Explainer · Level Design
Greybox before art
A greybox is not an unfinished environment. It is a fast model of the player's route, choices and timings.
Test the questions art cannot answer
- Can the player read the main route from useful viewpoints?
- Do spaces support the intended movement and encounter distances?
- Where does the pace change, and is that deliberate?
Keep it readable
Use a tiny material palette for function: traversable space, danger, cover, locked route and destination. Colour should explain the test, not decorate it.
Know when to move on
Add art after repeated playtests stop causing major layout changes. The aim is not to perfect grey boxes; it is to answer the risky design questions early.
Build one route from twelve shapes, test it with another person, then change only what the test revealed.
Keep moving
Useful next steps.
Teaching player flow without objective arrows
A practical sequence for showing how composition, contrast, landmarks and space guide attention.
Unreal Level Designer Quick Start
Epic's practical introduction to viewport navigation, levels, actors, basic geometry, lighting and playtesting.
The Level Design Book
A free, critical and practical online book covering process, layout, blockout, scripting, lighting, level studies and teaching notes.