Read this tutorial that walks through 11 steps to planning and designing a video game level. Try following the steps and creating your own level ideas.

Career

Learn more about game level design.

Enroll in an animation class at your school or look for tutorials online to start creating some of your own projects.

Education

Take a class in animation.

Get started with these tutorials on Khan Academy and teach yourself how to code. Regardless of whether you pursue programming, understanding coding concepts will help you in any field.

Skills

Teach yourself how to code.

Video Game Designers

Design core features of video games. Specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. Create and maintain design documentation. Guide and collaborate with production staff to produce games as designed.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Second Interest High-Point

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

First Interest High-Point

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Miscellaneous Computer Occupations

Computer Occupations, All Other

Computer and Mathematical Occupations

Computer Occupations

Review or evaluate competitive products, film, music, television, and other art forms to generate new game design ideas.

Provide test specifications to quality assurance staff.

Keep abreast of game design technology and techniques, industry trends, or audience interests, reactions, and needs by reviewing current literature, talking with colleagues, participating in educational programs, attending meetings or workshops, or participating in professional organizations or conferences.

Create gameplay test plans for internal and external test groups.

Provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.

Balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.

Write or supervise the writing of game text and dialogue.

Solicit, obtain, and integrate feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.

Provide feedback to production staff regarding technical game qualities or adherence to original design.

Prepare two-dimensional concept layouts or three-dimensional mock-ups.

Present new game design concepts to management and technical colleagues, including artists, animators, and programmers.

Prepare and revise initial game sketches using two- and three-dimensional graphical design software.

Oversee gameplay testing to ensure intended gaming experience and game adherence to original vision.

Guide design discussions between development teams.

Devise missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in game play.

Develop and maintain design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.

Determine supplementary virtual features, such as currency, item catalog, menu design, and audio direction.

Create gameplay prototypes for presentation to creative and technical staff and management.

Create and manage documentation, production schedules, prototyping goals, and communication plans in collaboration with production staff.

Consult with multiple stakeholders to define requirements and implement online features.

Conduct regular design reviews throughout the game development process.

Collaborate with artists to achieve appropriate visual style.

Document all aspects of formal game design, using mock-up screenshots, sample menu layouts, gameplay flowcharts, and other graphical devices.

Create core game features including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchise.

Audioconferencing systems

Computer data input scanners

Desktop computers

Laptop computers

Personal computers

Smart phones

Tablet computers

Video gaming equipment

3D graphic design software

ActionScript

Adobe Systems Adobe ActionScript

Adobe Systems Adobe After Effects

Adobe Systems Adobe AfterEffects

Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite

Adobe Systems Adobe Flash

Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop

Advanced business application programming ABAP

Atlassian JIRA

Autodesk 3ds Max

Autodesk Maya

Autodesk Scaleform

Balsamiq Studios Balsamiq Mockups

Blackboard

C for Graphics cg

Extensible markup language XML

Graphical user interfaces GUI

Hypertext markup language HTML

JavaScript

Job control language JCL

Linux

Microsoft DirectX

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Expression Blend

Microsoft High Level Shader Language HLSL

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Visual C#

Microsoft Word

MySQL

Objective C

OpenGL

Oracle Java

Perforce Helix software

Perforce software

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor

Practical extraction and reporting language Perl

Python

Ruby on Rails

Scheme

Simple DirectMedia Layer SDL

Sound development software

Structured query language SQL

Unity Technologies Unity

Virtual Battlespace 2 VBS2

Level Designer

Everywhere you turn, people try to tell you who to be and what to do. that empowers people to define down to a new generation of road trippers. >> Are going to travel >> People what we do wanna do with our lives. did you see what's out your window? in this prime little location. Central Park, go on an awesome adventure. the majority of them are kinda over with. because my surroundings are so out of is part of a 36 foot long green RV. in the middle of the city, we're not paying any hotels. oh here's New York City, here's Manhattan. transportation to get around Manhattan, so to get to our interviews. editor-in-chief of Scientific American. >> Yeah, do we have everybody? then Zachariah got stuck with his ticket. card cuz I had two in there. it said insufficient funds. well it must've been my last one. road trip because we wanted to find out the different paths that they have taken. about how do we find our own paths and becoming what we want to be and remarkably well rested and cool for six weeks. if you'd like, about the road ahead, was just a little younger than you? really clear if I look back, but it wasn't you're sitting in looking forward, so. I had a 100 average in science and club called, The Alchemists. was clean up the Bunsen burners and difference and I thought that was so cool. none of the questions that a lot of they didn't know they could do certain I was raised by a single dad. one day with him, and I said, Dad, how would you feel about that? is she good at pumping the gas? she's just as good as anybody else. then I'm fine with her pumping the gas, as long as they're good at it. as long as I do something I'm good at, >> And in eighth grade I thought I was in chemistry. science that I hadn't known before, wanted to be in science. and you're in chemistry. >> To pick one thing. teaching. a vague idea of something communications. in my sophomore year. journalism class that they teach. and he was totally scary. imagine an airplane crashes. here's the next call you make, and you take notes really quickly, notes to write the story. now you have four minutes to deadline, tomorrow's news, go. the typewriters as fast as we could. Mariette, I wanna see you after class. doing something terribly wrong. he said, what are you majoring in? >> And I thought, wow, okay. how was that transition and you wanted to do in the future? was as a news paper reporter and there's something called a try-out story. they give you a story. of fish called bluefish, where this newspaper was. I'm gonna get this bluefish story. took pictures of them. the bluefish are here early, but history of these fish and what do they do. newspaper doing local stories, stories without anybody knowing. are everybody's stories. very interesting and non-boring. >> Yeah. could do something really fun, >> And then it all came together, bring together a love of science And the important things about a magazine like storyboard your stories visually, so really neatly for me, and I had no idea path I was going to be taking. what I had, I just knew it was really fun. obviously Google Science Fair, the Science National Awards. almost eerily logically. are and not having that hindsight yet, when nothing really felt like it was first newspaper job, people would say to get a job in a newspaper, never. it could happen to me, I can make it by being as good as I can, opportunities when they pop up. I really believe in that, then you'll do your best. liked to ask people, what would you do, for me, it's second nature now. you ask a lot of people similar questions. people similar questions, and out in your own head what you want to do. feel totally good? totally safe and totally without risk, be a little something. really don't believe in having it all, but portion of it that works for you. that, why not you, why not you to succeed, >> Why not me? why not me? figure out which road I wanna go down. main thing I've gotten is, and also, there's not one specific road. look how many roads they are. we took the 69, roads to get to where we are, taught us so many different things. take the 10 all the way. going on the highway. the trip was highway 60 through Arizona. beauty, took a lot longer, it was incredible, and it was a fun drive. drive to San Fransisco, but dangerous, scary, while it was full of anxiety and rewarding, and so beautiful. that I can't define my own road. every few days we change cities, and of things super quick, and interesting way to live. many things in common, even though we're thing, like Meghan knows Spanish. this super cool friendship. Mexico. come back to the community and I'd like to give back to it. told me, good luck in grad school, anything else other than research. no, I can't do that. to research, I need something else. as I can get, enjoy the team. we landed in California and saw the RV for we're gonna interview Victoria Smith, which is a game developer. this is by far my favorite job. now I basically get to go to work and an interest in video games? I always did love video games. making them until relatively recently, I was definitely a gamer as a kid. writing and drawing. and it's not, well, okay. daughter would become a comic book artist encouraged me, they were like, a humanities degree. engineering degree, but not otherwise. I got my degree in electrical engineering, essentially got really bored, trying a bunch of different things. interactive technology, a Masters in video game design. VV recruited me, so I get to work here. passion, and you had this drive, and you followed the science, science kind of come around? and all you want to do is play football, the jumping jacks, or the push ups, I was really, really glad I did, you don't get to play the game. because I had to teach myself how to code. to work with computers. when it came to working video games. we had this whole chase-your-dream thing. should just concentrate on this. your soul into acting or leave everything else behind. unbalanced way to go about things? want to write the great American novel, so science, the world we live in today. live in today how are you gonna write you should chase that dream, but science, because that's gonna round you out and into your math and science work. when I walk around the office and they do 3D modeling and really beautiful characters and they're working on computers. sophisticated technology. if they hadn't worked on art, that technology in such a beautiful way. your comic books still in there? they say, the game is at state A. we wanna be at state B. make a little story out of your level. dimensional, interactive comic books now. figure out, okay, in the beginning, by Count Dracula and drag him to the top of the the tower and this order and solve this puzzle. >> So I'm not actually in comic books but huge, but what advice would you give our age who are just getting started? I was in college and I was drifting, and steer a bike that's standing still. about doing that is that the direction you want to go. then when I changed careers and need to stop wondering what go out and do something. be informed by who you are, what you like. to where you want to be or see that, all right, I'm completely lost. I'm gonna go see if it's worth it. the path that I am supposed to go. of time, what's it been 6 weeks, I'm more know what the hell I'm doing in 7 days, what I'm doing in 7 days. distraught, literally like inconsolable. but I'm gonna be okay. >> And it's just interesting to hear all come up again and again and again. you're not getting better at all. Sweden, to try to identify scientifically, the most fun when they did fail. they're like, okay, now it's on. >> Exactly. >> I can do this. you fail each time, and that feeling is so great. are not what you think they are. we haven't seen all the questions. >> We haven't lived enough. from time to time but preventing a few of those butt falls. better and bolder. >> Because we're not doing failures that this world has ever seen. the biggest failures ever. >> [LAUGH] One, two, three, fail. >> We're now at to coast in six weeks, seven weeks. >> In 47 days. of yourself every once in a while, that anyone does that doesn't its really difficult times. a part of something real for roadtrippers have traveled in the green a roadtripper from season three. I did this six and >> You don't really sit down with people important questions in life, I think. happens in your day to day. desire come from personally? you'd do it differently? of time when you have been lost? of was still in road trip mode, for deep kind of interaction with people. that film was gonna be my thing, affirmation of something that I from now, or 20 years from now. I'm a writer, I'm director, which is called Left Eye Blind. like music videos, short massive counter confidence booster. a huge amount of money into and with the next generation or define your own road head to join the movement. 

In New York City, the Roadtrippers interview Mariette DiChristina, Editor-in-Chief of Scientific American. Later, the team meets Vicki Smith, a game designer at Vicarious Visions who forged a path in video games after feeling unfulfilled as an engineer. 

Be Well-Rounded

Of my many jobs, this is by far my favorite job. build castles in the sky. an interest in video games? making them until relatively recently. I was definitely a gamer as a kid. drawing that's what I mostly wanted to do. daughter would become a comic book they were like we're not going to pay for engineering degree, but not otherwise. I got my degree in electrical engineering. it's a really good career but and essentially got really bored. my masters in interactive technology, a masters in video game design. VV recruited me. you had this passion and that path, you followed the science. science kind of come around? all you wanna do is play football, right? the jumping jacks or the push ups or really glad I did. you don't get to play the game. because I had to teach myself how to code, to work with computers. when it came to working video games. we have this whole chase your dream thing. if you're really good at this, pour your soul into acting, leave everything else behind. unbalanced way to go about things. and you want to write the great American you completely blow off Math and science. understand technology. technology there's no way you the world we live in today, the great American novel? you should chase that dream. science. science, you should still read you out and that's what's gonna allow you science work. girl when I walk around the office and they do just stunning environments. beautiful animation and they're with extremely sophisticated technology. hadn't worked on art, that technology in such a beautiful way. your comic books still in there? say okay, at the beginning of the level, of the level we want to be at state b. make a little story out of your level. dimensional, interactive comic books now. >> [LAUGH] gonna be welcomed by Count Dracula and drag him to the top of the tower and this order and solve this puzzle. but I kind of gotta step up I thought. may seem a little huge, but to the three of us and who are just getting started? and I was drifting and, he told me that standing still so just go for things. about doing that is that the direction you want to go. that deflected me again into video games. to stop wondering what you wanna go out and do something. be informed by who you are, what you want. 

Culture

Exploration

Hard Work

Pressure

Interview

It wasn't my parents dream that their daughter would become a comic book they were like we're not going to pay for electrical engineering, and basically, essentially got really bored, trying a bunch of different things. you had this passion, and that path, you followed the science, science kinda come around? all you wanna do is play football, right? the jumping jacks or the push-ups or >> In the end I was really, really glad I you don't get to play the game. because I had to teach myself how to code, work with computers, I mean, it came to working in video games. 

Vicki Smith Highlight

Of my many jobs this is by far my favorite job. build castles in the sky. an interest in video games? making them until relatively recently, daughter would become a comic book they were like we're not going to pay for a science or engineering degree but in electrical engineering and I had a really good career but essentially got really bored. trying a bunch of different things. 

I Got Really Bored

So any of the seeds of your comic book still in there? here they give me a level and they say, is at state A and by the end of a level we make a little story out of your level. dimensional interactive comic books now. okay in the beginning we're gonna welcomed your boyfriend and drag him to the top of these monsters in this order and it's my story, it's my level. >> So, I'm not actually in comic books, 

Fulfillment

A Step Up

This is the thing, I think American culture has sort of thing and so we tell somebody okay if should just concentrate on this. your soul into acting or leave everything else behind. unbalanced way to go about things. want to write the great American novel, so science, the world we live in today. the world we live in today, the great American novel? you should chase that dream, but science, because that's gonna round you out and creativity to your math and science work. girl when I walk around the office and they do 3D modeling and beautiful animation, and they with extremely sophisticated technology. worked with art they wouldn't technology in such a beautiful way. 

Individualism

Round Yourself Out

I got my Masters in interactive technology, a Masters in video game design. recruited me, so now I get to work here. you had this passion and that path, you followed the science, science kind of come around? you want to do is play football, right? do the jumping jacks or >> But in the end, you don't get to play the game. because I had to teach myself how to code, to work with computers, when it came to our work in video games. 

If You Don't Do The Push Ups, You Can't Play The Game

I knew a priest once who, I was in college and I was drifting, and steer a bike that's standing still. about doing that is that the direction you want to go. then when I changed careers, need to stop wondering what go out and do something. be informed by who you are, what you like. 

Go Out & Do Something

I can't cite it but there was a study recently, I think in Sweden, things, electrodes on your head and games to try to identify scientifically, most fun when they did fail. they're like okay, now it's on. then on the sixth time you get it, that the education system is not good at. to say okay, try it again. you're just gonna get frustrated and across the room and quit the game. you do need to change your approach. 

Failure

Failure & Changing Your Approach

I was working in servers, and what happens when you're working in computers is up with your new computer that you then you sort of start a new one. we had finished a computer, we shipped it, never cuz otherwise, another two years. I wanted to go and have adventures. an oversees program, this sort of thing, I need to do it now. a couple years. to change your perspective on things. taught me how much I appreciated like until you're surrounded by have those same benefits. actually crying when I left my parents. I think, four years, then. actually in computer engineering. four years and I hadn't changed at all, I didn't want time to sort of pass and jump in. 

Experience

Travel & Perspective

I think it's helpful to understand competitive environment. don't know if kids understand how much of a very competitive world. more competitive all the time. when I would talk to my kids and science and computers. it's almost insane to me. the world changes if you don't pick up like game design, like I have, who have known since they were ten, doing the push ups because they knew they needed to get there. just recognize that the more math and you're gonna have getting to that goal. 

You're Living in the Computer Age

My mom is 65 and she's decided she's going to learn how to read and write Chinese. time and it might take her until she's 100 be able to learn it in five years. you'll be at all sorts of things. don't tell kids enough is that math just makes you smarter. it makes your brain smarter. the more you can learn later on. do really good comic books, 

Do The  Math

It wasn't my parents' dream that their daughter would become they were like science and and we want you to be as free as possible. fingertips, to have as many options as you graduate from college. book artist at the end of that, also if you want to go and of money, so that if you save up, we want you to have that option too. a lot like me in college that out exactly what you wanna do. wanted to do till I was 32, so, hey! you don't wanna just drift. as many roads as you can, 

Opportunity

Maximize Your Options

I found the things that were most important to me. those things I put away in a box and the rest of it, I just dove in. to stop wondering what you want go out and do something. stop doing whatever is boring you. a direction and go in that direction. going to turn you in the right way. angst cause it's a waste of time. you've got a hundred years to live, right? 

Just Go Out & Do Something

Did you like math and science in school at all when you were growing up? I wouldn't say I liked it now. parents sort of insisted on that. even a test that wasn't an A, hours everyday until I got the A. the way my parents were. at the time vehemently resented it, that thing that you're not good at. resentful of my parents at the time, but sort of made me do that. 

Vicki Smith

Level Designer

Videos

Vicki Smith

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Design

Science

Being Creative

Interviewed By

Potential Possible