"Good level design constantly teaches the player something new."
"Good level design is driven by the game's mechanics."
"The Nanosuit lets you get the drop on your enemies in delightfully creative ways, doubly so for the openness of its levels."
"Now you can finally make that hilarious troll level where every block has a big Bowser in it."
"There are millions of levels in Super Mario Maker 2 that range from pure garbage to masterpieces of level design."
"One of the best parts of the original Tomb Raider was its excellent level design."
"The atmosphere and level design is the strongest part of deepwoken by a large margin."
"A well-designed first level has to find a way to put the game's best foot forward as quickly as possible and get the player both prepared and interested to keep playing."
"But first levels aren’t just about what’s necessary. There are unique opportunities to draw a new player in to your world."
"Sonic 3 clearly had more expansive levels than Sonic 2 while also having a newly implemented save feature."
"With its strong, Chaos Emerald-based feedback loop, there are always plenty of opportunities for you to improve, and the level design will reward your tenacity time and again."
"Oh my gosh, what a level. Very tough one for sure, but we figured it out."
"I genuinely loved New Super Mario Bros U and New Super Luigi U. They have some of the best level designs in the Mario series history."
"Naughty Dog proved to me over the decade that no matter how small the beginnings, with the right level of dedication and creativity, greatness is within anyone's grasp."
"Good parkour is about how many different ways a player can interact with obstacles, not just about breezing through those obstacles without stopping to consider their geometry."
"Greenhill is so iconic it hurts fortunately what never suffers is the superb level design merely unmatched even in its own series."
"By far one of the best single star galaxies."
"The level design and rolling masterpiece feels so right."
"Unleashed and Generations expanding on the main levels with challenges or gimmicks is the ideal way of doing things."
"Dark Souls has unique elements of level design that really set it apart from other games."
"I like the hub layout, not just a straight line."
"What makes the level design feel oppressive? Well, every time you're in Dark Aether, your health will steadily drain."
"Sonic Adventure 2 booked me immediately and it was all because of these stages."
"It's an even harder version of the original level and you better believe it is ruthless."
"This train section might be one of the best segments in all of the Uncharted games."
"Sonic Rush Adventure: The level design is so much better in Adventure compared to the first title."
"Bioshock 1 proves that you don't need an open world to be believable, with eight packed levels full of options to the player."
"Overall, I'd say the puzzles and platforming are fun in their own right, but they also make the levels far more interesting to play through and look at."
"What can I say to introduce Misty Island? It's the most cliche spooky level I've ever seen in a game."
"Nailing the various gameplay mechanics, teaching us through fun level design, and totally killing it in the presentation with stunning visuals."
"This level is Eradak, and this may be, right after, very bold of me to say, but it's the greatest level in any video game ever."
"Map design further reinforces this concept of flow. Circular levels, familiar levels, enemies that spawn on top of you. Wherever you're going and whatever you're doing, you're going the right way."
"Infamous 2 is easily the best when it comes to the level design."
"Vertical gameplay is more prevalent in the Battlefield 4 map designs than any other Battlefield game I've ever seen."
"Each level is made to have its own mini narrative that can be fleshed out as much as needed to support this extra gameplay."
"Each of these levels, there is something that like ties them all, there's this string like a little parabola that's arcing and mapping."
"Proving Ground shrines ensure that the player can only use whatever tools can be found in the shrine itself, and as a result, they're much more difficult than the others and much better for it."
"Make no mistake this is some of the greatest and most well thought out level design in the shooter genre."
"Blue Coins are directly responsible for the levels truly flourishing."
"Morai ruins... easily one of the coolest leveling dungeons that I have seen in any MMO I've played."
"Each act and biome should offer unique opportunities, physics to play around with, and its own feel."
"It is genuinely insane how just one small change can make a bad stage instantly good."
"If all of Shattered Dimensions was as creatively constructed as Deadpool's level, this game would be a modern classic."
"Looks like we just saw a level like this not too long ago."
"Wow, this is an example of the whole jump kind of setup."
"I'm trying to make it my easiest level yet, but it's still kind of hard."
"Being that I wasn't going anywhere, I decided, 'Hey, let's give this a shot.' So, I sat down. Turns out, it could hold up to 40 levels."
"Rayman borders on sadistic on its level design."
"The final level for Titanfall 2 is probably the best chase sequence I have played."
"I don't think there is one level in Titanfall 2 that felt similar, I honestly feel like they are all so different from the last."
"I feel like they are some of the most unique levels in an FPS game."
"Bloodborne's level design, particularly in areas like Yharnam and Cainhurst Castle, is a masterpiece of gothic horror."
"When handled properly, water levels can be some of the most enchanting and enjoyable environments across all video games."
"The opening level is the best design mission because it perfectly uses all of the game's mechanics and design in a well-paced way."
"The synergy between the parkour system and the world design of Vilador is staggering."
"I really enjoyed the boss fight and this level was not too bad at all."
"Titanic Monarch is more of a narrative tool than the other levels."
"Expect larger landscapes this time, with points along your platforming paths that you can spot subsequent levels within the one you're currently navigating."
"Dark Souls 3 is full of levels that are subtle dense dynamic and very well paced."
"Different kills completely rewrite how you see and approach levels."
"Each level of the tower has its own distinct vibe, intense and unique."
"Crysis 3 is looking like one of the best levels I've ever played in my life."
"Impossible levels are a staple of many games, with creators trying to push the human limits of what can be theoretically achieved."
"Temple of Xian might be the best-ever Tomb Raider level."
"Runescape is a world that has adventures for various levels placed in it."
"Snap Map lets you make your own levels. You can have a survival mode. That sounds brilliant."
"A hub world is a way to connect different levels and areas... a lens that focuses and changes how we perceive it."
"Two threes is the one like this level changed a lot over the history of me running this scheme and it's probably one of my favorite levels."
"The feel of it is a lot more consistent with the demo slabs from the first game than most of what's in Dhoom 3, it really is a tight, interesting riff on the original Delta labs level design."
"The level design of mind-friendly neighborhood is fantastic."
"Cappy is a game changer... it opens the door to an abundance of original ideas, puzzles, and challenges."
"Some of these are actually absolutely stellar, like there are a few levels with some branching pathways..."
"Mombasa Streets was the embodiment of Bungie's experimentation with Halo's gameplay and level design."
"Swords of Sanghelios was the highlight of Halo 5."
"What's extra interesting is that there's also a chunk of hallways disconnected from the rest way out here."
"I think this one is a smart middle ground because you still have to be conscious about how you approach each level." - Wii Tanks
"We're never out of the fight, that's for damn sure."
"This is a feature-worthy level, I think. Very, very cool."
"Outriders: 'This game throws just enough enemy variety, just enough level design variety, and more than enough loot to just keep you plowing forward.'"
"Each world takes about two hours to complete and so it's like playing a Disney movie."
"This level is so good and naturally takes you to every corner of the map while you're skating."
"The levels here are great especially the elevator stage which sees you ascending the castle avoiding enemies on this platform that you control by tilting the controller."
"This game features some of the absolute best stages in 2D Mario history."
"The combat left some stuff to be desired, but the level design fully makes up for it."
"Every single level in this game is memorable."
"It's an all-around great level that's almost as much fun to just get lost in as it is to actually play, it's that good."
"Without D'Arnot, there'd be no UFO, no wave, there wouldn't be any levels with good deco, no fixed on 1.9, and everyone will probably be using 1.0 blocks all because of one creator."
"Every level is talking about the same theme."
"There's a lot more depth, details, and Eggman stages than there was with Gamma's."
"I think ideally, if we have time, we'll do Toy Time, then maybe the Molten Galaxy, I love that one."
"Make your level designs purposeful and allow the player to learn about an enemy, item, or obstacle before throwing them into the fray."
"The enemies are all deadly in their own ways, the variety is interesting, its arenas are fun and well designed."
"Doom offers refined level design, clever combat, and cutting-edge visuals."
"Completing each level feels like an achievement."
"Absolutely beautiful level from all standpoints."
"Sonic's level design feels like the culmination of everything they'd been building in 3D."
"Sunken Valley Passage: A vertical area with primate snipers and sword monkeys scattered throughout."
"Senpou Temple: A gorgeous environment with haunting lore and delightfully varied level design."
"Walls are pretty much suggestions... it's very common to fall off."
"It's honestly a marvel, the kind of geometry that's out of bounds in some of these areas."
"They're not for everybody, but if you can stomach the nauseating controls, you'll love the relentless level design."
"The game is split into levels with 16 in total that spans seven different worlds, each of them requiring the player to complete a series of objectives before moving on."
"It's another water level but at least it tries something new the water rises up and down and you have to move with it to proceed."
"Powerslave presents nonlinear levels with multiple exits."
"I thought the two levels were pretty well designed, especially the first one where you go to a dinosaur themed zoo."
"Dude, it's the nightmare! How hard could it be? And there's arrows that show you where to go. That's probably what makes it easier."
"The level design holds up brilliantly, making every stage feel alive and totally memorable."
"The moles haven't actually had time to spawn in because we skipped everywhere where they normally would have."
"We've effectively skipped just three of the six portals of the level already."
"The combat may be broadly familiar, the level may be ultimately linear, but the creative novelty of prey's level design still shines through 11 years later."
"If when you level up it feels like you got weaker, that is literally the opposite of how an RPG should feel."
"I could go on for hours about this game's level design and variety, its characters, its arsenal, its enemies, its bosses, its unlockables, its challenges..."
"This game has its charms... revisiting levels again and again acquiring tools."
"The level designs are also super clever encouraging a mastery of platforming as well as exploration."
"I absolutely love when the games get creative with level themes while staying consistent with the overall game setting."
"This is a big switch, it opens sort of a shortcut back here but we're never gonna come back here so we're gonna skip over it."
"This level seems to consist of an infinite span of interconnected rooms all covered in white tile."
"Every stage there's unique enemies or even power-ups specifically made for the level."
"Rome was unique in the ancient world for its inclusive citizenship."
"The original Devil May Cry's gameplay consists of multiple levels each with some simple platforming puzzles and plenty of combat opportunities..."
"Yeah now this level theory looks like podracing"
"Everything great about this game distilled into one level."
"Blaze's levels are short and sweet, and that's what makes them fun."
"Every mission map you play in Warframe is randomly generated. The objectives are the same, but the levels are created from a random tileset reconfigured each time you go into it."
"We've placed items on the map and figured out ways to guide the player's eye."
"The game's still impressive level design allows for a number of fun ways to infiltrate buildings."
"This is a super cool level and it's got three main tricks in it and they all have incredibly creative names."
"These levels are actually so incredibly fun."
"This is almost like one of those speedrun levels in Super Mario Maker 2."
"Lighting a level is not about technology and progress; it's about understanding the mood and atmosphere each light source creates."
"Think about the hierarchy of different elements in your level when lighting."
"I want things the size of Blackrock Depths but in New World's aesthetic and style."
"There's a lot of backtracking in this chapter."
"Desert levels are nothing new in video games."
"A Good Zelda Dungeon is one that utilizes a unique theme, that not only helps bind all the elements of the dungeon together, but also helps it stand out from the rest of the dungeons in that game."
"This looks like the exact way older 3D video games would render outdoors and nature settings within level box designs."
"Central Yharnam is... one of the best introductory levels ever designed in a video game."
"It boasts beautiful visuals and a haunting soundtrack along with some exceptional level design."
"Wow it's a giant penguin piano, whoa this level's awesome"
"How many worlds are there? Can we go max level? That is the question."
"Megaman 11 features great level design and super sharp controls."
"This level definitely has the best music, one of the best Halo levels in the entire series."
"A master class in 2D platformer level design."
"You can now create vertical sub-areas of the course."
"Enemies to allies to items, anything unsuspecting passers-by will fall victim to the obstacle."
"Adding verticality to a map is a relatively easy way to make a map feel bigger."
"Outskirts starts with a bang instead of Marines; you're now accompanied by ODSTs."
"Quake can often feel like a maze full of dead ends throughout many of its worlds and levels but the skill of the other levels is that there really often is only one way to go and the level always loops back around on itself."
"The game throws you into some tough situations... each level is fun to play and there are many types of enemies in each stage."
"The levels in this game are just so creative."
"Castlemania by Sir Punge, an absolute masterpiece in Geometry Dash. This level is an entire Metroidvania come to life."
"Sonic's levels were all about momentum control."
"Hot Crater... the game stays consistent and speed prevails."
"Heavy machinery demands more precision than earlier 2D levels. You're threading the needle between hazards which makes it feel claustrophobic, a perfect fit for the industrial theme."
"It's always a blast to run around collecting points and unraveling the very complex level structures."
"The music that conveys a feeling of loss and mourning, the empty buildings, the eerie silence—I just really loved levels like this."
"This level just, it can be done in like less than 30 seconds essentially."
"I want it to be quite large and imposing and kind of give the player these sense that you cannot escape going down into the nether."
"This is my verdict for Cyberpunk 2077... It has lived up to the hype in most ways... the gameplay however its flexibility through level design mission design was phenomenal."
"Prevent power-up abuse by ensuring Mario can't cheese levels."
"This simple yet unique use is so incredibly helpful in pretty much any level type and was an absolutely necessary addition to Mario Maker."
"I love secrets and levels and I think they're great for expanding upon a level's value."
"With all these changes coupled with the much larger level environments and the improved variety, RE8's gameplay feels like a better realized action horror experience."
"Every underwater level just be it right there at the very end."
"Literally every other level in this game is either an eight or a nine or a 10 out of 10 in my book."
"All of these changes and additions to the levels were but a pipe dream before, but thanks to the mod tools, we're granted much greater freedom in re-examining every mission and seeing how we can expand on them in creative ways."
"Every gaming experience you play, the level's gonna feel very different."
"If I'm not having fun, then I don't care how creative your level is."
"This is just an extremely well-designed level."
"Sure it may not be the hardest but for having so many different options on how to beat it on top of having a ton of different fun puzzles the Key Master gets to easily take number one as the best level in Mario Maker 2 story mode."
"The first and second game is some of the more challenging shooters from around that same time period with really complex level design and gory involved shooting."
"Overall, it's still a very fun, well-made map with plenty of practical cover."
"There's a way to skip the entire Great Bay temple."
"You know what? I think this is actually one of the best stages in the game. It's the perfect playground to master the basics and really get used to all the mechanics at your disposal."
"Layout videos, as you will know, are these unfinished levels. They have gameplay and nothing else. They are blue usually, they don't change the background, they don't change the color or the design, and they are very, very lazy."
"If you have the iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil, then you're going to want to do this."
"They're perfect for all types of platforming levels."
"Every class has a handful of personal climaxes given to them by the level design."
"Castle levels often act as a site of haunting evil experiments or the scene of an ancient battle, with torch-lit corridors, well-stocked furniture, and the spoils of war."
"A great game, a great level, and easily one of the all-time best."
"Klonoa 2 sets a standard with its first stage."
"Considering it's the first mission in the first game in the series, Bungie must be given a huge amount of credit for the way they subtly tutorialized the game's mechanics within a level that remains engaging from beginning to end."
"These are the best levels FromSoft has ever created."
"The levels are still rather linear but they're not so linear that it's just a bunch of guys popping out at you." - Jarek the gaming dragon
"Wow, love it! I also like how the level's name doesn't actively give you a hint for the puzzle."
"The in-game grind to reach that max level is practically perfect in terms of variety, replayability, and build crafting."
"It's just a couple of normal levels where you're encouraged to play around with the Avatar mechanic."
"The pig City is just one of the best levels."
"The challenge for top four is really difficult."
"I like a level so far that has switch blocks but doesn't require you to just do the same thing that every other level forces you to do."
"When I got back I was on section six and there was a tilting web platform along with a ton of spider legs, it felt impossible to get past."
"So glad they brought that stage back because they cut it for Smash Wii U and 3DS, and I personally love that hazard!"
"This level feels like an all-out aerial raid, and I absolutely love it."
"So as you can see, this kind of level of adventure is always cool."
"It proved that you could do more than just make obstacle course levels."
"Make sure your level theme goes well with the gimmick. Don't just have it be underground for no reason; make the theme fit the level."
"Avoid adding really difficult jumps into slow autoscrollers. If you mess up, you'd have to play through the whole level again, leading to people skipping your level."
"Yes, this is just perfect for creating some epic level designs."
"Contra's first level has a jungle setting with gorilla-style knife-wielding enemies."