The Level Design Podcast covers the mysteries behind the craft and design of games.
In this episode, we talk about our own game, Harvest Hunt! We cover level design, art and the roguelite elements of the game. You can follow us on X/Twitter @levedesignfm The music for this episode is by the amazing James Elsey @jameselseymusic.bsky.social You can follow the rest of the team on Bluesky: Mark Drew: @markdrew.bsky.social Valentina Chrysostomou: @valentinachrys.bsky.social Uriel Cordas: @urielcordas.bsky.social If you have ideas for who we should interview or topics we should cover, get in touch via email on show@leveldesign.fm
In this episode we talk to Jack Chapman about getting into the Industry, mental health and what escape routes we can all have to make space for our mind. Follow our antics on Twitter @leveldesignfm and let us know what you liked the most about the podcast! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) and Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys). This has been a CMD:Studio (@cmdstudiogames) production. Our editor is Vyt Vaisvilaite and our theme tune is by James Elsey (@JamesElseyMusic).
Sable, the debut title from Shedworks is without a doubt one of the most stunning experiences among recent indie releases. We spoke to Shedworks' Creative Director Gregorios Kythreotis (@ShedworksGreg) to learn more about their development process. From inspirations and influences to flexibility and limitations, we tackle all aspects of creating an unforgettable experience for the player. There's a lot to unpack no matter whether you are a veteran developer or just getting ready to release your first title. Get ready for GDC 2022 and don't miss Greg's talk on the Art of Sable: https://schedule.gdconf.com/session/the-art-of-sable-imperfection-limitation-and-worldbuilding-through-visual-design/884839 Follow our antics on Twitter @leveldesignfm and let us know what you liked the most about Sable! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) and Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys). This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever (@matthewlever), our producer is Anna Tumurova (@ATumurova), and our theme tune is by James Elsey (@JamesElseyMusic).
From Thief mods to the award-winning work on Dishonored and Deathloop, we join Dana Nightingale (@DanaENight), the Campaign Director at Arkane Lyon, as she breaks down her career in level and campaign design. We delve deep into problems and solutions that developers face during the process and analyse various Deathloop, Dishonored, and other games' examples through the prism of Dana's experience. Get ready for GDC 2022 and don't miss Dana's talk on User Experience: https://schedule.gdconf.com/session/ux-summit-deathloops-user-research-and-user-experience-death-loop/884834 Follow our antics on Twitter @leveldesignfm! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew), Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever (@matthewlever), our producer is Anna Tumurova (@ATumurova), and our theme tune is by James Elsey (@JamesElseyMusic).
Join us as we speak to Rob Dwiar (@RobDwiar) about such an integral part of many games as landscape design. With extensive experience in real-life landscape design and horticulture, Rob analyses different game environments highlighting some great (and not so great) practices of creating not just a beautiful landscape but one that looks natural and organic. Check out and support Rob's stunning book project Genius Loci on Unbound! Do you have a game that particularly catches your attention with its setting? Let us know on Twitter @leveldesignfm! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew), Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), and Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys). This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever (@matthewlever), our producer is Anna Tumurova (@ATumurova), and our theme tune is by James Elsey (@JamesElseyMusic).
Join us as we walk down the memory lane of all things 2021 and share our plans and hopes for the New Year. Leave a comment with your take on what we should all be looking for in 2022. You can follow our antics over on Twitter and comment with your take on what we should all be looking for in 2022. Check out @leveldesignfm! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew), Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan). This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever (@matthewlever), our producer is Anna Tumurova (@ATumurova), and our theme tune is by James Elsey (@JamesElseyMusic).
In this episode we have a chat to Oli Curtis (@fragleveldesign) on level design, HAMMER and Source and Postal as well as Black Mesa You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever and our theme tune is by James Elsey @JamesElseyMusic
In this episode we invite Max Pears (@maxpears) back to finally talk about Cyberpunk 2077 and his new book! Let's Design: Exploration! You can check out Max's book here: Physical books - https://bit.ly/3tsgQtO Digital - https://bit.ly/39BakJD He also happens to be the host of the great Level Design Lobby Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/03OTDRAPsAiocSLCTEiXBn You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever.
In this episode we have the great pleasure to talk to Gabby Llanillo (@gabs820) from Naughty Dog about all things QA and Dev Support at Naughty Dog. You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we sit down with Level Design guru and teacher at the The Game Assembly: Tommy Norberg! Join us as we dive into their work Brothers: A Tale of Two sons and Just Cause 2 as well as Level Design techniques! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm! Works and Topics we covered in this episode!: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Just Cause 2 Syndicate https://twitter.com/the_Norberg https://www.tommynorberg.com/ Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we sit down with Dev advocate at Google Cloud Mark Mandel to talk multiplayer engines and more! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm! Works and Topics we covered in this episode!: GDC - Online Game Tech Summit Agones https://agones.dev/site/ Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we sit down with Senior Lighting Artist at the Chinese Room Ellen Shelley to talk Man of Medan, Blood & Truth as well as more! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm! Works and Games we covered in this episode!: Man of Medan Blood & Truth Shotdeck https://shotdeck.com/ Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we're back with Steve Gaynor once again this time to dive further into some of our all time favourite level design and more! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we sit down with Co - Founder at Fullbright, Director and Writer Steve Gaynor to talk Gone Home, Tacoma, F.E.A.R and more! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm! Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we sit down with Director at Ground Shatter Games James Parker to discuss their latest title Fights in Tight Spaces and more! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm! Works and Games we covered in this episode!: Fights in Tight Spaces: https://www.fightsintightspaces.com/ Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we shine the spotlight this time on our very own co-host and Level Designer at The Chinese Room, Rob McLachlan to talk Silent Hill, Little Orpheus and more! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Works and Games we covered in this episode!: Little Orpheus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avGJU2hvVeA Silent Hill: Shattered Memories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42FF9ismMWY Silent Hill Origins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8kJgT3fldk Ghost Rider https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjTzdlAnfiU Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we sit down with Level Designer Mette Andersen to discuss their work on the infamous IOI Hitman Series and get to know Agent 47 a little better! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we sit down with Lead Level Designer Steve Lee to discuss their work on Bioshock Infinite, Dishonored 2, John Wick and more! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Works and Games we covered in this episode!: An Approach to Holistic Level Design https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpOoTAVeEcU Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we sit down to discuss our gaming and episode highlights during what was the strangest year we've ever experienced, what lies ahead for the Level Design Podcast team and more! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Works and Games we covered in this episode!: Works EGX Digital 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvOJMSW8I1E Thoughts Blog https://valentinachrys.wixsite.com/thoughts Games The Night Fisherman https://farfewgiants.itch.io/night-fisherman The Solitaire Conspiracy https://store.steampowered.com/app/1424980/The_Solitaire_Conspiracy/ The Pathless https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/games/the-pathless/ Spiritfarer https://thunderlotusgames.com/spiritfarer/ Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode we sit down with the author behind An Architectural Approach to Level Design, Game Designer Chris Totten (@Totter87) to discuss their latest works, teaching level design and more! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Works and Games we covered in this episode!: Written works An Architectural Approach to Level Design https://www.amazon.co.uk/Architectural-Approach-Level-Design/dp/1466585412 Level Design: Processes and Experiences https://www.amazon.co.uk/Level-Design-Experiences-Christopher-Totten/dp/1498745059 Recommended works Pattern Language for Game Design - Christopher Barney https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pattern-Language-Game-Design Latest Projects La Mancha https://www.pfbstudios.com/games/la-mancha/ Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends https://www.pfbstudios.com/games/little-nemo/ Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by Ash Rose (@Fake_Anime_Geek).
In this episode, Mark Drew (CMD:Studio) , Valentina Chrysostomou (CMD:Studio) and Rob McLachlan (The Chinese Room) block out some time to chat with Naughty Dog's Game Designer Michael Barclay (@motleygrue), the man behind the #blocktober community! See more at @blocktoberld You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever.
In this episode, Mark Drew (CMD:Studio) , Valentina Chrysostomou (CMD:Studio) and Rob McLachlan (The Chinese Room) put the spotlight onto one of our very own: Jonathon Wilson from Hangar 13! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by the awesome Ash Rose (@FakeAnimeGeek).
In this episode, Mark Drew (CMD:Studio) , Valentina Chrysostomou (CMD:Studio) , Jonathon Wilson (Hangar 13) and Rob McLachlan (The Chinese Room) return with a sneaky second Halloween episode! We talk about the east vs west differences in horror games, 90’s films and games. Show Notes: Dread X Collection: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1296510/Dread_X_Collection/ Creating Horror through Level Design https://jaredemitchell.com/articles/creating-horror-through-level-design/ You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by the awesome Ash Rose (@FakeAnimeGeek).
In this episode, Mark Drew (CMD:Studio) , Valentina Chrysostomou (CMD:Studio) , Jonathon Wilson (Hangar 13) and Rob McLachlan (The Chinese Room) delve deep into all things scary in games! We go over what was the first game that scared us and trends in remaking horror games. You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by the awesome Ash Rose (@FakeAnimeGeek).
In this episode we sit down with the creator of the AI and Games YouTube Documentary channel, Dr Tommy Thompson (https://twitter.com/get_tuda_choppa). We take a look at how AI plays a role in some of your favourite titles, discuss alien tails and more! Want to learn more about AI and Games? Take a look right here!: https://www.youtube.com/c/AIGamesSeries and https://www.aiandgames.com/ Some of the talks we chatted about on the episode: - Alen Ladavac - Taking CI and automated testing seriously - WebCamp Zagreb 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGIvWT-NBHk&ab_channel=WebCampZagreb - The AI of Alien: Isolation | AI and Games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt1XmiDwxhY&ab_channel=AIandGames Thank you to all our listeners and supporters! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever @matthewlever. This episode was produced by the awesome Ash Rose (@FakeAnimeGeek).
In this episode we share the secrets of Level Design in our latest panel at EGX Digital 2020! Join us as we start to unravel the world of Level Design! Thank you to all our listeners and supporters! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever . This episode was produced by the awesome Ash Rose (@FakeAnimeGeek).
In this episode we chat with the fantastic Steve Streeting about Unreal, Open source and more! Thank you to all our listeners and supporters! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever . This episode was produced by the awesome Bridie Rose (@FakeAnimeGeek).
In this episode we chat with Media Molecule's Principal Designer Peter Field and discuss Dreams PS4, The Last of Us and more! Thank you to all our listeners and supporters! You can follow our antics over on Twitter. Check out @leveldesignfm Presented by Mark Drew (@markdrew) , Jonathon Wilson (@omnislash92), Valentina Chrysostomou (@ValentinaChrys) and Rob McLachlan (@RMMcLachlan) This has been a CMD:Studio production. Our editor is Matthew Lever . This episode was produced by the awesome Bridie Rose (@FakeAnimeGeek).
In this episode we get the team together to chat with the lovely Max Pears, Level Designer at CD Projekt Red. We delve into his previous work on The Division, what it takes to park a car correctly and more importantly his new book called "Let's Design: Combat!" You can grab a copy of the book here: Ebook - https://bit.ly/2WvrTUR Physical Book - https://bit.ly/3fBQ2k9
Mark Drew sat down with Rich Metson at last year's Develop to discuss their latest project / game Off Grid, hacking and more in this special one-on-one interview!
Join us and special guest Konstantinos Dimopoulos as we explore virtual cities, what it means to be a game urbanist in the world of Level Design and more!
Join us as we discuss Rainbow six siege, Wolfenstein and more with very special guest Lead Level Design at Machine Games, Mitja Roskaric!
Last year we were lucky enough to grab a quick chat with Concept Artist / Illustrator and Senior Artist at DR Studios, Amanda Blatch! Join Mark Drew and Jonathon Wilson in this special interview as we discuss all the moving parts of game design and more!
We've got a full house of hosts and are joined by the fantastic Level Designer of RDR2, Dead End Job and more, Valentina Chrysostomou! Join us as we explore the plains of the wild west and more in this very special episode!
Mark Drew sat down one on one with the Creator of Bears Can't Drift, and now Tech Artist at Epic Games, Arran Langmead to discuss everything from chairs, to corridors, and even Hello Kitty guns!
Senior Level Designer at MachineGames and a true mentor of Level design all round Julius-Cosmo Oniscu joins us as we discuss WatchDogs, becoming a Level Designer and more!
A little throwback to when Mark Drew managed to have a quick chat with Pete Bottomley of White Paper Games at Develop 2019 to deep dive into The Occupation and Ether One!
Join Mark Drew and Jonathon Wilson as they discuss the worlds of Alien Isolation, Stories Untold and Observation with special guest Jon McKellan from NoCode!
Join Mark Drew alongside Jonathon Wilson (Hangar13) and Rob McLachlan (The Chinese Room) as they delve into their gaming highlights of 2019!
Join Mark Drew as he sits down to discuss the 2D world of Siege and the Sandfox with Cardboard Sword Design Director, Chris Wilson!
This year we held a Level Design Mysteries Panel at the EGX Theatre and were fortunate enough to be asked a few questions from our audience! Join Mark Drew with guests Claire Morley, Jonathon Wilson & Rob McLachlan as they give their answers and insights!
Join our host Mark Drew and renowned voice actor Jay Britton as they discuss Level Design across wide range of titles including Prey, Dark Souls, Bioshock and more!
Join our host Mark Drew in this exclusive 1 on 1 interview with Freelance 3D artist, Jamie Degen as they discuss his latest gaming venture, Hellscreen!
In this week's episode we're joined by special guest, Video Game Designer/Product Manager - Chris Filip! We take a look at their career to date - including Game Anglia, a little about WatchDogs 2 and more!
In this episode we sit down and talk with Paul Ehreth, Control’s Lead Designer at Remedy! Join us as we discuss and discover the secrets behind the design of The Oldest House.
In this edition of the Level Design Podcast we chat to Juju Adams about procedural generation and Hyper Light Drifter. Hyper Light Drifter Swords of Ditto Rivals of Aether Game Maker Studio Battle Toads The Art of Journey
In this episode Jonathon Wilson (Hangar 13) and Mark Drew (CMDGames) bring back Rob McLachan (The Chinese Room) to talk about the questions that are burning up the Level Design Community. We also provide advice for students and a reading list of great books.
Level Design Podcast Episode 2 In this episode we bring back Claire Morley (Three Fold Games) and Jonathon Wilson (Pocket Money Games) to answer the questions we ran out of time at the panel.
In this first of a series of podcasts on level design we present a live panel at this year's EGX Rezzed Games Convention in London's Tobacco Dock as part of the Fringe Theatre sessions. We discuss the mastery and mysteries behind the choices level designers make and how those influence the player, how they guide them and in the end, how they improve the overall gameplay. The panel consists Steve Lee (Bioshock Infinite and Dishonored 2), Claire Morley ( Before I Forget) , Rob McLachlan (Silent Hill: Origins, SH: Shattered Memories, Winter Hall and now at The Chinese Room) and Jonathon Wilson (Shu, Augmented Empire, They Suspect Nothing and Dimension Hunter 2) and is moderated by Mark Drew (CMD Studio).
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