Review: Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design

(Originally published in 3D Artist issue 37)

Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design

Price £24.99

Website https://www.amazon.co.uk/Level-Up-Guide-Great-Design/dp/047068867X

Get ready to become the master of your own virtual universe with this handy guide to game designing.

This guide book is a springboard to understanding the pre-production mechanics of designing the content and rules for a video game, prior to any game development such as programming and software design. Crammed with practical tried-and-tested advice, chapters which are called Levels in the book, cover topics such as generating ideas, writing stories, character creation and design, cinematography, player control schemes, HUDs, level design, enemies, combat, puzzles and hazards, multiplayer games, music and cut scenes. It teaches these core elements in an accessible, very informative, and - thanks to the ample cartoon illustrations and footnotes – frequently humorous way. Targeted at games professionals, game design students, and anyone else who loves video games, the breadth of information provides something for everyone. Even how to prevent players from vomiting due to motion sickness is covered!

Seasoned games veterans will find only the initial Level aimed at noobs, which gives a basic introduction to video game history and roles in the industry, and the following Levels on brainstorming ideas and stories of little benefit. Level 4 which starts by explaining why making games is more akin to making chilli than fishing, is oddly enough, of great use to readers of all abilities. The tenuous analogy with making chilli and games is summed up by explaining that both require documentation. Chilli needs a recipe, while games need a solid game design document (GDD).

As there is no official format for a GDD, the author instead clearly explains what type of content should be included and what sort of questions should be answered in it. The importance of creating a GDD, as an accurate guide for everyone involved in the game production, is underlined by the inclusion of templates provided at the end of the book in bonus levels. Long term gamers with no industry experience stand to gain the most from the book, and may find they are familiar with a lot of the content but unaware of its function from a design angle.

For sports, driving, simulation and puzzle game design there is noticeably less advice on offer. This is because the more mainstream FPS, RPG and combat-based third person action genres are frequently used for examples. While this is not too detrimental overall, a dedicated chapter on less common genres would have been welcome. A bonus level on pitching your finished game design, which is often overlooked in similar titles, is included. The book concludes with a recipe for chilli.

Summary. Entertaining, informative and bursting with design ideas for anyone intent on stepping into their own game.

Game pad ergonomics are explained so players won’t need to be “six-fingered mutants or multi-tentacled squid men from Praxis Prime”

Level 11 dishes out handy advice on creating different types of enemies and designing big boss characters to battle against.

The one-sheet sample is a concept overview and the first document you need to make when putting together your game design document.