Level (video games)

Lore & Background

Back in the 1970s and 80s, a single programmer usually handled a game's maps and layouts, as there was no separate job for level design. Many early games used a system where levels simply got harder, rather than telling a story. Space Invaders (1978) is a good example: every level looks identical and repeats until the player runs out of lives. In contrast, Donkey Kong (1981) used distinct levels to push a narrative—Mario (then called Jumpman) chases Donkey Kong, who flees with Pauline after each stage, forcing Mario to complete a new level each time until the final confrontation.

Lode Runner (1983) was one of the first games to include a level editor. Its designer, Doug Smith, reportedly paid local kids to create levels for it.

That same year, the multiplayer dungeon crawl Dandy also shipped with a level editor documented in its manual. Later, ZZT (1991) offered user-accessible mapping and scripting. Text-based games like MUDs demanded huge amounts of time for area design, often letting promoted players build new paths, rooms, equipment, and actions directly through the game interface.

The 3D first-person shooters Doom (1993) and Doom II (1994) sparked early, focused modding communities, leading to many WAD level files. This was partly because the level files were kept separate from the game engine. Half-Life, Quake 3, and numerous other games later developed notable mapping tools and communities centered on user-generated content.

Did You Know?

• The first level of a game is usually designed to get players to explore the mechanics, notably in World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros.
• In games with linear progression, levels can represent areas of a larger world, such as Green Hill Zone from the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
• Yellow paint is often used in modern games to guide the player in the right direction, though this approach is commonly criticised due to its unsubtlety.