The Level Design Book
A continuously maintained free online textbook spanning pre-production, layout, metrics, blockout, combat, scripting, lighting, and level studies, with industry examples, project exercises, and tool indexes.
Why it’s here
Solo developers can turn vague spatial ideas into paper layouts, greyboxes, and playtest questions chapter by chapter, while teams gain shared language for routes, pacing, readability, and player behavior.
Best fit
Prototype systems, stories, and interactions, then validate them with real players.
Before you commit
The material often begins from 3D action levels and cannot replace tests with target players; its text uses CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 while cited media retain their owners' rights, so copied, translated, or adapted publications must follow attribution, noncommercial, and share-alike terms.
