CGMA Level Design For Games
Weekly Projects (2021)
CGMA Level Design class is taught by Emilia Schatz ( Lead Level Designer at Naughty Dog) and mentored by Shane Canning (Level Designer at Unseen. Previous - Insomnia, Square Enix)
Here are some example works from my weekly projects. Mostly of the projects are made within a week following each week's specific design guidelines. ​
Week 3 - Building with Basic Blocks
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In this week we need to use existing blocks (basic cubes, columns, low poly trees & rocks etc) provided in the project to construct a Ruined Temple. I had to find creative ways to use and combine basic shapes to make the level look less monotonous. ​​​
Unity 3D
All assets are provided by the class
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Temples are divided into 5 main areas - Main Hall, Fountain, Backyard, Garden and an Underground Tomb.
I used pillars & walls to frame this path so player's will be immediately drawn to the main entrance of this temple once they start the level.
Lights are used to draw player's attention to areas that are worth checking.
Temples are divided into 5 main areas - Main Hall, Fountain, Backyard, Garden and an Underground Tomb.
Week 5
Explore the Relationship of Spaces
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The requirement of this map is creating a single spatial cluster within a town. Space should look naturally connected and each has its unique identity.
So I decided to build out a small City District that includes a Cafe, a Plaza, a Hotel and a Metro station (and of course - put skyscrapers in the background).
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UE4
All assets are from Epic Marketplace
I used road, walkways and hedges to help define the boundry of each area.
Framing the landmark for the player using the 2 skyscrapers (far) and pillars (near)
In this last part player will exit the vent and drop down into this luxury SPA room. The 1st patrolling enemy can be taken down through a headshot from above. But player will have to use the existing covers in the room to fight other enemies.
I used road, walkways and hedges to help define the boundry of each area.
Week 6 - Environmental Storytelling
This concpet of this week's level is kind of derived from last week. Last week I built a fancy district in a city so this week I decided to explore its opposite concept - the Slum. I reduced the size of the City map and build this slum area next to it.
The contrast between the 2 areas is very interesting to see - it really helps me flesh out the story of this world. I also managed to add a lot of depth to the level narrative through NPCs, dialogues and setdressing.
UE4
All assets are from Epic Marketplace
Looking at the Slum from above. It's connected to the City but it's divided by high walls & electronic barrier. The City poured polluted water & chemicals into the Slum through those giant pipes and make those poor people's life more miserable.
On the left side, the City has a very clean & structured shape, on the right side, the Slum is filled with randomly scattered buildings & irregular shapes that give the impression of chaos & decay
A miserable outcast who was crying at the entrance of an abandoned train station. Here I tried to combine the blockout shape + set dressing +dialogue to create an emotionally evocative scene
Looking at the Slum from above. It's connected to the City but it's divided by high walls & electronic barrier. The City poured polluted water & chemicals into the Slum through those giant pipes and make those poor people's life more miserable.
Week 9 - Combat & Cover Shooter
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Week 9's task is creating 3 combat layouts with different map size & number of enemies. Covers can only be 2 types - crouch (low) and standing (high) covers.
I used orange texture to indicate cover position from the start because I don't want players to get confused as the map becomes larger and more complicated. Differentiates covers from other brushes also make it a lot easier for me to manage the level, adding AI spawns & AI cover in addition to player covers.
​UE4
All assets are from Epic Marketplace​​​​
This layout has 3 routes - 1 main, and 2 flank routes for you to get through the first area
Ladders help the player to stealthily move through the level. Explosive Barrels are also good utilities to surprise the enemies.