The world design for a platforming game is both creative and logical. Each room has a function that contributes to the flow of the map. This function could be to act as a locked gate, a skill check, a rest area, etc. The process of map design is surprisingly similar to managing logical flow in a script. However, that isn’t what I want to talk about in this post.

Instead, I will talk about the way each room is like a painting. Each individual element has already been painted before hand, but the placement of those elements requires keen attention to the traditional artistic principles. Just to name a few of these principle at play in level composition, there are:

• Repetition
• Emphasis

Repetition

With a huge number of assets to pick from, it can be tempting to fill each room with as much variety as possible. That should make the game feel more robust right? WRONG Less is often more. In the case of room design, intentional use of repetition and constraint leads to rooms that are more cohesive and memorable. When each room has a stronger individual identity, the player has an easier time forming a mental map.

Emphasis

Constraining the use of assets as mentioned above allows for another important feature of level design: emphasis. A boring room can be made memorable by a single prop. Anything that breaks the pattern will do. It’s all about contrast. A room full of just moss isn’t very exciting, but a moss room with one single bookshelf is interesting. Why is there a bookshelf here? Who knows!

Now imagine that same room with mushrooms and ferns and boulders and every type of flower and plant. Before long, nothing stands out anymore. Emphasis requires contrast. Contrast requires pattern. Contrast breaks the pattern. This pattern can also be broken though other types of contrast, like room shape, lighting, difficulty, etc.