How to Design Great Metroidvania Levels | Game Design 

Make sure to wishlist Dewdrop Dynasty on Steam. I dare you! store.steampowered.com/app/1444080/Dewdrop_Dynasty/

I also think it's important to think about how the player's future abilities will work in each area. It's so satisfying to revisit an area with your new tricks and fly through everything in a matter of seconds.

Funfact: there is actually a "cheese mine". In Austria, near the city Weiz (Styria), there is a place where they make cheese in an abandoned silver mine, because of the constant temperature in the shafts. And they call it Mine Cheese

dewdrop dynasty maker confirmed??

My tip is harder to do for 2d games, but not impossible, but works really well for 3d games. Each level (really each room) should have a focal point. Something noticeable, large, flashy, or interesting where the player can orient themselves around and remember if you come back to it later. It really helps to create the flow of the map if you are focusing on a point, or three.

I am making a metroidvania game mixed with a rougelite style game and this honestly helped me get unstuck!! thanks!! (also cant wait for dewdrop dynasty to be done!!!!!)

I started watching your videos a few days ago. Really cool content man! Your story is really inspiring! We are about the same age and we have pretty much the same background story! :D Is Godot your weapon of choice in the end? Btw, please, don't give up anymore! I believe in you!

Thank you so much for this video, it'll be helpful for when I make a metroidvania. I feel like this could also apply to other genres like rpgs.

This has been the best video on this matter I've so far come across, and the best resource in general. Thanks so much!

Thank you for the tips! I've been stalling my own world building but I'm feeling motivated now. I really like the idea of creating the map layout first.

this video actually helped me with a small breakthrough of my own! loved the way you explained it, really smart view :)

i really liked the video, really informative about level design! what i was most excited about was the game footage in the background with it's new things, really exciting! :D

Thanks so much! I have been trying to find a video like this for weeks! I have got to the point where I think I am ready for level design but whenever I opened up my game I didn't know where to start. You definetly earned a sub! Thanks so much!

I've been learning and researching game developing since 2014 as well as making my own little games. And level design has been something I've never fully understood, even if I was making mostly platforming games. And after so long, I want to say that this video was the most helpful advice I've ever seen in the matter. And I finally feel actually motivated to make levels. I feel like something finally clicked. Maybe it's how you presented your thought process and maybe we try to rationalize stuff similarly, but anyway I'm glad you made this. Thank you.

Great video! The tip about creating your worldmap before each room is so obvious, I don't know why I didn't think of it myself. I'm currently developing a platformer, but I'm definitely gonna keep that in mind when I'm working on my areas.

Im working on a project and i got stuck on how im going to build the map. your skeletal description/tip, gave me the much needed breakthrough, thank you so much for this!

This game keeps looking better and better! I've gotta say, your videos are really inspiring, especially for someone who's trying to make a metroidvania-type game as well. I'm really excited to play Dewdrop, keep up the good work!

Brand new to the indie game dev dream and platform levels are by far way harder than I ever thought they’d be, love these videos they are such a great help and inspiration.

Thank you! This is exactly the type of thing I was looking for: a digestible breakdown on how to approach level design (w/ visuals and examples). :D It makes things a lot less daunting. So, between this and a post on a website I found, I should be able to tackle level design with a bit more confidence ^_^

Brilliant video! It's been a while since I've properly done any level design so seeing your approach is great.

Nice video man, haven't watched your videos in a while, they still are amazing haha!

I will be needing this for when I make my metroidvania game. Thank you!

this was so awesome thank you!! I AM SO EXCITED TO PLAY

My goodness, Dewdrop looks incredible! I can't wait to hear more about the music, considering I've never really heard it before. Good luck on your project, mate!

Just the topic i was looking for! Great video, I always struggle with level design

I never thought to map down the shapes of the rooms and where their doors were first THEN add in puzzles / hazards. I tried to draw the room THEN add elements and THEN draw the next room. This was super helpful and useful for more than just Metroidvania level design! Thank you for making this!

I just started a game and I know level design will play a huge part in how fun it is, so thanks for the tips!

Love the idea of blocking out all the rooms in rough form first, then laying out all items so you can see the critical path. Super helpful. Keep it up!!

Amazing video, I just discovered your channel and I wish you the best because is really informative and entertaining, keep it up!

Amazing to see how much your channel has grown over the past year. Keep up the great work! :D

Super useful, and just what I needed for my own game. Thank you :)

This is so helpful, thank you!

I learned a lot from this video. Thanks for sharing your experience. It helps me out a lot. Your game looks awesome.

Well, I'd say this is "How to efficiently make Metroidvania levels", this is "good" at best, far from making "great" level design. (Though to be fair, many Metroidvania indies fails to achive this fundamental part, so this video still serves purposes.) A "Great" Metroidvania level would also consider how to let the player feel the sense of exploration without being completely stuck or lost, how to make back tracking feels fun, how to make tutorials feel nature in the enviroment, etc. The latest Metroid Dread feels really good in these regards, I originally thought that's because they kept blocking access to certain places at certain point, so it wouldn't be hard to keep track of the player position, situation and abilityies; until I realize this game was designed with sequences break in mind, and it hasn't been reported of "full with soft locks due to entering areas too early". All I want to say is, you have to make a follow-up to claim "How to Design Great Metroidvania Levels". You won't achieve Dread just by planning rooms ahead of times.

Very good video! I love these vids, they are super cool!

Greetings from Ecuador. I find your videos so inspiring. Thanks for making them. I've decided to learn to code in my 35's using Godot thanks to you.

i am currently working on a metroid vania myself and this was quite helpful! Thanks elf man

Level design even in general has always been very difficult for me, but this video has seriously opened my eyes to a lot of stuff :] Great work as always, my dude! B)

The game's looking really good, dude. Every time I watch one of your videos I get inspired to work on my own games again

When I was still contributing to the Metroidvania Game Jam, I did exactly this. Having the Map Laid out beforehand in an abstract way really sparks your imagination! We had a pretty bland level going on and wanted to introduce a Water Area. I decided to go with a Pipe System that runs below the facility that leads to a Tank where you fight a boss. Cool so I made a set of rooms below the lowest floor and saw we had a testing facility room near that. Ofc. it made so much sense all of a sudden. The boss escaped the testing facility room at some point (since it was a month long game jam game I had to design it with people in mind that don't have endless time of getting lost) after you obtained the upgrade. So the environment of showing that boss in his pseudo fishtank of sorts completely changed and in order to not flood the facility with acid you have to hunt it down. All of this wouldn't have been so effortless to come up with if I didn't have the Map beforehand.

Awesome stuff!! Pretty helpful for the game I’m making rn (an axolotl Metroidvania)

Bro, your literally SO helpful! You have *no* idea how much this helps! (I suck at level design)

This is such a usefull video! Thank for you view on level design and making this video.

This really helps me greatly @Goodgis

Really good tips! This is almost exactly what I'm doing for my metroidvania. I already know what connects were, what should be in this area vs that one, and what should the player need to get to this place. Now I just need to fill in the exact area layouts and then the exact room contents. Though I also plan where major stuff should be while doing the area outline. Since I made the dash ability missable at first, people might feel that the game is too slow if they go too far without it. So after marking about where the second ability should be, I left a mark on the map to create a road block that will force the player back to pick up dash. Alternatively I'll just force the player to get dash first, but I kinda don't want to. Playtesters will help me make that choice.

Great and useful video! Looking forward to the music video😁

I LOVE THIS!!! AND YOUR GAME LOOKS AWESOMEEEE 🔥

I've been wanting to make a Metroidvania of my own, and this is one of the biggest problems I've been having. Thanks for making this video!

I'm 31 and just starting out learning game dev. I feel so far behind as most people start in teens or earlier 20's , but damn I'm excited!

Excellent Video at a perfect time! Keep it up!

This really helped me!

Great ideas here, thanks!

Thanks for the tips - I will definitely use them in my game!

You inspire me all the time :)

Thanks for your advices!!!

Oooooh! I can't wait to watch this one!

This is amazing advice! I hope to one day make a metroidvania so this is very helpful! If fact I'm going to apply this to my main game, I'm not good at level design btw lol 😅

Looking forward to the next video in the series!

Yes! Dewdrop is back! I've waited so long. Can't wait till it comes out :D.

amazing work. Always inspiring.

My game isn't strictly a metroidvania, but the way it's laid out now, it is sort of a non-linear, but still directional set of connected areas, even if some are on different planets. I wrote down the key points of this video in a way that should be most relevant to my game and I hope that it helps. Level design is painfully difficult, but some of the stuff, mainly step 4, feels like it'll work very well. Thank you!

love the area name cheese mine.actualy working on a metrovania inspired game so this is very helpful

Oh my God it's insane how much the game has changed just in the time since this was uploaded

Great video! Also, iterate upon your levels and let your ideas change! Don't just build a level and forget about it - instead, chase after whatever makes the level feel fun.

Hi...very good tips...im developing "Crude"...and thats what i needed....thanks

Very cool video. Blind drop at 6:35 . I hope you don't die if you miss that platform.

Amazing video!

Thanks for the fantastic video

You are so underrated, great videos

Great video!

when im making maps for stuff like dungeons in my rpgs i usually think of the local environment, what purpose the map serves by being there, area progression and dungeon specific gimmiks

wow this video came out exactly at the right time, i'm making a 2d game and level design is the hardest part for me. thanks a lot

This video was great! I think you could add some more enemies to the Cheese Mine in order to make the area more interesting though. I have some suggestions for enemies If you can read them! 1. Miner Rat They're like the rat NPC you've shown in the video except they have a cute little helmet that covers their head and eyes. If you get close, they'll do a spinning attack where they hit you with their Pickaxe (they move really slow while spinning) You can kill them from the top (Pickaxe blocks bullets) 2. Flying Rats The Flying Rats are albino mice with mining gear. They leap in the air and start gliding towards the player. 3. Cheese Knights They're rats equipped with Knight armor, they protect the King of Rats. They have shields that can block bullets and are sturdier than other enemies, if the player approaches, they slash with their sword. 4. A Heroic Rat optional mini-boss The Heroic Rat rides a horse and wears heavy armor. (He has a Lance) For his first attack, he charges forwards horizontally with his horse. For his second attack, he does a short range thrust. And for his third attack he can have a diagonal dropping thrust similar to Hornet from Hollow Knight where he jumps off his horse and lunges. If it's not difficult to script, he could have his horse jump with him while he's charging to confuse the player sometimes. And in general for platforming and other stuff there could be mouse traps that stun the player, rats driving mining drills similar to the giant spiked bugs from Crystal Peak in HK and little mining elevators that move up and down

I'm making a game now about going through my brother's dreams/nightmares and recollecting his stuffed animals that will each have different abilities, and these tips might really help for making the game into a metroidvania (I'm still on the tutorial and implementing the stuffed animals)

Fantastic video :)

Super beautiful game wow!

Super interesting! :D

I just started making a Metroid vania this is so good

I want to see a Metroidvania game where you restore a planet by using electricity so it doesn’t blackout. Instead of killing enemies you charge them up with your gun to make progress on your mission. The world is super dark and you need a light source to guide you through the map. Bosses can be time trials challenges, if you don’t fully charge them in a given time they’ll shut down for a while before you can try again. I am against bloody violence in video games, I want to see someone to stand out in the crowd.

Really cool video, i know that is from 3 years ago but it's still really useful. Can you tell me the name of the tool to block out the world for world design?

I NEED this

Cool video. If you have time, I'd love to see something in-depth of how you've blocked out your "rooms" for the game in Godot Editor.

You should map the emotions for each section of the map too. It is important to alternate between feeling save, scare, happy, curious, etc.

I am not an artist so I have to find free or paid art assets. I found art assets I love but it’s for a this style of game. I haven’t play a lot of these types of games, so thank you for this! It helps a lot!

This will help me on my dream game thx

Great video! What program are you using to drag around the minimap segments and such? Godot?

Awesome tips, although I think I've been working out of order (first developing the character and skills, and then making the "skeleton" of the map).

Hey man, I love your videos. I´m making a metroidvania game aswell with a team and I´ll like to know what software you use to organize and make your maps

Wishlisted! But you really need a trailer!

Hollow Knight: it’s raining in city of tears because it’s under a lake. Dew Drop Dynasty: dirt is now cheese.

Something i liked better in older metroidvanias was the lack of hard blocks to an area. Like Norfair in the video, you could get there before you had all the right equipment, byt you would probably die from the heat. You got the feeling of "maybe i can make it trough to the next colder area if i run and jump fast enough". Or maybe i can make that jump in the water area even if don't have the right suit.

Have you watched the boss keys series of let's talk game design? The super metroid episode has excellent tips on how to prevent the player from being overwhelmed.

4:50 what tool were you using for these layouts? Looks very useful...

i agree with you man, designing and making a level is so hard...

This is super helpful. Now I just have to learn how to develop the game itself. I'm so illiterate when it comes to these. I've got two full games all mapped out in my head.

My approach to level/world design is much more itterative. I almost never draft a map or timeline from the start. Due to how little i will know, i rather start somewhere and let it develop depending on what feels right or that fit into level design ideas i want to explore or principles i want to follow. But, drafting the map and establishing a timeline is important, but something you'd do many times. If you work throught this process linearly you tend to get very boring or generic feeling level design. Making good level design is in part about making connections between different elements of the gameplay or depending on other spaces you have or are planning to make. In short the process is very dynamic/organic and not linear. You will always have better ideas of how to design an area/level later on, and its a lot of back and forth. But definetely these are really good tips. Especially how you should know and be able to test with and use the mechanics that are part of the level/area. Especially when they are about the movement or secound to secound gameplay.

It's only now that I understand why I loved Call of Duty zombies Easter eggs They play out exactly like a metroidvania level. You have to do something or get something before you can get to the next thing. But that thing also is useful for gameplay. My gosh I wish more games did this. (And made actually challenging games as well)

Great video Goodgis! It has really inspired me to create a more in-depth 2D game. Quick question, what is the software used at 06:07?

May i ask, on 0:26 you show how you divide and design your levels, is that inside unity? or you use another program to do that. Because i want to do it like you, to organize myself better

Dewdrop dynasty is looking amazing! Also is there somewhere I can find the background music in this video?