Designing the levels and environments of a video game can be a challenging and intensive job. The person in charge of this monumental task is the Level Designer. Level Designers use game engines that are software specifically designed to create these huge settings and add fun, interactive experiences for their players. We’ll break down the Level Design position and look at the role Level Designers play within a game development team.
- [Voiceover] A level designer creates the levels,…puzzles and environments of the game.…No other facet of game development…has seen this much change in the past decade as level design…and the level designer has been…at the center of those changes.…Games have quickly progressed from simple…arcade based platformers to simulated…3D environments to fully interactive worlds,…all within a very short time frame.…Consider that today, massively…multi player game settings are designed around…complex, artistic themes that carry…through the entire playable environments,…which could be extremely large in scope.…
A level designer today is the equivalent…of a film cinematographer, director…and set designer, all wrapped into a single person.…At this point you may be thinking that sounds…similar to what a game designer does.…In fact, sometimes the two roles…are combined on smaller teams.…While on larger teams the two roles…maybe split up between different people.…In most cases level designers will work…in the game engine to create the game settings…
Author
Christian Bradley
Released
5/27/2016- A brief history of video games
- The phases of game development
- Roles in game development
- Essential programming, art, design, and audio skills
- Choosing a game engine
- Funding options outside the game studio system
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
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Introduction
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Welcome56s
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1. Game Studios
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The studio model2m 37s
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Phases of game development4m 14s
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2. Roles in Game Development
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The game designer role2m 31s
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The level designer role1m 18s
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Level design skills2m 40s
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Game programming roles3m 59s
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Game programming skills3m 44s
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Game artist roles3m 3s
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Game artist skills3m 19s
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Game audio roles2m 13s
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Game audio skills3m 19s
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3. Game Design and Development
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Game theory3m 19s
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The concept of fun4m 17s
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Define your player3m 52s
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Choose a game engine3m 42s
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4. Alternatives to the Studio Model
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Indie game development3m 57s
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Start a game studio4m 18s
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Funding options for games4m 24s
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What Is Your Next Step?
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Next steps for designers2m 20s
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Next steps for artists2m 6s
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Next steps for programmers1m 23s
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Video: The level designer role