Title: From a concept image to a walkable mech scene: my AI-assisted level-building workflow

I’m developing FRONTIER MECH: BEYOND, and this video shows the workflow behind one of its scenes.

Starting with a concept image, I go through terrain elevation, applying the reference image to the terrain, road generation, procedural rock placement, and AI-assisted building generation. The video ends with the mech walking through the result.

The rock placement stage uses a procedural algorithm; AI assistance is also part of the workflow, including the building generation stage.

For developers working with similar workflows, how do you evaluate the result beyond its visual resemblance to the original concept—particularly terrain readability and traversal?

Wishlist FRONTIER MECH: BEYOND on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3414950/Frontier_Mech_Beyond/

Hey folks. Drawing and aligning isometric art was becoming a massive bottleneck, so I built a custom Python engine that procedurally generates pen-and-paper style dungeons.

Instead of placing tiles by hand, the script uses Wave Function Collapse to build non-linear mazes and scatter props automatically. The ink lines are generated using Perlin noise math, ensuring every block snaps together on a strict isometric grid without seams. It also adds procedural wear-and-tear, like dirt in the corners and cobwebs.

The biggest time-saver is the export process. The engine bakes Normal Maps and light occluders on the fly. When imported into the game engine, the 2D textures react to dynamic lighting and cast shadows instantly.

Swipe through the gallery to see the raw layout, the tile details, and the final dynamically lit scene. What do you think of this visual style?

For those who don't know what Blocktober is: Developers share early stage builds (sometimes even in comparison with finished maps) to draw attention onto the art of level design. Note that level design does not mean how beautiful a map is art wise, but more what thoughts went into the ways people can move.
Since I always liked this tradition, I also want to share a blockout map for a team-based shooter project that I created. The map is exactly mirrored and based around a simple capture point in the middle. Furthermore the map provides 3 lanes (mid, left, right) to allow for flank gameplay and also two levels of height to create more depth. While this is an early blockout I want to go into a direction of a jungle temple with lots of vines and greenery. What do you think? Do you have ideas for improvement?
I would also love to see some of your ideas and maybe also blockouts here :)

Guess what day it is? It's Boomer Shooter Saturday! Come join us at 11:00 A M EST for a day with the almighty BUILD Engine!

To start our day off, come relax with a couple of hours of level editing for Duke Nukem 3D using Mapster 32. Today we are working more on our Halloween inspired level, just making some atmospheric environments.

After that, we dive into a playthrough of a Total Conversion of BLOOD called "Caleb Will Have His Revenge On Toronto" which is so ridiculously named I had to try it. Not only was this recommended to me in the past after we played Death Wish, but I just think it's so interesting that this Canadian inspired thing was made completely by a bunch of Russians it looks like. Wild!

Hey! It’s me again from Kernel Panic. I haven’t posted in a while, but seeing people enjoy the craft keeps me going, so here’s what’s new:

• Wardrobe: step onto a pedestal and mix hats, heads and costumes into your own outfit
• Stickers and decorations: stick anything anywhere, and grow 3D plants on any surface
• Labels: type your own words and print them as cross-stitch or embossed Dymo tape
• Temp File: a material that dissolves when you send it a signal
• Physics: rope swings and a brand new drop kick

Coming soon: decal competitions, where the winning designs go into the game.

Hey everyone,

I am building a level editing suite as a Blender addon called wavelength. It takes inspiration from the original Quake and Source editing workflows but updates them for modern development.

The main goal is to let you do your entire workflow inside Blender. You can handle modeling, blockouts, and texturing all in one place. It even supports the custom entities you write for your own engine.

You can find out more and check it out at wavelength-tools.com. I would love to get your feedback on it.

Right now, it is in pre-alpha, and currently only supports basic geometry and texture exports to Godot and Source 2

Here is a preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tZxy3cCwYQ

Hello!

I was wondering if anyone had any resources to learn more about how to design levels for puzzle/mystery/knowledge based/escape room games.

I'm talking about games like:

Blue Prince

Outer Wilds

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

Myst/Riven

I'm new to game development and working on a solo game. I'm aware I shouldn't be taking such a big project as a first game, but it's the game I want to build and I'm dividing it into smaller areas and focusing on 3-4 puzzles at a time to avoid being overwhelmed.

The problem is all GDC videos on level design and similar resources talk about grayboxing to make sure the level is fun, and similar guidelines. However, I feel like this is very difficult to apply to these types of games as a lot of it relies on actual environment art, completed puzzle placement, etc.

Is anyone familiar with level design for these types of games and would be kind enough to point me in the right direction to learn more about it? The game takes place in a big house, so it's all indoors, if that's relevant.

Hi everyone!

I come from a graphic design background and I’m currently developing my first indie title: a 2.5D top-down puzzle adventure with light metroidvania progression (think Cult of the Lamb aesthetic meets the dual-world puzzles of A Link to the Past).

Where I need your advice:

Since my strength is visual and art direction, I want to make sure I don't build levels purely based
on aesthetics and end up with broken pacing.

Where I'm getting stuck:

On paper, I have the whole big picture locked down: the macro map structure, the biomes, the main progression milestones, and all the core mechanics.

Where I’m really struggling is translating that high-level plan into the micro level design — actually designing the individual rooms and puzzles the player must solve one after the other without making them repetitive, frustrating, or overwhelming.

For experienced level/puzzle designers:

1. Workflow/Order: Do you sketch puzzle logic on paper/flowcharts first, build rough greyboxes with primitive shapes, or design around the narrative map layout?

2. Are there specific frameworks, books, or metrics you swear by when pacing puzzle progression?

(This is actually my very first time posting on Reddit, so apologies if my formatting isn't ideal!)

working on the interior of a tavern for a fantasy game i'm making (1/64m voxels, built with claude code). after a bunch of iterations i think it's looking pretty decent, but compared to the exterior it feels like it's missing something? 🤔 would love any feedback on the layout, lighting, or anything else 😁

It's time to get spooky this Boomer Shooter Saturday! Come join us at 11:00 AM EST as we get into the Halloween Spirit!

First, as usual, we start our day with some map making using the Mapster32 Level Editor for Duke Nukem 3D. Maybe work on something that fits the vibes of the season, we shall see!

After, we dive into Dracula's Castle, a 2016 user level for Duke 3D by James Stanfield. The visuals here look very great, especially considering I heard it was built in like, three days.

So come hang out with our community, and maybe, just maybe, start building with BUILD!

Hi !

I recently finished my Level Design portfolio and I’m getting ready to apply for Junior Level Designer positions !

I’d really appreciate any honest feedback on the portfolio, whether it’s about the projects, the presentation or anything you think I could improve.

You can view it on either your phone or computer, and it’s available in both French and English. It might be in French by default, but you can easily switch to English.

Portfolio:
https://lavignethomas82.wixsite.com/portfoliold/projects-en

Thanks in advance

Hi!
I am looking for some advice regarding a possible career change and would be happy to hear about some of your experiences.

I (22M) am currently studying Urban Planning in Germany, and just started my Master degree. Urbanism and architecture are still topics I am very interested in, but after an internship I got really disillusioned with the industry. I am still determined to finish my Master degree for several reasons, but want to explore my options for the future.

I have always been best at urban design, geodata analysis and both analogue and digital visualisation (which i've also been teaching as a TA at my Uni for a few years) in my studies. And I love video games, design, art and creating worlds.

So, right now I am thinking abt pivoting to either Environment or Level Design for Video Games sometime in the future. BUT I am pretty unsure abt how I would approach that. I could force a semi-specialisation through electives and my Master thesis to focus on spatial design, digitalisation and gamification, and do an internship in a bureau that does public participation through gamification, but I still feel like my degree wouldn't be useful to get in the gaming industry, as over half of what I learned in Uni wouldn't be relevant for it (I have A LOT of planning code and economics), and there's not enough demand anyway.

I am trying to learn applications like UE5, Unity and Blender on the side, but I already need to have a lot of skills in other applications like Adobe Suite, CAD and GIS programs so it's gonna take a while. I also don't have any real programming skills to speak of. The only portfolio work I have rn is urban design, urban development or geodata related, tho I could throw in some illustration work I've done as a hobby.

The only "foreseeable" ways I could imagine approaching the pivot are:
- doing a second Masters (like Experimental Game Cultures in Vienna, which I could do without a Bachelors in Game Design)
- going into research/teaching for Urban planning (which is my contigency plan anyway) and trying to specialise in gamification and spatial design
- finding some Indie devs or Game Design students that need someone who knows stuff abt cities :)

So, do you think that there is a space in the gaming industry (esp. in Europe) or game design academia for someone with my education? Would a second degree be useful, or an internship in e.g. a bureau that specialises in gamification approaches for public participation? And do you have recommendations on how to approach environment and/or level design, or for resources to learn essential skills?

Thank you in advance! :) Feel free to be honest abt my chances, but consider that I am pretty determined to learn new skills and even build a portfolio on my own, even if it takes a few years, I am not counting on starting in the industry right after my Masters anyway.

Hey guys, I am making a 6dof combat space sim and I am at the point where I need a nice looking level.

Everyone says space levels are easiest to make, but I disagree. If you are making it right, the level should not feel empty and waste even though millions of KM are between my 3 planets and the sun. But how you make the space level not feel empty. My planets have at least 4 things in their orbit, those could be jump gate, nav beacon, space station, asteroid field or moon with its own orbit and things orbiting it. Same objects that can orbit the planet. But the locations themselves are somehow feeling empty, do you add them some additional backgrounds, wrecks (not physical objects) or asteroid fields far away, volumetrics (should be a mechanic I didn't build yet with its own penalties while in it) or what else could I do?

I am pretty new in game dev, started learning with 47 years in April and have just over 2000 hours making my game right now. So any tips are appreciated, especially for space levels because I will need around 30 of them, hand made. I don't want them to be procedural, my game is a heavy story driven and has huge emotional attachment and meaning for me and some other people.

Hi! We're a small team building a dark fantasy RPG soulslike (titled: project Seraphim) in Unreal Engine 5, and we're looking for a level designer.

We are early, with a prototype still in development, and our first goal is a boss fight demo. The team consists of 10 people so far, and we are expanding the team as we go.

This is revshare, with no upfront pay, since we really don't have a budget at the moment. The exact revshare split and ownership terms aren't written yet, but we plan to put them in a written agreement, reviewed by a lawyer.

If you are interested or want to know more about the game please send me a DM here or on discord: matee434 and I can send you the GDD and share some prototype videos

Hello!

I'm a 35yo software engineer. I've always wanted to make video games. My dream was always to become a designer and actually picked SWE to get a foot in the door in the gaming industry. Game dev was even my specialization in uni. However, once I graduated I was too tempted by non-gaming dev jobs since I was aware of the working conditions, difference in salaries, instability, etc.

I've always dabbled in Unity, Blender, etc but never committed to it fully for more than a couple of months at a time at most. I could basically say I know a lot more than the average person , but I know practically nothing compared to actual professionals (other than what you learn from watching hours and hours of GDC talks)

I was recently let go of my first and only job and I'm realizing throughout all these years it's still something I absolutely dream of doing. I have enough money to spend a year or two focusing on learning everything I need to know and building a portfolio. However, I don't know how realistic it would be for me to aim for it, given the state the industry is in, plus all the uncertainties due to AI. To be clear, I'm not really interested in a programming role, although I guess it would be better than nothing. Ideally it would be designer/level designer/environmental artist (I know that's absolutely unrealistic given my lack of artistic skills)

Another thing that worries me is the difference in salary. For context I was earning around 160k as a SWE. I wouldn't mind earning less than that, but I don't know if I could realistically go back to earning something like 40-60k; something in the 100k range would be ok (not as a first job obviously, but eventually get there in a couple of years).

I was hoping professionals here could give me their brutally honest opinion on whether it's a realistic goal, if it's worth giving it a try, or if I should focus this time on learning how to adapt my SWE skills for the incoming AI driven industry (AI focused engineer, cybersecurity, etc).

Hi there!

Where could I make maps for the games?

I’ve recently been impressed by the brutalism-architecture-type maps in Quake (Brutalist Jam). I dont even mention what impact on me had Half-Life 2, but I'm sure that you already know what I am talking about

I used to work on Unreal Engine (v1!) in making maps to "Rune" with "Halls of Valhalla" multiplayer DLC as player "Diego". Once even somebody asked me "hey, did you make that map with name ..." - and I was idk, shy? To anwser that it was my work? XD But I still have those maps somewhere...

Anyway, Im thinking to make something "usable/useful".

BTW: Recently, I also have a thoughts about making a comic. Tower of Babel, Aleksandria, or even nowdays one (even never unfinished) are kind of my hobby to watch. If somebody knows manga "Blame", I think that you also know what monumentum I mean from the poin of view as a human being on this scale architecture. Im not sure if to make scetches based on 3D design, but its just a side thought.

So, any ideas where such maps would be cool to place at? Multiplayers round-based games I suppose: are always open for new maps?

I'm creating an open-world crime game and would like to base it on a city, but I'd already thought about making a hybrid of cities on the East Coast of the United States—though that might end up being too generic—so now I'm basing it on New York. What do you think looks better: making a hybrid or basing it on a specific city.

Hey everyone, Cygon 0.6 just landed. Quick rundown of what’s new:

Roofs — select your rooms, the roof is generated automatically. Edit the shape, apply a texture, and it keeps reacting to the building structure.

Custom shapes can now be textured.

Multi selection — filter your selection in one click and apply textures to the whole batch.

Light modes — Normal for everyday use, Build (no lights) to work in dark interiors without distractions, Cinema to enjoy the result.

Vertical columns — create rows of pillars in seconds.

Props rotation snapping — 5° steps while placing props.

As always, feedback and feature requests welcome, we read everything.

Hey everyone, before I commit to texturing and lighting this new map, I'm testing the raw level flow. Movement is entirely driven by gun recoil physics. Does the distance between platforms feel too frustrating, or does it look like a fair challenge for a physics-based rage game? Would love your critical feedback on the layout!

From Blockout to a more Polished Environment

A little look at the progress of a living room environment I'm creating for my current game project. It's been a fun process taking it from a simple blockout to a much more detailed and atmospheric space.

It's not quite finished yet, but I'm happy with how it's coming together so far!

Always interesting to see how much a space can change throughout the level design process. Feedback is welcome!

Hello guys!

Is there anyone here from Italy, specifically Rome? I might be visiting this city, and I wanted to ask if anyone has managed to buy physical books on level design or related topics there. If so, I’d love to hear some store recommendations. I’m not sure if advertising is allowed here, so I’d also be happy if you sent me a private message with this book shops

And yes, I’ve already checked Google, but I decided to ask here as well

It's Boomer Shooter Saturday again! Come join our community at 11:00 AM EST as we explore all things BUILD Engine!

Want to build levels like the ones in Duke Nukem 3D? We got you covered as we start each stream with a level editing session using Mapster32! What will we build? Who knows!

Afterwards, we playthrough (usually) community built levels and mods, today we return to the assault of the senses that is Oblivion TC! Not familiar with it? Well, it was a massive four episode TC with multiple branching paths built by one man. Incredibly ambitious, but also difficult, loud, and rather obtuse, it was a massive challenge to beat it... then I was told he made DLC for it.

May God help us...

We’re a small, international team of six developers and designers, working remotely from different parts of the world, building a photorealistic, modern tactical FPS in Unreal Engine 5.
We’re currently looking for a Level Designer to join our team and help build large-scale, realistic, gameplay-driven environments for Invasion.

This project has been in active development for two years. Core systems are already in place, including multiplayer, and the project is guided by a complete Game Design Document (GDD) and documented production pipelines.

About the Project
https://invasion.gr/
Invasion is a grounded, modern military FPS inspired by real-world conflicts, tactics, and environments. The goal is to deliver AAA-level visual fidelity and immersion, paired with tactical, consequence-driven gameplay without exploitative monetization. No battle passes. No skins. No pay-to-win.

Who We Are
6 team members (remote & international)
3 Developers
2 3D Designers
1 UI/UX Designer
Over 2 years of continuous development
Multiplayer already implemented
Clear roadmap and production milestones
Full GDD and research-backed design decisions
Contracts in place to protect all team members legally and financially

Your Responsibilities

• Design and build gameplay-focused levels and environments in Unreal Engine 5.
• Create and implement road networks, paths, streets, intersections, and traversal routes.
• Build and place environmental props and gameplay-relevant assets to create believable, lived-in military environments.
• Dress environments with props, debris, barriers, signs, furniture, vegetation, military equipment, and other contextual elements.
• Work with existing buildings and landscapes created by the team to develop complete, cohesive environments.
• Use real-world references, satellite imagery, maps, and geographical research to reproduce realistic environments.
• Optimize level assets and environmental setups for real-time multiplayer performance in UE5.

What We’re Looking For
A portfolio demonstrating realistic / photorealistic 3D work Environments, props, or complete scenes Strong understanding of scale, materials, and lighting Ability to work within a long-term project

What We Offer Revenue share, clearly defined and protected by contract. A professional, goal-oriented team - no chaos, no ego Transparent communication and documented workflows. Long-term project potential with room for expansion and funding. A project that already has momentum, structure, and technical foundations

Apply for the role here: https://forms.gle/xNHrje9imkFmr63A9

This is a volunteer-based collaboration with no financial compensation. Contributors are free to participate at their own pace, with no imposed workload or deadlines. Everyone whose work is included in the game will receive proper credits, with the possibility of adding a portfolio or creator profile link.

WILD RAPIDS - What if you could create a river that players around the world would love to race down?

We're developing Wild Rapids, an independent whitewater kayaking game with a low-poly 3D art style, focused on exploration, speed, choosing the right lines, and mastering your kayak.

The idea isn't just to follow a river from start to finish.

We want courses that make you want to play again just to discover another route.

Imagine kayaking through alpine forests, massive canyons, snowy mountains, or the ruins of a forgotten civilization.

You reach a waterfall. You can take the safer route around it, or risk a difficult jump to save a few seconds.

Further down, the river splits. One path leads into a crystal-lit cave, while the other takes you through a series of rapids and tight turns.

Then, around a cliff, you discover a tunnel entrance carved into the mouth of a gigantic ancient creature.

That's the kind of experience we want to create.

SEVEN ENVIRONMENTS TO BUILD

The project currently includes seven mountain environments: Alps, Canyon, Glacier, Arena, Toxic Volcano, Waterfalls, and Caves.

But the actual courses are still waiting to be designed.

Each creator can imagine their own descent, visual identity, shortcuts, obstacles, hidden paths, and little secrets.

The goal is to create levels with their own personality, memorable moments, and challenges that reward practice and experimentation.

TOOLS ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE

Wild Rapids is being developed in Godot and already has its own in-game map editor called DEV MAP.

With it, you can:

• Sculpt mountains, shape rivers, create waterfalls and tunnels
• Place rocks, trees, bridges, obstacles, and decorations using a library of over 1,100 assets
• Design alternative routes, shortcuts, checkpoints, and dangerous sections
• Customize water behavior, lighting, fog, weather, and atmosphere
• Add massive sculptures to cliffs and build unique landmarks

Water simulation and several kayak physics models are already implemented. The project is still evolving, and the development tools are being improved along the way.

You can experiment directly inside the game environment and see your ideas take shape.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

People who enjoy creating levels.

You don't need to be a professional. Maybe you're interested in level design, 3D environments, building scenery, or you simply have a lot of creative ideas.

What matters most is creativity.

A good level shouldn't just look beautiful. It should offer choices, surprises, technical sections, moments to relax, and challenges that players want to master.

We want to avoid boring straight-line courses and random obstacles that serve no real purpose.

Every descent should tell its own story through the environment.

CREDITS AND RECOGNITION

We believe that everyone who contributes to the game deserves recognition for their work.

Contributors whose creations are included in the game will be credited using whichever name they prefer: their first and last name, or simply their online nickname.

We are also open to discussing the possibility of including a link to your portfolio, personal website, ArtStation, or another creator profile.

We can work out these details together, depending on your preferences and how you'd like your contribution to be presented.

Whether you're building your portfolio, gaining experience, or simply enjoying the creative process, we want you to be able to proudly show what you've worked on.

AN INDEPENDENT COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

Wild Rapids is being developed by Noham Studio.

We're looking for passionate people who would enjoy contributing at their own pace, sharing creations, exchanging ideas, and seeing their levels come to life in an actual video game.

This is an unpaid, passion-driven project. We're not looking for people to produce free content on demand or work under pressure.

We want to bring together a community of creators who genuinely enjoy building things, experimenting, and exchanging ideas.

There are no fixed working hours or mandatory deadlines. You decide how much time you want to contribute.

The game isn't finished. There are still systems to improve, levels to create, and plenty of ideas to explore.

And that's exactly why it's an interesting time to get involved.

Have you ever wanted to create a video game map but didn't have a project or a team to do it with?

Come hang out with us, discover Wild Rapids, and maybe help create one of its future descents.

Interested in joining the project or just curious to see what we're working on? Come join our Discord, meet the team, share your ideas, and help shape the future of Wild Rapids!

https://discord.gg/YVJzeJbNp