Levels

A level is a part of the game in which all player action takes place until a certain goal has been reached or an end condition has been fulfilled.

One way that games can divide gameplay into separate sections or chunks are to spatially constrain players into different parts of the game world. These separate parts are typically called Levels.

The difference between Levels in a game may be in content, aesthetics, or a combination of both. Commonly used differences between levels in early arcade games, such as Missile Command, are different color themes and speed of enemy units, thereby creating different levels of difficulty. By contrast, most of the current first-person shooters and real-time strategy games have new environments to be explored in each level, i. e., each level presents new enemies and puzzles for the player. In some games, the levels can also have different primary activities the player has to perform repetitively.

Note: this pattern is not about the concept of character development 'Levels'. This concepts is described as Character Levels.

Examples

Many early computer games included Levels but where the difference was only in theme or difficulty if there was any difference at all. Examples of such games include Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Missile Command and the primary use of Levels in these games are to signify progression and repopulate the game world, and this is still found in some puzzle games such as Bejeweled, Staries, and Zoo Keeper. However, many other puzzle games have different configurations or game elements to offer new challenges. Examples of this include Braid, Continuity, Cogs, the Incredible Machine game series, Sokoban, and Portal. Other computer games that make use of Levels to offer new challenges include Marble Madness, Mercury Meltdown, and the Lemmings series, as well as racing games such as the Gran Turismo series, the Need for Speed series, and the Wipeout series.

Many other computer games use Levels to gradually increase the difficulty while at the same time developing a story of sorts. Examples of this include The Legend of Zelda series, the Super Mario series, the Doom series, the Quake series, the Left 4 Dead series, NetHack, the Diablo series, and Torchlight.

Computer games with large game worlds sometimes use Levels to handle issues of system resources and keeping various monsters and non-player characters from moving freely. The Elder Scrolls series and the Fallout series are examples of such games. The instances found in some Massively Multiplayer Online Games, e.g. World of Warcraft, can be seen as a similar form of Levels. These allow subsets of the players logged on to particular servers to together try to complete specially designed challenges without interference or support from others; in fact several different groups can be in their own instance of the same Level and have no effect on each other, and this is the source of the name for the game concept. It should be noted though that players often have the possibility to leave these Levels without completing some goal.

Although not as common as in Computer Games, some Board Games can be seen as making use of Levels. Examples of this includes the missions of both Space Alert and Space Hulk, which are described as part of a larger story even if each game instance only typically makes use of one of the Levels. The dungeons found in many Tabletop Roleplaying Games can be seen as weak examples of Levels - they are often described as such in supplements but in many cases players could leave them whenever they wish.

Using the pattern

When implementing Levels in a game, game designers must decide how many Levels the game contains, how they differ and relate to each other, and if they are parts of a larger Game World (e.g. through Instances) or constitute the Game World. Another aspect is how much Randomness is to be used in the creation of the Levels for each game instance.

Game Element Insertion Challenging Gameplay

Quick Returns Backtracking Levels

Extra Chances Freedom of Choice Single-Player Games Speed Runs Varying Rule Sets

Tiles

One way to differentiate levels is to change the theme from level to level. As the change from one level to another typically signifies a change from one location to another, this can be used as a means to change theme, for example, from forest to cave or from railway station to factory. The theme can then be used to set the boundaries for the Consistent Reality Logic, so that only game elements that fit the theme are used within the level.

Another way to differentiate between levels is by changing the end conditions and the primary activities of the players. Having different types of goals that require different fields of expertise in each level (see the patterns concerning goals and game mastery) guarantees Varied Gameplay and includes the possibility of having Unknown Goals as the player progresses from level to level.

The combination of theme, end condition, and primary activities sets the boundaries for what diegetic game elements should be used in a given level. The use of game elements such as Big Dumb Objects, Boss Monsters, Controllers, Clues, Enemies, Environmental Effects, Helpers, Installations, Obstacles, Resource Locations, and Resource Generators, as well as the spatial relationships between them, can be used to subdivide the Levels into dangerous areas, Safe Havens, and Inaccessible Areas. In addition, using different setups can provide further Varied Gameplay and Surprises. In addition to these diegetic elements, Levels can be populated with non-diegetic elements such as Geospatial Game Widgets, Goal Points, Save Points, and Spawn Points. Spawn Points for the player Avatars are especially important as they determine the players' starting conditions and can be used to create Tension if it puts them in danger from their very appearance - this can be avoid by putting the Spawn Points in Safe Havens.

The spatial construction of Levels affect how players can be made aware of the existence of further Levels, and how they perceive that they can reach them. Being able to directly observe the other levels through Invisible Walls or Inaccessible Areas is an obvious way to do this, but Game State Overview as well as Clues and Helpers can also be used. The latter option is in some cases easier to fit within the Consistent Reality Logic of the game.

Levels can be used to support Smooth Learning Curves and Right Level of Difficulty by making the initial levels small, or easy in other ways, to complete. Completing these initial levels, the players should get familiar with using the interface and with the primary activities of the game, making it possible at the later levels to concentrate more on achieving Game Mastery.

A common effect of finishing a Level is the Quick Travel to another Level.

Diegetic Aspects

Being limited parts of Game Worlds, Levels provide natural points for creating Exploration and Traverse goals. Finishing Traverse goals are often symbolized by the activation of a Controller, such as opening the main door to the next level, or by defeating a Boss Monster. Regardless of what specific goals are used in a Level, game designer creating Levels need to consider how players should be able to do Game World Navigation (Big Dumb Objects can play roles here), and between which parts of the Levels the exists Line of Sight.

In order to be perceived as part of the same game, [Levels]] need not only share the same core gameplay but also have Diegetic Consistency between them. Many games introduce new game elements through new Levels, but changing the theme to introduce new gameplay is an example of Alien Space Bats.

The design of a part of a Game World can of course also be used to create Environmental Storytelling.

Interface Aspects

Mini-maps are quite common interface tools to help with the Game World Navigation of Levels.

Narrative Aspects

Unless created completely by Randomness, Levels are Predetermined Story Structures and can thereby be used to progress a narrative as gameplay progresses, especially since any present Boss Monsters or Environmental Storytelling can be more likely to be encountered by players through how they are herded through the Levels.

Consequences

The concept of Levels lets the game designer delimit Game Worlds and thereby the complexity of the game as well as giving players Limited Foresight. When leaving a Level is an Irreversible Event this can be used to let the transitions function as Closure Points. Levels can also be used to progress the Narration Structures in a controlled fashion since they can be Predetermined Story Structures. Besides what actually take place in the Levels, this progression of stories can be done through Cut Scenes between the Levels.

Except when used as smaller part of a Game World (as for example The Elder Scrolls series and World of Warcraft does), the existence of a Level assumes the existence of a next Level or the completion of the game. This provides explicit short-term Exploration goals of finding the next Level. The completion of a level thereby provides strong Hovering Closures and Anticipation, and the former can be increased further if Save Points only exist between the Levels. These types of Levels create Goal Hierarchies, be it linear, as is the case with the many First-Person Shooters such as the Doom series, or structured in a more elaborate way, as is done for example in the different worlds in the Super Mario series.

By being different both as to structure and gameplay, the levels can provide Varied Gameplay and Surprises. Each level also has the possibility to support Exploration and Traverse goals, the former which may be extended to a larger scale if players have a choice between the order in which to complete Levels.

Movement between Levels create Quick Travel unless games are explicitly designed to not have this. One example of how this can be avoid is present in the Left 4 Dead series - here the safe rooms are present in both levels and changes occur when all doors are closed so the noticeable difference of having changed Levels is minimized.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Anticipation, Exploration, Game Worlds, Goal Hierarchies, Hovering Closures, Limited Foresight, Game World Navigation, Predetermined Story Structures, Quick Travel, Surprises, Traverse, Varied Gameplay

with Irreversible Events

Closure Points

with Spawn Points

Tension

Can Modulate

Game Worlds, Line of Sight

Can Be Instantiated By

Instances

Can Be Modulated By

Alien Space Bats, Big Dumb Objects, Boss Monsters, Controllers, Clues, Enemies, Environmental Effects, Environmental Storytelling, Geospatial Game Widgets, Goal Points, Helpers, Inaccessible Areas, Installations, Invisible Walls, Irreversible Events, Mini-maps, Obstacles, Randomness, Resource Locations, Resource Generators, Save Points, Safe Havens, Spawn Points

Possible Closure Effects

Cut Scenes, Quick Travel, Save Points

History

A revised version of the pattern Levels that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design.

Acknowledgments

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