Institution, Hospital (Insane Asylum)
R
• Racetrack
• Rainforest, Jungle
• Research Station
 • Rest Area, Rest Stop, Truck Stop
• Restaurant (sit down, fast food)
• Road
• Rooftops
S
• Savannah
• Sea, Ocean
• Sewers
• Skate Park
• Ski Center, Resort
• Skyscrapers
• Space Station
• Stadium
• Subway, Metro Station
• Swimming Pool
T
• Theater, Auditorium, Amphitheater, Opera House
• Tomb, Temple
• Train Station, Train Terminal
• Tram Station
• Tropical
• Tundra (Arctic, Alpine, Antarctic)
• Tunnel
U
• Underwater Station
V
• Village
• Volcano
W
• Warehouse
• Waterfall
Z
• Zoo
STYLE LIST
Style is art direction of the project. It is the visual design of your game
environment. Following list contains some of most common visual styles.
Common Videogame Visual Styles:
• 2D
• 2D Cutouts
• 2D Mixed with 3D and vice versa
• 3D
• Anime
• Artistic: hand-drawn, hand-painted, painterly style (other traditional
or digital media look)
• Abstract
• Black and White
• Cartoon
• Cel-Shaded, Flat-Shaded
• Comic
• Color Harmonies: certain colors dominate the color palette, color
contrast
 • Collage (various styles mixed together)
• Dark, Gritty, Grunge
• Diorama
• Full motion (live-action footage)
• Hand-made (paper cutouts, wooden blocks, cardboard boxes, fabric)
• Illustration
• Isometric or Oblique
• Low-Poly Count
• Minimalistic
• Monochromatic
• Movie, Film Inspired (pick a movie and look at the visual style to
follow)
• Over-Stylized, Exaggerated
• Pixel (2D/3D, 8-bit/16-bit)
• Realism, Hyperrealism, Photorealism
• Rotoscoping
• Silhouette
• Stylized
• Vector
• Videogame Inspired (pick a game and look at the visual style to
follow)
• Wireframe
Art Movements List:
Full List: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_art_movements
Following list can help you to research and find a unique style.
A
• ASCII Art
• Abstract art
• Art Brut
• Abstract expressionism
• Abstract Illusionism
• Academic art
• Action painting
• Aestheticism
• Altermodern
• American Barbizon school
• American Impressionism
• American realism
• American Scene Painting
• Analytical art
• Antipodeans
• Anti-realism
• Arabesque
• Arbeitsrat für Kunst
• Art Deco
• Art Informel
• Art Nouveau
• Art Photography
• Arte Povera
• Arts and Crafts Movement
 • Ashcan School
• Assemblage
• Les Automatistes
• Auto-destructive art
B
• Barbizon school
• Baroque
• Bauhaus
• Blobism
C
• Contextual Modernism
• Classical Realism
• Color Field
• Context Art
• Computer Art
• Concrete art
• Conceptual art
• Constructivism
• Cubism
D
• Dada
• Danube school
• Dau-al-Set
• De Stijl (also known as Neoplasticism)
• Deconstructivism
 • Digital Art
E
• Excessivism
• Expressionism
F
• Fantastic realism
• Fauvism
• Figurative art
• Figuration Libre
• Folk art
• Fluxus
• Futurism
G
• Geometric abstract art
• Graffiti
• Gutai group
• Gothic art
H
• Happening
• Harlem Renaissance
• Heidelberg School
• Hudson River School
• Humanistic Aestheticism
• Hypermodernism
• Hyperrealism
I
• Impressionism
• Institutional Critique
• International Gothic
• International Typographic Style
K
• Kinetic Art
L
• Land art
• Les Nabis
• Letterism
• Lowbrow (art movement)
• Lyco art
• Lyrical Abstraction
M
• Magic Realism
• Mannerism
• Massurrealism
• Maximalism
• Metaphysical painting
• Mingei
• Minimalism
• Modernism
• Modular constructivism
N
 • Naive art
• Neoclassicism
• Neo-Dada
• Neo-expressionism
• Neo-figurative
• Neoism
• Neo-primitivism
• Net art
• New Objectivity
• Northwest School (art)
O
• Objective Abstraction
• Op Art
• Orphism
P
• Photorealism
• Pixel Art
• Plasticien
• Plein Air
• Pointillism
• Pop art
• Post-impressionism
• Postminimalism
• Precisionism
• Pre-Raphaelitism
 • Primitivism
• Process art
• Psychedelic art
• Purism
Q
• Qajar art
R
• Rasquache
• Realism
• Regionalism (art)
• Remodernism
• Renaissance
• Rococo
• Romanesque
• Romanticism
S
• Samikshavad
• Shin hanga
• Shock art
• Spsaku hanga
• Socialist Realism
• Sots Art
• Space Art
• Street Art
• Stuckism
 • Sumatraism
• Superflat
• Suprematism
• Surrealism
• Symbolism (arts)
• Synchromism
T
• Tachisme (aka Informel)
• Toyism
• Transgressive art
• Tonalism
U
• Ukiyo-e
• Underground comix
V
• Vancouver School
• Vanitas
• Verdadism
• Video art
• Vorticism
THEMES
Theme is a unifying and dominant idea that brings your environment together. It
is the subject matter of the game environment. For example a theme could be a
time of day, time in history, weather-based, holiday or an event.
Some of the themes can be used as environment settings and vice versa.
Following list is not a complete list. There are thousands of themes that can be
created and mixed. Use these as a starting point.
Themes section is broken down into the following areas:
• General Themes
• Movie Genre Themes
• Art/History Periods
• Architecture Styles
• Historic Periods
General Themes:
• Abandoned
• Artic, Winter
• Celebration, Holidays (Christmas, New Years, Chinese New Year,
Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving etc)
• Commercial
• Contemporary, Modern
• Dream
• Dystopia
• Emptiness, Isolation
• Extraterrestrial
• Fantasy/Magic
• Foreign
• Ghost, Haunting, Paranormal
• Government
• Historic
• Industrial
• Military
• Nuclear, Nuclear Winter
• Pandemic, Epidemic, Disease
• Pollution
• Post-Apocalyptic
• Psychological
• Radiation
• Remake
• Residential
• Seasons (Fall/Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter)
• Time of Day (Dusk, Dawn, Midday, Evening, Night)
• Sci-Fi
• Space
• Under Construction
• Underwater
• Utopia
• Water
• War, Battle, Historic Events (WW2, WW1, Civil War, Crusades, 100
Year War etc)
• Weather: Before, During, After
• Weather and Natural Disasters (Hot/Dry, Fog, Lighting, Light/Heavy
Rain, Acid Rain, Storm, Dark Overcast Skies, Winds/Windy, Tornado,
Hurricane, Hail, Blizzard, Sand Storm, Tsunami, Volcanic Ash,
Rainbow, Snow, Dew, Flood etc)
• Weather: Storm Damage and Aftermath
• Urban
Movie Genre Themes:
Movie genres can be used as theme for stand-alone game environments and level
design.
• Altered States
• Aviation
• Alternate Reality
• Action Comedy
• Adventure
• Animation
• Anime
• Alien Invasion
• Addiction, Drugs, Substances
• Biography
• Cartoon
• Comic Book and Super Heroes
• Crime Scene
• Childhood
• Comedy
• Courtroom
• Current Events
• Cops and Robbers
• Classical
• Country and Western
• Childhood
• Coming-of-Age
• Documentary
• Detective
• Drama
• Dark Humor
• Epic, Myth
• Fantasy
• Film Noire
• Foreign
• Ghosts and Haunts
• Gangster
• Hell and Heaven
• Heist, Robbery, Caper
• History
• Horror, Slasher, Psycho
• Language and Literature
• Law and Crime
• Murder
• Military and War
• Mythology
• Musical
• Martial Arts
• Medical
• Monsters
• Mystery and Suspense
• Nature, Animals
• New Age and Metaphysics
• Nature Wild
• Point of View
• Politics and Government
• Romance
• Reverse Roles
• Religion and Belief Systems
• Small to Large and Large to Small
• Spy
• Sexuality, Erotic
• Social Issues
• Space, Exploration
• Sci-Fi
• Sea Adventure, Pirates
• Supernatural Thriller
• Spoofs
• Sports
• Spirituality and Philosophy
• Thriller
• Tragedies and Catastrophes
• Travel
• Toddler, Infant
• Technology
• Unexplained Phenomena, Paranormal
• Vehicles and Transportation
 • What if
Art/History Periods:
Full list of Art/Historic Periods can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_periods
• Medieval
• Renaissance
• Neoclassicism
• Romanticism
• Modern Art
• Contemporary art
Renaissance (1300 to c. 1600)
• Italian Renaissance - late 13th century - c. 1600
• Renaissance Classicism
• Early Netherlandish painting - 1400 - 1500
Renaissance to Neoclassicism
• Mannerism and Late Renaissance - 1520 - 1600, began in central
Italy
• Baroque - 1600 - 1730, began in Rome
• Dutch Golden Age painting 1585 – 1702
• Flemish Baroque painting - 1585 – 1700)
• Rococo - 1720 - 1780, began in France
• Neoclassicism - 1750 - 1830, began in Rome
Romanticism (1790 – 1880)
• Nazarene movement - c. 1820 - late 1840s
• The Ancients - 1820s - 1840s
 • Purismo - c. 1820 - 1860s
• Düsseldorf school - mid-1820s - 1860s
• Hudson River school - 1850s - c. 1880
• Luminism (American art style) - 1850s – 1870s
Romanticism to Modern Art
• Norwich school - 1803 - 1833, England
• Biedermeier - 1815 - 1848, Germany
• Photography - Since 1826
• Realism - 1830 - 1870, began in France
• Barbizon school - c. 1830 - 1870, France
• Peredvizhniki - 1870, Russia
• Hague School - 1870 - 1900, Netherlands
• American Barbizon school - United States
• Spanish Eclecticism - 1845 - 1890, Spain
• Macchiaioli - 1850s, Tuscany, Italy
• Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - 1848 - 1854, England
Modern Art (1860 – 1945)
• Impressionism - 1860 - 1890, France
• American Impressionism 1880, United States
• Cos Cob Art Colony 1890s, United States
• Heidelberg School late 1880s, Australia
• Luminism (Impressionism)
• Arts and Crafts movement - 1880 - 1910, United Kingdom
• Tonalism - 1880 - 1920, United States
• Symbolism (arts) - 1880 - 1910, France, Belgium
• Russian Symbolism 1884 - c. 1910, Russia
• Aesthetic movement 1868 - 1901, United Kingdom
• Post-impressionism - 1886 - 1905, France
• Les Nabis 1888 - 1900, France
• Cloisonnism c. 1885, France
• Synthetism late 1880s - early 1890s, France
• Neo-impressionism 1886 - 1906, France
• Pointillism 1879, France
• Divisionism 1880s, France
• Art Nouveau - 1890 - 1914, France
• Vienna Secession (or Secessionstil) 1897, Austria
• Jugendstil Germany, Scandinavia
• Modernisme - 1890 to 1910, Spain
• Russian avant-garde - 1890 - 1930, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet Union
• Art à la Rue 1890s - 1905, Belgium, France
• Young Poland 1890 - 1918, Poland
• Mir iskusstva 1899, Russia
• Hagenbund 1900 - 1930, Austria
• Fauvism - 1904 - 1909, France
• Expressionism - 1905 - 1930, Germany
• Die Brücke 1905 - 1913, Germany
• Der Blaue Reiter 1911, Germany
• Bloomsbury Group - 1905 - c. 1945, England
• Cubism - 1907 - 1914, France
• Orphism - 1912, France
• Purism - 1918 - 1926
• Cubo-Expressionism 1909 - 1921
• Ashcan School 1907, United States
• Jack of Diamonds (artists) 1909, Russia
• Futurism (art) - 1910 - 1930, Italy
• Cubo-Futurism 1912 - 1915, Russia
• Rayonism 1911, Russia
• Synchromism 1912, United States
• Universal Flowering 1913, Russia
• Vorticism 1914 - 1920, United Kingdom
• Biomorphism 1915 - 1940s
• Suprematism 1915 - 1925, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet Union
• Dada - 1916 - 1930, Switzerland
• Proletkult 1917 - 1925, Soviet Union
• Productijism after 1917, Russia
• De Stijl (Neoplasticism) 1917 - 1931, Holland
• Pittura Metafisica 1917, Italy
• Arbeitsrat für Kunst 1918 - 1921
• Bauhaus - 1919 - 1933, Germany
• UNOVIS 1919 - 1922, Russia
• Others group of artists 1919, United States
• American Expressionism c. 1920 -
• Precisionism c. 1920, United States
• Surrealism Since 1920s, France
• Acephale France
 • Lettrism 1942
• Les Automatistes 1946 - 1951, Quebec, Canada
• Devetsil 1920 - 1931
• Group of Seven 1920 - 1933, Canada
• Harlem renaissance 1920 - 1930s, United States
• American scene painting c. 1920 - 1945, United States
• New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) 1920s, Germany
• Constructivism (art) 1920s, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet Union
• Art Deco - 1920s - 1930s, France
• Grupo Montparnasse 1922, France
• Soviet art 1922 - 1986, Soviet Union
• Northwest School (art) Hi's - 1940s, United States
• Social realism, 1929, international
• Socialist realism - c. 1930 - 1950, Soviet Union, Germany
• Abstraction-Creation 1931 - 1936, France
• Allianz (arts) 1937 - 1950s, Switzerland
• Abstract Expressionism - 1940s, Post WWII, United States
• Art informel mid-1940s - 1950s
• Outsider art (Art brut) mid-1940s, United Kingdom, United States
Contemporary Art (1946 – present)
• Vienna School of Fantastic Realism - 1946, Austria
• Neo-Dada 1950s, international
• International Typographic Style 1950s, Switzerland
• Soviet Nonconformist Art 1953 - 1986, Soviet Union
• Painters Eleven 1954-1960, Canada
• Pop Art mid-1950s, United Kingdom, United States
• Woodlands School 1958-1962, Canada
• Situationism 1957 - early 1970s, Italy
• New realism 1960
• Magic realism 1960s, Germany
• Minimalism - 1960
• Hard-edge painting - early 1960s, United States
• Fluxus - early 1960s - late-1970s
• Happening - early 1960
• Video art - early 1960
• Psychedelic art early 1960s
• Conceptual art - 1960s
• Graffiti 1960s
• Junk art 1960s
• Performance art - 1960s
• Op Art 1964
• Post-painterly abstraction 1964
• Lyrical Abstraction mid-1960s
• Process art mid-1960s - 1970s
• Arte Povera 1967
• Art and Language 1968, United Kingdom
• Photorealism - Late 1960s - early 1970s
• Land art - late-1960s - early 1970s
• Post-minimalism late-1960s - 1970s
• Postmodern art 1970 - present
 • Deconstructivism
• Metarealism - 1970 -1980, Russia
• Installation art - 1970s
• Mail art - 1970s
• Neo-expressionism late 1970s
• Neoism 1979
• Figuration Libre early 1980s
• Young British Artists 1988
• Digital art 1990 - present
• Toyism 1992 - present
• Transgressive art
• Massurrealism 1992
• Stuckism 1999
• Remodernism 1999
• Maximalism
Architecture Styles:
Full list of Architecture Styles can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_style
A
• Adam Style (1770 England)
• Adirondack (1850s New York, USA)
• Anglo-Saxon (450s-1066 England and Wales)
• American Colonial (1720-1780s USA)
• American Craftsman (1890s–1930 USA, California)
• American Empire (1810)
 • American Foursquare (1890s-1930s USA)
• Amsterdam School (1912–1924 Netherlands)
• Ancient Egyptian (3000BC–373 AD)
• Ancient Greek (776 BC-265 BC)
• Arcology (1970s AD-present)
• Art Deco (1925–1940s Europe and USA)
• Art Nouveau (1885–1910)
B
• Baroque
• Bauhaus
• Biedermeier (1815–1848)
• Blobitecture (2003–present)
• Brick Gothic (1350–c. 15th Century)
• Bristol Byzantine (1850-1880)
• Brutalist (1950s–1970)
• Buddhist (1st century BC)
• Byzantine (527 AD-1520)
C
• Carolingian (780s-9th Century France and Germany)
• Carpenter Gothic (USA and Canada 1840s)
• Chilota (1600–present Chiloe and southern Chile)
• Churrigueresque (1660s-1750s. Spain and the New World)
• Classical (600 BC-323 AD)
• Colonial Revival
• Constructivist
D
• Danish Functionalism (1960s AD Denmark)
• Deconstructivism (1982-present)
• Dragestil (1880s-1910s, Norway)
• Dutch Colonial (1615-1674)
• Dutch Colonial Revival (1900 New England)
E
• Early English Period (1190-1250)
• Eastlake Style (1879-1905 New England)
• Egyptian Revival (1809–1820s, 1840s, 1920s)
• Elizabethan (1533-1603)
• Empire (1804-1814, 1870 revival)
• English Baroque (1666-1713)
• English Gothic(1290-c. 1350)
• Expressionist (1910-1924)
F
• Federal (1780-1830 USA)
• Florida Cracker (1800–present Florida, USA)
• Florida Modern (1950s or Tropical Modern)
• Functionalism (1900-1930s Europe and USA)
• Futurist architecture (1909 Europe)
G
• Georgian (1720-1840s UK and USA)
• Googie (1950s America)
• Gothic
 • Gothic Revival (1760s–1840s)
• Greek Revival
• Green building (2000-present)
• Heliopolis Style (1905–c. 1935 Egypt)
I
• Indian
• Interactive (2000–present)
• International Style (1930–present)
• Isabelline Gothic (1474-1505 Spain)
• Islamic (691-present)
• Italianate (1802)
J
• Jacobean (1580-1660)
• Jacobethan (1838)
• Jeffersonian (1790s-1830s Virginia, U.S.)
• Jengki Style (1950s Indonesia)
• Jugendstil (1885–1910 German term for Art Nouveau)
M
• Manueline (1495-1521 Portugal and colonies)
• Mediterranean Revival Style (1890s–present; U.S., Latin America,
Europe)
• Merovingian (5th century-8th century France and Germany)
• Metabolist Movement (1959 Japan)
• Mission Revival Style (1894-1936; California, U.S.)
• Modern Movement (1927–1960s)
 • Modernisme 1888-1911 Catalonian Art Nouveau
N
• Natural building (2000-present)
• Nazi architecture (1933-1944 Germany)
• Neo-Byzantine (1882–1920s American)
• Neoclassical
• Neo-Grec (1848 and 1865)
• Neo-gothic
• Neolithic (10,000 -3000 BC)
• Neo-Manueline (1840s-1910s AD Portugal and Brazil)
• Norman (1074-1250)
O
• Ottonian (950s-1050s Germany)
P
• Palladian (1616-1680)
• Perpendicular Period (1350-1550)
• Ponce Creole (1895-1920 Ponce, Puerto Rico)
• Pombaline Style (1755 and 1860 Portugal)
• Postmodern (1980s)
• Polish Cathedral Style (1870-1930)
• Prairie Style 1900–1917 USA
• Pueblo Style (1898-1990s)
Q
• Queen Anne Style (1870–1910s UK and USA)
• Queenslander (1840s–1960s)
R
• Ranch-style (1940s-1970s USA)
• Repoblación (880s-11th century Spain)
• Regency
• Richardsonian Romanesque (1880s USA)
• Rococo
• Roman (753 BC–663 AD)
• Romanesque (1050-1100)
• Romanesque Revival (1840–1900 USA)
• Russian (989-18th century)
• Russian Revival (1826-1917, 1990s-present)
S
• Second Empire (1865 and 1880)
• Shingle Style (1879-1905 New England)
• Sicilian Baroque (1693, 1745)
• Spanish Colonial Revival (1915–present; California, Hawaii, Florida,
Southwest U.S.)
• Spanish Colonial (1520s–1820s)
• Stalinist (1933–1955 USSR)
• Structural Expressionism (1980s-present)
• Swiss Chalet Style (1840s-1920s Scandinavia and Germany)
• Stick Style (1860-1890s)
• Sustainable (2000-present)
• Soft Portuguese Style (1940-1955)
• Streamline Modern (1930–1937)
 • Structuralism (1950-1975)
• Sumerian (5300–2000 BC)
T
• Tidewater (19th century)
• Tudor Style (1485–1603)
• Tudorbethan (1835–1885)
U
• Ukrainian Baroque (1600-19th century)
• Usonian (1936–1940s USA)
V
• Victorian (1837 and 1901 UK)
• Vienna Secession (1897-1905)
Historical Periods
Full list of Historical Periods can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_time_periods
Mesopotamia:
• Mesopotamia (3500 BCE – 559 BCE)
Historical Periods of the Americas:
• Classic and Postclassic eras, Central America (200–1519)
• Early Intermediate, Middle Horizon, Late Intermediate, Late Horizon
(Peru, 200–1534)
• Baroque (New World, 1600–1750)
• Spanish hegemony (Americas, 16th century – 1820s)
• Reconstruction era (United States, 1865–1877)
• Gilded Age (United States, 1875–1900)
 • Progressive Era (United States, 1890s–1920s)
• Information Age (United States, 2000–Now) (Modern age)
Historical Periods Philippines:
• Neolithic-Iron Age (c.10,000 BC - AD 1000)
• Classical period (c.1000 A.D.-900 A.D)
• Late Classical period (c. AD 900-1500)
• Colonial Era (c.1600-1898 , 1901-1945)
• Sovereign Era (1946–present)
• Marcos era Martial Law (1972-1982)
• People power EDSA revolution (1983)
• Post Martial Law (1983 - present)
Historical Periods of China:
• Shang Dynasty (1600 BC – 1046 BC)
• Zhou Dynasty (1200 BC – 500 BC)
• Warring States period (402 BC – 201 BC)
• Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC)
• Han Dynasty (206 BC – AD 220)
• Six Dynasties (AD 22 – 580)
• Sui Dynasty (580 – 618)
• Tang Dynasty (623 – 907)
• Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907 – 960)
• Song Dynasty (960 – 1279)
• Yuan Dynasty (1271 – 1368)
• Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644)
• Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912)
Historical Periods of Africa/Egypt:
• Old Kingdom (3000 BC – 2000 BC)
• Middle Kingdom (2000 BC – 1300 BC)
• New Kingdom (1550 BC – 1070 BC)
• Ptolemaic Kingdom (305 BC – 30 BC)
• Aegyptus (30 BC – 390 AD)
• Coptic period (300 AD – 900 AD)
• Fatimid Caliphate (909 – 1171)
• Ayyubid Dynasty (1171 – 1250)
• Mamluk Sultanate (1250 – 1517)
• Ottoman Eyalet (1517 – 1867)
• Khedivate (1867 – 1914)
Historical Periods of Europe:
• Classical antiquity (700 BC – 600 AD)
• Archaic Period (700 BC – 100 AD)
• Ancient Greece (Greece and Near East, c. 3300 BC – 31 BC
• Macedonian Era (399 BC – 300 BC)
• Hellenistic Greece (323 BC – 146 BC)
• Ancient Rome (753 BC – AD 476)
• Late Antiquity (AD 100–500)
• Migration Period (Europe 200–700)
• Middle Ages (Europe, 5th–15th centuries)
• Byzantine era (330–1453)
• Dark Ages (Europe, 476–800)
• Early Middle Ages (Europe, 500–1000)
• Viking Age (Scandinavia, Europe, 793–1066)
• High Middle Ages (Europe, 1000–1300)
• Late Middle Ages (Europe, 1300–1450)
• The Renaissance (Europe, 1300–1700)
• Early modern period (Europe, 1450–1750)
• Age of Discovery (or Exploration) (Europe, 1400–1700)
• Polish Golden Age (Poland, 1507-1572)
• Golden Age of Piracy 1650-1730
• Elizabethan era (United Kingdom, 1558–1603)
• Protestant Reformation (Europe, 16th century)
• Classicism (Europe, 16th–18th centuries)
• Industrious Revolution, (Europe, 16th–18th centuries)
• Jacobean era (United Kingdom, 1603–1625)
• Petrine Era (Russia, 1689–1725)
• Age of Enlightenment (or Reason) (Europe, 18th century)
• Long nineteenth century (1789–1914)
• Georgian era (United Kingdom, 1714–1830)
• Industrial Revolution (Europe, United States, elsewhere 18th and
19th centuries)
• Age of European colonialism and imperialism
• Romantic era (1770–1850)
• Napoleonic era (1799–1815)
• Victorian era (United Kingdom, 1837–1901); British hegemony,
much of world, around the same time period.
• Edwardian era (United Kingdom, 1901–1910)
 • Cold War 1950 - 1991
• Post-Cold War 1991–Present
Historical Periods of India:
• Indus Valley Civilization (2500 BC – 1300 BC)
• Vedic period (1500 BC – 500 BC)
• Maurya Empire (321 BC – 185 BC)
• Kushan Empire (185 BC – 220 AD), Satavahana Empire (230 BC –
220 AD),
• Gupta Empire (320 AD – 535 AD)
• Middle kingdoms of India (1 AD – 1279 AD)
• Medieval India (1206 – 1526)
• Mughal Empire (1526 – 1857)
• Maratha Empire (1674-1818)
• British Raj (1858 – 1947)
Historical Periods of Japan:
• Jomon period (10,500 BC – 400 BC)
• Yayoi period (400 BC – 250 AD)
• Kofun period (250 – 600)
• Asuka period (600 – 710)
• Nara period (710 – 794)
• Heian period (794 – 1185)
• Kamakura period (1185 – 1333)
• Muromachi period (1333 – 1573)[3]
• Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573 – 1603)
• Tokugawa shogunate (1603 – 1868)
 • Meiji period (1868 – 1912)
Historical Periods of Middle East:
• Ancient Near East (Sumer, 3100 BC – 500 BC)
• Persian Empires (550 BC – 651 AD)
• Islamic period (7th – 21st centuries)
• Ottoman Empire (1300 – 1923), Safavid Empire (1501–1736)
Historical Periods of Ancient Greece/Rome
• Ancient Greece (Greece and Near East, c. 3300 BCE – 31 BCE
• Ancient Rome (509 BCE – AD 476E)
Contemporary Historical Periods:
More info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_history
• Machine Age (1900 CE – 1945 CE)
• Age of Oil (after 1901 CE)
• World War I (1914 CE – 1918 CE)
• Interwar period (1918 CE – 1939 CE)
• Roaring Twenties (1920 CE – 1929 CE)
• Great Depression (1929 CE – World War II)
• World War II (1939 CE – 1945 CE)
• Atomic Age (after 1945 CE)
• Post-war era (1946 CE – 1962 CE)
• Cold War (Soviet Union and United States, and their allies, 1945 CE
– 1991 CE)
• Space Age (after 1957 CE)
• The Sixties (1960 CE – 1969 CE)
• Post-Modern (Soviet Union and United States, 1973 CE – present)
 • Information Age (1970 CE – present)
• The Seventies (1970 CE – 1979 CE)
• The Eighties (1980 CE – 1989 CE)
• The Nineties (1990 CE – 1999 CE)
• The Noughties (2000 CE – 2009 CE)
• The Tens (2010 CE - 2019 CE)
• Big Data Age (2010 CE – present)
Prehistoric Periods:
Full list of Historical Periods can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_by_period
• Stone Age
• Paleolithic
• Mesolithic
• Neolithic
• Chalcolithic
• Bronze Age
• Iron Age

 PREPRODUCTION BLUEPRINT WORKSHEET
Download both (.PDF and .DOC and .DOCX) files – compressed/zipped:
www.worldofleveldesign.com/preproductionblueprint/worksheets.zip
View online .PDF:
www.worldofleveldesign.com/preproductionblueprint/worksheet.pdf

PROJECT NAME:


_____________________________________________________

Worksheet Version:
Date:
Engine/Software:

STEP 1: IDEA

Idea: (write 1-2 sentences describing your idea)

Is this a Stand-Alone Game Environment or Playable Level Design? (circle one)
• Stand-Alone Game Environment
• Playable Level/Level Design

Software to be used: (list of software/game engine you will use for this project)

STEP 2: SETTINGS, LOCATION AND THEME
Environment Setting: (list physical environment setting your world takes place
in)

Key Location/s: (list more specific key location)

Theme: (list subject matter, dominant and unifying theme your environment
takes place in)

STEP 3: PROJECT PURPOSE
Reason and Purpose: The reason i want to create this environment is: (describe
why you want to work on and finish this project)

What do you want to achieve?
• From completing this project, I want to achieve...

Project Purpose List or Sentence: Write single sentence or couple of bulleted
points describing your project purpose of why you want to pursue and create this
stand-alone game environment or level design.

STEP 4: FEATURES
Unique Features: What does the environment feature that is unique to your
idea?

Player’s Experience: What do you want the player to experience?

How will it be different and unique?
• How will this stand-alone game environment or level design be
different from anything else out there? How will this stand-alone game
environment or level design be unique from what has been done before
in the same genre, location or theme? How does it improve upon an
existing genre, location or theme?
• How will you define the environment and create a unique world for
player to experience?

Feature List: Create 3-5 features that will be the defining elements of your
stand-alone game environment or playable level.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

STEP 5: PHOTO/VIDEO REFERENCE AND RESEARCH
Project and Reference Folder: create a new “Project Folder” and rename it to
your project name. Inside that folder, create “Preproduction Blueprint” and then
within create “Reference” folder. Begin collecting visual image reference for
your environment.

Reference: collect all five category references you need for your project.
• Architecture reference
• Environment reference
• Light reference
• Prop reference
• Inspiration/Style reference

Environment Research: start a document and name it “Project Management”.
Record answers from researched questions into this document.

STEP 6: STORY
What?
Write a description (2-4 paragraphs) or a list of this environment from point of
view of a character that lives there or someone who has already been through it.
• What is the overall story of your game, game stand-alone game
environment or level design? What happened in the environment prior
to the player arriving here? (attach new sheet of paper for more space)

How? (attach new sheet of paper for more space)
• How did the player arrive into this environment’s location? What
were the events that brought them there?
• What events happened in the environment or to the player prior to
him or her arriving into this location?
• How will you show what happened to the environment? How will
you tell the story of the environment to the player?
• How will the player navigate through the environment?

Why?
Why question is closely tied to the “How” question. The “why” will help to
establish a relationship between the environment and player character.
• You know how the player arrived to the environment but why are
they here, in this location? What purpose or what goal are they to
achieve? Is it to fulfill an objective? Collect something? Escape? Loot?
Explore? (attach new sheet of paper for more space)

Show, Don't Tell
• How will you show what happened to the environment? How will
you tell the story of the environment to the player? (attach new sheet of
 paper for more space)

Creating a Story
Create a brief story, a description of your environment as the player participates
and travels through it. Use the questions you have already answered in the What,
How and Why sections. Choose one of two options:
1. Write a list describing as the player navigates through your
environment
2. Write out few (2-4) paragraphs describing as the player navigates
through your environment (attach new sheet of paper for more space)

STEP 7: OBJECTIVES, OBSTACLES AND SET PIECES
Playable Level: go over the game’s main storyline and environment’s story to
define a set of objectives for your map. Remember the formula: Objectives >
Obstacles > Set Pieces (Scripted Events).
• Make a list of what the player need to do in order to complete the
map?
• Draw objectives progression chart. Visually design the objectives.
Define where the player will start and where they will end up. Then in-
between come up with objectives for what the player has to do in order
to complete the map.
• For each of the objectives, define obstacles the player has to
overcome. Obstacles are conflicts that stand in the player’s way. Make
a list of obstacles for each objective.
• For each objective and obstacle, define set pieces (scripted events)
which are caused from player’s actions and participation. Player does
something then a scripted event happens. Make a list of set pieces
(scripted events) caused from obstacles for each objective.
• Make a list of indirect set pieces (scripted events) if any. These will
happen due to the player being in the environment but did not do
anything directly to cause them.

Stand-Alone Game Environment: Follow the environments story, define a set
of environmental set pieces that happen by themselves in the environment.
Timed or cycle scripted events (traffic, night/day, other game characters living in
the world etc.)
• What events could you script to help your stand-alone game
environment come to life?
• What do you want the viewer to experience? What emotional
response do you want the viewer to have?
STEP 8: FOCAL POINT
Define Focal Points: Take your idea and look over the work we’ve already
done. Extract a specific landmark in your map that could be your focal point.
• Look over your Setting, Theme and Location from Step 2.
• Look over image reference from Step 5.
• Look over the game’s story and environments story from Step 6.
• Look over Objectives, Obstacles and Set Pieces from Step 7.
Here are some questions to help decide on the focal point of your map. Some
may not apply depending on if you are creating a playable level or a stand-alone
environment.
• What would make your environment stand out? Look at your
reference and all the previous steps that you have done.
• What focal point would make your location interesting? Aesthetically,
visually and architecturally?
• Does the focal point support the story of the game and the
environment?
• How will the player or viewer remember the environment?
• Will you have one focal point or multiple?
• How will the players reference and orient themselves in your
environment?
• How will they know where they are within a second upon spawning?
What will help them know where they are? (important in multiplayer
maps)
• How will they move from one location to another?
Focal Point Image Reference: Choose what focal point/s are going to be within
your environment. Have an image reference for each one.
STEP 9: TOP DOWN LAYOUT
Top-Down Layout Methods: Use any of the techniques below to create a top-
down layout
• Pen and paper
• Whiteboard
• Building blocks
• Adobe® Photoshop® Unique Top Down Layouts
• Google Maps™ to Generate Top Down Layouts
• SketchUp
Creating Top-Down Layout: Look back at everything collected so far: photo
reference, concept art, story, focal points, objectives, set pieces (scripted events).
Begin to create a top down layout.
Top-Down Layout Key Elements for Single-Player Gameplay Maps: If you
are designing top down layouts for single player maps begin by defining where
the level will start with a player spawn and where the level will end. Everything
in between will be obstacles, objectives, situations and scripted events for the
player to encounter, experience and overcome.
• Player starts and level’s ending position
• Main progression pathways – How will the player go from start to
finish?
• Alternative routes
• Item and weapon placement
• Cover placement
• Side-quests or side missions
• Playable areas and non-playable areas; boundaries of the map
• Objectives the player has to complete
• Obstacles the player has to overcome
 • Focal points and landmarks
• Choke points or various confrontational battle areas
• AI enemy placement; where battle areas can happen
• Friendly AI interactions
• Set piece (scripted event) locations and what will trigger them?
• Storyline or cinematic triggers
Top-Down Layout Key Elements for Multiplayer Gameplay Maps: If you
are designing top down layouts for multiplayer maps, begin with any of the
following - spawn locations, gameplay pathway flow, boundaries of the map or
choke points.
• Spawning locations (player starts) for each player and for each team
• Pathway of flow for each team
• Alternative pathways
• Playable areas and non-playable areas or boundaries of the map
• Choke points; confrontational combat areas
• Focal points/landmarks
• Map’s objectives (hostage locations, rescue locations, control points,
bomb sites etc)
• Item/weapon placement (if required for the gametype)
• Cover positions
• Sight lines
Top-Down Layout Key Elements for Stand-Alone Game Environments: If
you are designing top down layouts for stand-alone game environments, begin
with a focal point/landmark or boundaries of the world.
• Focal points/landmarks
• Placement or spatial relationships of buildings, objects, and landscape
• Playable areas (if it is a walkthrough environment) and non-playable
 areas; boundaries of the map
• Audio in specific areas (if required)
• Scripted events (if required)
Create Visual Progression Guide: With the layout completed, scan it onto your
computer and create a Visual Progression Guide.
STEP 10: VISUAL DEVELOPMENT
Define Style: Define the style of the stand-alone game environment or playable
level design. Choose to:
1. Create your own concept art
2. Work with a concept artist
3. Collect concept art online that mimics the art style you are after
Pick an Art Style: What visual art style will your environment be? Will it be
Realistic? Exaggerated? Stylized? Cartoonish? Etc.
Visually Unique: How will your project be unique visually/stylistically? Make a
list of 2-3 things that will make your stand-alone game environment or playable
level design be different than most similar environment projects out there.
1.
2.
3.
Collect Style Reference: Begin collecting reference of concept art that mimics
the art direction you are going after. Focus on the following:
• Concept art
• Traditional paintings
You can expand into looking at videogames and movies to find the visual style
that is similar to your idea.
• Videogames
• Movies
Focus on color palette, lighting, atmosphere and the visual art style.
Collect all the images you find into the reference image folder within your
project. You can organize these images better by placing them into “Art
Direction” folder.
Color Palette: What is the color palette of your environment? Is your
environment using warm color palette or cool color palette? (include a photo or
concept art with each question for better understanding)
• What is the color palette scheme of your game environment?
• What is the dominant color?
• What are the secondary colors?
• What is the primary light source color? Shadow colors?
• How much light vs. dark ratio is in your scene? High-contrast? Lots
of dark areas? Evenly lit?
• Will your game environment use a warm or cool color palette?

STEP 11: LISTS
Review: Go through all of preproduction you have done up to this point.
• Refined idea
• Project purpose and statement
• Features of your level or stand-alone game environment
• A setting, location and theme
• Collected photo/image reference
• Environment story
• Defined objectives, obstacles and set pieces (scripted events)
• Focal points/landmarks
• Top-down layout
• Visual development of how your level or game environment will look
Asset List: Create assets list. Assets list includes 3d models, textures, materials,
audio, animations, particle effects, interface menu or any other item that has to
be created or collected to be included in your playable map or stand-alone game
environment.
Make a list of all known assets you would need to include to create playable
level or stand-alone game environment. These include: (attach new sheet of
paper for more space)
• 3d Models for Architecture, Foliage and Props
• Materials and Textures
• Audio/Sound Effects
• Particle Effects
Production List: Create production list. What is the process that you are going
to use to create this environment? Here are basic guidelines for single player,
multiplayer and stand-alone game environments. Use these guidelines and
change them up to fit your project.
3D Modeling Production Pipeline: Modeling game environment assets contain a
series of steps in order to finish a game-ready model.
• Low-poly model
• High-poly sculpt
• UV mapping
• UV layout
• Diffuse texture
• Normal map texture (Baking High-Poly to Low-Poly to acquire
normal maps)
• Lightmaps
• Clean-up: tweaking and optimizing
• Creation of LOD (level of detail models)
• Collisions
• Export from 3D modeling package
• Import into game engine
Single-Player Level Design - Production Pipeline List: Single-player level
design production steps to complete a playable map.
• Layout block-in (usually done with BSP brushes or with similar basic
primitive function inside the game engine)
• Gameplay integration and scripting (objectives, obstacles, mission
design, AI, story cinematics, combat, map flow etc.) – gameplay focus;
no visuals
• Extensive play-testing and layout changes based on gameplay
feedback
• Texturing the level (may require texture/material creation)
• Placing and detailing with 3d models (game assets: architecture,
foliage, props, etc.)
• Lighting the level
 • Atmosphere and post-process
• In-game integration (making the map show up in game menus,
adding loading map images etc.)
• More play-testing and tweaking (gameplay and visuals)
• Release beta
• Feedback changes and fixes from beta
• Final release
Multiplayer Level Design - Production Pipeline List: Multiplayer level design
production steps to complete a playable map.
• Layout block-in (usually done with BSP brushes or with similar basic
primitive function inside the game engine)
• Gameplay integration and scripting (gameplay map objectives, spawn
for each team, map flow, pathway flow, choke points) – gameplay
focus; no visuals
• Extensive play-testing for balance, pacing and flow and layout
changes based on gameplay feedback
• Texturing the level (may require texture/material creation)
• Placing and detailing with 3d models (game assets: architecture,
foliage, props, etc.)
• Lighting the level
• Atmosphere and post-process
• In-game integration (making the map show up in game menus,
adding loading map images etc.)
• More play-testing and tweaking (gameplay and visuals)
• Release beta
• Feedback changes and fixes from beta
• Final release
Stand-Alone Game Environment - Production Pipeline List: Stand-alone game
environment production steps to complete a non-playable, non-interactive
environment.
• Layout block-in (usually done with BSP brushes or with similar basic
primitive function inside the game engine)
• Play-testing for scale and if it is a walk-through environment
• Texturing the level (may require texture/material creation)
• Placing and detailing with 3d models (game assets: architecture,
foliage, props, etc.)
• Lighting the level
• Atmosphere and post-process
• Creating a camera fly-through of the environment and screenshots
• Final tests and fixes
• Release
Project Management Document: Create Project Management document or use
Project Management software. Project Management includes ongoing notes,
tasks to do, errors / bugs to fix, ideas to implement, features to update or remove
etc. All of these must be noted down as you work on your project. Write
everything down into Project Management document to keep track of on-going
process and updates on your project.
Project Management Document Steps:
• Create a Word document and name it “Project Name – Project
Management” or start a new project using Project Management
software
• Define sections or categories
Categories can include:
• Upcoming Tasks/To Do (can be broken down into further categories
such as Art, Programming, Marketing etc.)
• Currently Doing/Working on
• Done/Completed
 • Ideas
• Notes
• Improvements
• Features
• Known Issues
• Errors/bugs
• Feedback and Critiques
• Sections of your game environment and what needs to be done in
each one
• Any other category that you feel you need for your project
Date all entered items so you know when it was included.
Project Management is an on-going document for you to constantly enter notes
into and keep it up to date on the status of your project.
Visualize: Visualizing is imagining in your mind’s eye what your final level
design and stand-alone game environment will look like, play like and feel like.
• Close your eyes
• Picture/imagine yourself walking through completed stand-alone
game environment or playable level
• If it is a playable level, play it in your mind. See the obstacles, set
pieces and objectives; visualize choke point battles – experience
playing your map. Visualize spawning, running to the choke points and
engaging in battles.
• Visualize the environment’s atmosphere, style, theme, lighting and all
the visual details in the environment.
• Imagine it vividly as you can.
• If some mental images in your mind are fuzzy and unclear – then
focus on sections of your stand-alone game environment or level
design where there is more clarity.
• Go through concept art, photo reference, objectives, obstacles and set
pieces list. Look over everything you’ve done up to this point of the
book to help.
• Listening to music that mimics the atmosphere and theme of the
environment you are trying to create will helps to visualize.
 PREPRODUCTION BLUEPRINT CHECKLIST
1. Idea
2. Setting, Location, Theme
3. Project Purpose
4. Features
5. Photo/Video Reference and Research
6. Story
7. Objectives, Obstacles and Set Pieces
8. Focal Point/s
9. Top-Down Layout
10. Visual Development
11. Lists