Making a game is a journey, and level design can be one of the most exciting — and challenging — parts of that adventure. When you dive into the process of building a world, you’re not just piecing together random environments. Every level is a stage where the story unfolds, where gameplay comes to life, and where players immerse themselves.
Level design is a mix of creative energy and technical finesse. Let me take you behind the scenes to show how I build the levels for IHAS!
Translating Story Into Gameplay
Level design is where narrative meets interactivity. You’re telling a story, but instead of just relying on words, you’re using space, props, lighting, and atmosphere to guide the player. In IHAS, each acts as a chapter in the story, and each stage needs to have its own distinct look and feel.
Before I even start designing, I draft out what I want to convey. What’s the mood? What room layout do I need? How does this environment fit into the larger world of the game? These are crucial questions because every level has to complement both the narrative and the mechanics of gameplay.
Since IHAS is a sci-fi game, I also need to match the level’s aesthetics to the futuristic setting. Neon-lit corridors, glowing control panels, and sterile, high-tech storage rooms are just a few of the features that pull players into that immersive world.
From Concept to Creation
Once I’ve got the vision for a level, I sketch out the bones of a building before diving into the finer details. I usually start with a rough layout – where walls, rooms, and hallways go. Prototyping helps here too, giving me a hands-on sense of how the space feels in the game engine.
As soon as you start building the level in-engine, you’ll quickly notice little things that need adjusting – maybe a hallway is too cramped, or a room doesn’t flow well with the rest of the space. It’s a fluid process, and that’s okay! In fact, watching a concept evolve into something even better is one of the most satisfying parts.
Making the World Feel Alive
After the basic structure of the level is in place, it’s time to fill it with life. For a sci-fi world, this means cool tech gadgets, sleek architecture, and neon accents pretty much everywhere. Lighting plays a huge role here. I’m talking about that cold, metallic glow in a spaceship’s engine room or the atmospheric purple hue in a high-tech lab. Reflective floors are a great way to make everything look just a little more futuristic.
I procedurally generate textures in Blender to quickly give rooms that lived-in feel. But for more intricate models and standout objects, I turn to custom textures, using tools like Quixel Mixer to create surfaces that pop. Whether it’s the polished metal of a spaceship hull or the gritty, worn-out texture of storage crates, these details help immerse the player.
Final Touches
Once the level is assembled, the fine-tuning begins. Using the post-processing and lighting settings in the engine, I adjust everything to ensure the ambiance matches the tone I’m going for. Do I want a sharp, sterile light or something softer and more mysterious? How do shadows interact with the environment? Even small tweaks can drastically change the feel of a space.
At the end of it all, the level finally comes together, blending the technical aspects of game development with the artistry of world-building. It’s an iterative process, and while it can take time, there’s nothing quite like seeing it all click into place.
Want to See More?
Curious about how it all looks in action? Check out my devlog video where I walk through this process in more detail: Watch the level design flow here!
Thanks for following along on this behind-the-scenes look at my level design process.
Stay tuned for more updates in the next devlog!
Vladyslav
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The Difference Studio
Iceberg Interactive
