In the digital age and the rapidly developing gaming industry, it is very important to follow all the trends and create something relevant and popular with people. The game story, design, plot, main idea, and various special effects are what make the game attractive. Boring level design can easily ruin the whole game, no matter how interesting it is, and how the models are detailed. A bad story will not be interesting to players and they will quickly forget about the game. These details are so important that each team must have many different specialists who complement each other perfectly and together create an attractive project.
Or let’s imagine a different situation. The game has everything to attract players: the best design and graphics based on the latest technologies, realistic special effects, and an engaging game story. But the game is too hard and it is impossible to pass some levels. Of course, players will quickly get tired of such a game. So how do players have the best user experience? In today’s article, you will learn about useful tips on how to attract the attention of players.
Set a Goal
One of the key factors in the success of the game is an interesting storyline and a clear end goal. If the players do not understand why they are playing and what is the point of the game, they will quickly forget about it. The goal should be achievable and understandable so that everyone can find a way out. The goal is what the player is trying to achieve or what the task is. Sometimes the main character must save the world or defend his homeland in a war, but there are also games where you need to find a way out of a psychiatric hospital or avenge the murder of a family.
The player must see that the goal is important to his character. For example, the main character may be a bandit who is trying to pay off his sister’s debts. He risks his life and steals money to save his family. In this case, the goal of the main character is clear: to do everything to ensure his sister’s safety. However, sometimes the goal may not be quite obvious or the player must find it. For example, in Minecraft, users decide what to do and what to achieve on their own.
Plan Your Levels
Level planning is the first, most important, and key step in creating really interesting game levels. You can be tempted to start randomly placing game assets, rooms, enemies, which are contained in a large assortment in the built-in libraries of all game engines. Or you can first think about what will make the game interesting for the players, make them continue to play, what story will attract their attention, and so on. It is worthwhile to arrange objects intelligently in the game environment. Create unexpected twists and turns of events for players that will surprise them.
Think about where the player should go and how he can get there. Is there an alternative way to get there? What options can you offer the player? Ask yourself as many questions as possible and the answers to them will help you decide on the design of the levels. With a ready-made plan, you can move on to creating a level directly in the game engine.
Guide the Player
How can players guess about passing a level? It is one of the main questions you should ask yourself when developing a game. Good level design will guide the player, but should not immediately answer all questions. The player must think that he makes decisions and what will happen entirely depends on his choice. At the same time, the levels should not be too difficult because many players quickly get tired and stop playing. If a player cannot complete a long and difficult task more than 5 times, this is a sign that something is wrong with your game.
In order to guide the player on the right path, you need to make non-obvious hints and the player gets the impression that he made the decision himself. For example, you can highlight the road and the player will understand where to go. You can create attractive and unusual lighting in the game world or create some kind of interesting event that encourages the player to take action. For example, it would be a great solution to create a large old house in the middle of the forest that will not go unnoticed. The chances of the player wanting to investigate such an object are very high. This approach to game development increases the interest of the player and is clearly better than giving direct instructions on where to go and what to do.
Reward Players
If one of the levels in your game is difficult, it is very important to reward the player so that they can be praised for their efforts. These can be supplies, ammo, or new weapons. These levels can be filled with enemies, challenging combat, or a complete exploration of the game room, which takes time and tires players. Most hardcore gamers love to replay levels and explore their territory as much as possible, making sure not to miss anything. So don’t disappoint and reward them. One example of a successful reward for players is Halo, where skulls are carefully hidden in each level that can unlock some of the player’s abilities. Each of these skulls is incredibly difficult to find, but this approach increases the replay factor of the levels since the player knows about the hidden reward in advance.
Diversify the Game World
One of the key points when developing a game is to diversify the game rooms and details such as buildings, furniture, trees, and so on. If a player sees the same detail in different places, he will not be interested in playing. Think over different scenarios and create events that change the course of the game. You can create one building with four different sides and a specific set of textures. Thus, without repeating, you will be able to show the same building at different levels, which will look different. The technical capabilities of games are constantly growing, so do not be lazy to introduce more interesting details, diversify assets, and show players new game environments with beautiful designs.
Do not forget that the attractiveness of the game picture is a very important aspect that significantly affects the evaluation of the game. Every room, house, or. playground should be carefully crafted to add as much appeal as possible. Not only the first impression of the player is important, but also the maintenance of his interest throughout the game. Take care of this.
Test Levels
It may seem to you that everything in your game is perfect. But in order to fairly evaluate the created project, you need the opinion of many people. One point of view does not guarantee the success of the game, so you should hire game testers or open a beta test that will show statistics. It may seem to you that the game has enough special effects and each level creates a positive impression on the player. At the same time, other people may have a different opinion about the game. Let different people explore your game, but don’t give them any clues. You know the nook and cranny of every level, so invite other people who have nothing to do with your game to play it. Record and eliminate any difficulties encountered during the testing process. Are there too few enemies in the room? Or a lot? Or is it difficult for the player to understand where to go? This is the best way to know if your level is performing as intended.
Conclusion
These stages seem simple and perhaps too obvious, but in reality, they are difficult to add to the game. You need to think about how to surprise the player, be in his place, and come up with something new. Pay close attention to the games that many people like and ask yourself “Why?”. What makes these games as good as you can get? We hope the above tips are helpful to you and help in the development of your game.
