CGMA Level Design Course
This section is still a work in progress.
Recently, I began participating in CGMA's Level Design course, where I've been learning a lot from Shane Canning. The course is structured around completing one project per week, so I'll be compiling and showcasing my work here. I'll also continue updating this page as I progress through the course!
Please keep in mind that, given the limited time we have for each project, these levels are still a bit rough and in need of further polishing. I plan to revisit and refine them once I've completed the course—it's all part of the learning process! Thanks for checking it out!
Tools: Unreal Engine 5, Blender.
Jungle Temple
This week's assignment involved designing a linear level set around a jungle temple. Due to the time constraints, I wasn't able to fully develop the interior, but I'll revisit that after the course is over. Despite its simplicity, I'm pleased with how the level turned out—it functions well for what it is.
Dreamy Platformer
For this assignment, we had to create a 3D platformer level. The character we were provided with felt a bit clunky, especially with its ability to fly, which made the design process more challenging. While we had the option to modify the character, I chose to work with it as a challenge. The result was decent overall, though I'd like to refine a few elements—particularly making certain button presses or dialogue interactions more intuitive and less likely to be missed. All in all, I'm happy with how it came together!
Space Station
For two weeks, we worked on a section of an open-world map set on a different planet. I had only one week to work on it, but I'm satisfied with the outcome! I'll definitely revisit it in the future to improve the exterior and make obtaining the necessary keys more engaging (such as by adding smaller puzzles, visual effects, and consequences for obtaining them, like shutting down the lights). Right now, the keys serve mainly to ensure the player explores the entire map, but there's potential to enhance this further.
(Also, as a note, the pink version was a first draft o version developed in an hour which was all I could do during the first week. Later it evolved into the final version).
Arcade Escape
This week, we were tasked with creating a level focused on the concept of scale. I had access to a great asset pack for this, so I decided to base the level in an arcade. The main objective was to complete three trials in order to escape the arcade before it opens and the children arrive. While I'm happy with the overall aesthetic and atmosphere, playtesting revealed that some parts of the level weren't as intuitive as I initially thought. I'll be revisiting these areas to improve clarity and polish some of the puzzles to ensure a smoother experience and fix any bugs.
Mountain Mission
For the final project of the course, I decided to make a stealth/action lineal level. The player would take the role of an agent sent to a military base in the mountains to turn off the communications system of the enemy. I wanted the player to find the final point of the level early (the terminal to turn the system off), but make him progress further to find the codes to do so and then have to come back.
I must say I'm not as happy as I would want with the level, but for one reason. I based the level on a project the included mobility mechanics, shooting mechanics and most importantly enemies. The thing is that they were way harder to balance and tune than I though aty the beggining, and once I realized it was too late to change it. So enemies are pretty brutal and difficult to deal with, which made me have to use less than I would have wanted and still it can be frustrating. I'll probably remake the level on a different project with simpler enemies but more balanced experience.
