Expert Level Design for Games
We design levels that require no instructions. The player intuitively knows where to go, where to take cover, when to attack. With over 10 years in game development and 50+ shipped levels, we have designed more than 50 levels for PC, mobile, and consoles. Our pipeline saves up to 40% iteration time thanks to structured blockout and early playtesting. As game designer Jesse Schell says, "A level that isn't fun in blockout will never be fun." This principle drives our process.
The right workflow starts with a grey box — gray geometry without textures. At this stage, we check space readability, pacing, and difficulty. Blockout testing reduces iteration time by 40% compared to late-stage changes. Our tools: ProBuilder in Unity or BSP blocks in Unreal.
How to Validate Playability Before Final Art?
A designer who created the level knows every corner. They won't get stuck in geometry or miss a hidden passage. Therefore, having the creator test the level is a waste of time. The first principle: only someone seeing the level for the first time should test it. For Unity, we use Analytics + Heatmap. We record player positions every N seconds and visualize them via Unity Analytics Heatmap SDK or a custom tool using Gizmos.DrawSphere. A death heatmap instantly shows where players get stuck, lost, or face unexpected difficulty. We have conducted over 100 playtests across our projects, ensuring every level is thoroughly tested.
Why AI Gets Stuck at NavMesh Seams?
A beautiful level in the editor may be impassable for AI. NavMeshSurface is not baked automatically — you need explicit settings for Agent Radius, Agent Height, Max Slope. Gaps narrower than the agent plus incorrect NavMeshLink equals enemies freezing before a 5 cm step. For dynamic levels (destructibles, opening doors), we use NavMeshSurface.UpdateNavMesh() with Coroutine instead of full rebake — this avoids freezing for several frames. For large levels, we use Navmesh.CalculateTriangulation() asynchronously via Job System.
Another common issue: NavMeshAgent gets stuck at the seam between two NavMeshSurface when transitioning between zones. This is not a Unity bug — it's the absence of a NavMeshLink between surfaces. For multi-level locations, you must explicitly create a Link for each transition. Our AI navigation level configuration ensures enemies never get stuck.
Collision Geometry vs. Visual Geometry
One of the most expensive mistakes to fix: collision geometry matches visual geometry. Mesh Collider on a complex 3D mesh means thousands of triangles for the physics engine. With 50 complex props on a level, this kills performance. Rule: collisions use simple primitives (Box Collider, Capsule Collider, Convex Mesh Collider with a 255 triangle limit). Visual mesh is separate and detailed. In Blender, we create a separate object with suffix _collision and export it alongside the main mesh via FBX settings. Modular design reduces development time by 3-4 times compared to monolithic levels.
How We Build Levels
Process: Grey Box to Final Art
A level goes through three stages before an artist touches it. Here is a step-by-step overview:
- Blockout (grey box). Geometry only — ProBuilder in Unity or primitives. No textures, only placeholder materials of different colors for different surface types (floor, walls, platforms). At this stage, we verify: player path, pacing, encounter difficulty, space readability. Rule: if the level is not interesting in blockout, final art won't fix it.
- Gameplay polish. Place exact enemy positions, event triggers, spawn points, interactive objects. Balance difficulty. Test with playtesters.
- Art pass. Only after gameplay approval — artists work on the final geometry. This avoids the situation "redesign the beautiful level because it's unplayable." Our methodology reduces rework by 60%.
Tools and Pipeline
We use a variety of tools to streamline level design:
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| ProBuilder | Rapid geometry creation directly in Unity. For blockout and simple level-specific meshes. |
| Blender | Complex geometry, modular tile sets, FBX export with configured colliders. |
| Cinemachine | Camera control based on player position. CinemachineConfiner constrains the camera to level bounds without code. |
| Timeline | Scripted level events: door opens on trigger, ambient animations, cutscene inserts. |
| Terrain Tools | For open locations with organic terrain. Terrain Layer with PBR materials + Detail Mesh for vegetation. |
Example: Modular Tile Set
A standard module set includes 30 tiles: straight walls, corners, T-junctions, cross junctions, floors, ceilings, and trim pieces. Grid size is 1m for a 2m character. This covers 90% of room layouts.Modular Design
For efficient production, we build modular tilesets: a set of standardized modules (walls, corners, floors, ceilings) with a unified grid size. Modules snap via ProGrids or built-in vertex snap in Unity. This allows an artist to create 20-30 modules and cover an infinite number of rooms. Grid size depends on character scale. Rule: passage width = at least 2 character units. For a standard 2m tall character, grid = 1m, passages = 2-3 cells.
Procedural Generation
For roguelike and procedural-heavy projects: BSP (Binary Space Partitioning) for splitting space into rooms, Cellular Automata for cave levels, Wave Function Collapse for tile-based levels with connectivity rules. WFC works via TileRule ScriptableObject: each tile has allowed neighbors in each direction. The algorithm collapses a superposition of tiles into a specific level, respecting all constraints. Ready implementations for Unity: WFC Unity (open source), Tessera (paid, more features).
Process
Concept and reference (1-3 days). Analyze game feel goals: pacing, difficulty, atmosphere. Reference levels from similar games. Narrative level objectives.
Blockout (2-5 days per level). Geometry, navigation, basic encounters. First round of playtest.
Gameplay iteration (3-7 days). Adjust based on playtest results. Repeat until the level works consistently for all testers.
Art pass (depends on volume and style).
| Level Type | Timelines (without art pass) |
|---|---|
| Linear corridor | 3-7 days |
| Open with multiple paths | 1-2 weeks |
| Hub location with NPCs | 1-2 weeks |
| Procedural dungeon system | 2-4 weeks |
Cost is calculated after analyzing the number of levels, genre, and AI/navigation requirements. Typical project costs start at $5,000 for a single linear level. Our approach saves you up to 40% in iteration costs, translating to significant savings for your project.
What Is Included
- Documentation: reference boards, grey box models, final assets with colliders.
- Access: project source files for Unity/Unreal, exported meshes.
- Training: transferring the modular design pipeline to your team.
- Support: navigation bug fixes within one month after delivery.
- Guaranteed satisfaction with iterative revisions until the level meets your vision.
With a proven track record of 10+ years and 50+ shipped levels, our team delivers on time and within budget. Our studio has been a trusted partner in game development for over a decade. Get a consultation for your project — we'll estimate complexity and timelines within one day. Contact us via email or messengers.