How To Fail At Level Design
Summary
TLDRThe video script humorously outlines the 'best' ways to fail at indie game development, focusing on poor level design. It sarcastically suggests keeping player objectives secret, overusing assets without variety, and ignoring the importance of game mechanics. The script pokes fun at common mistakes in game design, such as lack of player guidance, over-reliance on tutorials, and neglecting the storytelling potential of level design. The tongue-in-cheek advice is a playful critique of game development pitfalls.
Takeaways
- 😀 The script humorously suggests that the best way to fail at indie game development is to never try, but it then proceeds to provide 'advice' on how to fail if one does attempt development.
- 🎮 It implies that certain game genres like sandbox, open world, idle games, and roguelikes might not require as much focus on level design, but then humorously contradicts itself to emphasize the importance of level design.
- 🗺️ The script satirically outlines seven important aspects of failing at level design, including guiding the player, providing challenges, establishing environment and story, conveying progress, introducing game mechanics, and acknowledging there might be other aspects but not caring to list them.
- 🕵️♂️ It humorously advises to keep the player's objectives a secret to increase immersion, suggesting that players enjoy being confused about their goals.
- 💥 The 'advice' given for challenges is to not worry about them, and to justify any criticism by claiming the game is either casual or intentionally hard.
- 📖 It pokes fun at the idea of using level design to tell a story, suggesting that cutscenes and text walls could be used instead, and then self-deprecatingly acknowledges recycling this joke.
- 🔄 The script humorously recommends reusing assets throughout the game instead of creating a variety to give a sense of progression.
- 🛤️ It sarcastically suggests that a clear path laid out for the player eliminates the need for them to explore or figure things out, undermining the idea of discovery in games.
- 🤷♂️ The script ends by humorously stating that not caring about additional aspects of level design is part of failing well, as ignorance in certain areas can lead to poor design.
- 🔚 The conclusion humorously admits to running out of clever things to say, showing self-awareness about the satirical nature of the script.
- 🔄 The script repeatedly uses the number seven as a punchline, suggesting that it sounds better than six, but then ends abruptly, leaving the seventh point unsaid.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the video script?
-The main theme of the video script is a humorous take on how to fail at indie game development, specifically focusing on poor level design.
What are the seven important aspects of level design mentioned in the script?
-The script humorously suggests seven aspects of level design to fail at: guiding the player, providing challenges, establishing environment and story, relaying a sense of progress, introducing game mechanics, and two unspecified aspects that the author doesn't care to elaborate on.
Why does the script suggest keeping the goal a secret when guiding a player towards objectives?
-The script sarcastically recommends keeping the goal a secret to make players enjoy wandering aimlessly, which is a counterintuitive approach to level design.
What is the script's stance on providing challenges for the player?
-The script humorously advises not to worry about providing challenges, suggesting that if accused of weak challenges, one can claim to be making a casual game, and if it's too hard, to tell players to 'get good'.
How does the script approach the topic of storytelling through level design?
-The script humorously dismisses the need for storytelling through level design, suggesting that cutscenes and text walls are sufficient.
What does the script say about using assets in level design?
-The script satirically suggests using a single collection of assets and reusing them throughout the game, disregarding the idea of creating distinct collections for variety and progression.
Why does the script recommend not introducing game mechanics through level design?
-The script humorously states that since game mechanics are already explained in tutorials and wikis, there's no need to introduce them through level design, promoting a lack of exploration and discovery.
What is the script's advice on the number of things to consider about level design?
-The script ends abruptly after mentioning seven things, suggesting that the creator can't think of anything clever to say and implying that not knowing more about a subject can lead to failure in that area.
What is the script's tone throughout the video?
-The script maintains a humorous and sarcastic tone, poking fun at common mistakes in level design and game development.
What is the script's final message to the audience?
-The final message is that if one follows the 'instructions' provided in the script, they are bound to succeed at failing, which is a playful way to conclude the satirical advice given.
Why does the script mention 'burnout' and 'taking shortcuts'?
-The script mentions 'burnout' and 'taking shortcuts' as a way to humorously suggest that not putting effort into the later stages of game development can lead to an anticlimactic end.
Outlines
🎮 The Art of Failing at Indie Game Level Design
This paragraph humorously discusses the pitfalls of indie game level design. It begins by suggesting that the best way to fail is by not trying at all, but then humorously contradicts itself by assuming the attempt is made. The speaker outlines seven key aspects of level design that, if done poorly, can lead to failure: guiding players, providing challenges, establishing environment and story, relaying progress, introducing game mechanics, and other unspecified elements. The tone is satirical, with advice such as keeping objectives secret to increase player confusion, or using a 'special kind of sense' that highlights everything, thus removing the need for exploration or discovery. The paragraph also touches on the importance of storytelling through level design, asset management, and the introduction of game mechanics, all delivered with a tongue-in-cheek approach to illustrate common mistakes in game development.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Indie Game Development
💡Level Design
💡Player Guidance
💡Challenges
💡Thematic Environment
💡Progression
💡Game Mechanics
💡Assets
💡Burnout
💡Anticlimactic
💡Tutorial Text
Highlights
The best way to fail at indie game development is to never try, but trying is also a path to potential failure.
Level design is crucial for certain types of games, such as sandbox, open-world, idle, and roguelike games.
Contrarily, some game genres might not require as much focus on level design.
Level design can be broken down into seven important aspects to fail at.
Guiding the player towards objectives can be done poorly by keeping the goal a secret.
Providing challenges should be done without consideration for player experience.
Establishing a thematic environment and story through level design is important but can be overlooked.
Conveying a sense of progress is vital, but can be ignored for comedic effect.
Introducing and building upon game mechanics should be done without clear guidance for the player.
The seventh aspect of level design is left unsaid, implying that the presenter does not care to think of more.
Using a collection of assets repeatedly throughout the game can be a sign of poor level design.
Creating distinct collections of assets for variety and progression is suggested but not necessary.
The presenter mocks the idea of providing clear paths and guidance in level design.
The presenter suggests taking shortcuts, especially towards the end of game development.
The presenter ends the transcript abruptly, leaving the audience with an anticlimactic conclusion.
The transcript is self-aware of its own humor and lack of a clever ending.
The presenter acknowledges their own burnout and inability to think of a witty ending.
Transcripts
the best way to fail at indie game
development is as usual to never try but
one could argue that if you never try
then you'll never fail so let's assume
you do try here's how to fail an
important part of game design is level
design of course depending on the type
of game you're making so if you're
making certain sandbox games an open
world game without dungeons an idle game
maybe or some Rogue likes then that's
great because that's the only time you
need to worry about level design get it
I said the opposite thing there like you
know those are the only ones where you
actually might not need to worry about
level design but then I said those are
the ones that you do need to worry about
see it's funny right cuz this series is
all about saying stuff that's pretty
much backwards and ends up making no
sense and and you know plus when you
think of anyway level design can be
broken down into seven important things
to suck at one guiding the player
towards objectives two providing
interesting challenges three
establishing thematic environment and
story four relay a sense of progress
five introduce and build upon game
mechanics six probably other things but
I don't care I mean I'm teaching how to
fail here and seven because seven just
sounds a lot better than six when
guiding a player towards objectives it
helps to keep the goal a secret because
it turns out players enjoy wondering
what they're supposed to be doing for
hours on end and wandering around till
they give up I mean everybody loves
watching a playthrough online just to
figure out what it is they're supposed
to be doing it helps with the immersion
on the other hand that's not as cool as
a special kind of sense that makes the
screen flash and highlight with helpful
hints this way you can save the play the
time of watching that playthrough by
just showing them everything with a
press of a button you can only pick
between these options though there's no
in between trust me in level design
you'll need to provide challenges for
the player to over come because this is
one of the most debated and most
delicate subjects in game design my
recommendation to you is to just not
worry about it make it however you want
and the great thing is if people accuse
you of your challenges being too weak
just claim you are making a casual cozy
game all along and if they think it's
too hard just say yeah that's the point
get good you Noob even if the difficulty
stems from Overlook broken or
unnecessary mechanics that are totally
out of the player's control n it was all
on purpose you're just that hardcore
level design is also way to tell a story
but we already covered this in the last
episode you know how level design design
can be a way to establish an epic game
world and environment in the player's
mind leading them down an epic tale of
wait a second I already did this bit
where I cut it off short and said
there's no need to do that because you
can just tell the story with cut scenes
and text Walls instead what is this just
recycling old jokes pathetic who wrote
this oh oh wait that was me when
designing your levels make sure to come
up with an adequate collection of assets
then just rearrange their order and
layout and use them over and over again
throughout the entire game and now you
might be thinking oh don't tell me I
need to make several distinct
collections of assets with possibly
different themes and styles in order to
give the player a sense of progression
variety as they continue through the
game it was hard enough to make one set
of assets but don't worry I'm not going
to tell you that level design is a key
method to introduce and build upon game
mechanics but that's not really needed
because you already explained how the
Mechanics Work in your tutorial text
Walls and the online Wiki so now all the
player has to do is follow the path that
you've clearly laid out for them that
way they don't have to worry about
figuring anything out for themselves no
need to explore an interesting and
potentially unique idea that's that's
not what games are for now there are
probably other things about level design
but do we care not really at least I
don't care to think of anymore and you
shouldn't either partly because the less
you know about something the worse you
are at it right but also this way I
don't have to draw more stuff that's
right I'm leading by example burnout can
be real you know learn to take shortcuts
especially towards the end of your games
where it would otherwise be getting more
exciting that way it can end
anticlimactically and the last thing is
number seven the the seventh thing yep
that's uh that's it that's that's how
I'm going to end it right there yep but
if you follow these instructions
carefully then you are bound to succeed
at failure thanks for watching and
seriously guys I want to take this
moment to pause and and really consider
that I can't think of anything clever to
say for the ending of of this episode
normally I think of something witty or I
don't know filler to put in here but
right now I'm I'm just drawn a blank
there's nothing I got nothing I got
nothing see you
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