Levels

The next item you need to address is the levels that make up a game. If you do a thorough job in the preceding step, this one is very easy. You compile a list of levels, in the order in which they will be encountered in your game, adding any details you deem necessary. Some optional materials include ideas such as the layout, a general description, or the placement of enemies, to name a few. Creating a mood for a level at this time can be a big bonus because a designer or artist can simply browse this area to get a feel for what needs to be created.

The creation of a set of maps for the levels is helpful to the members of the team, especially the programmers and level designers. They can be very detailed pictures but more likely will be a set of simple lines, circles, and squares that form a rough layout of the levels. You can see an example of this in Figure 5.1.