An Architectural Approach to Level Design

CHAPTER 5

Introducing Emotional Level Design through Survival Instincts

This all seemed a little dangerous. The world was not to be trusted. It was unstable, and it seemed to Thomas that it could let him down at any moment.

—THOMAS WAS ALONE, MIKE BITHELL¹

The History of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why, and Where phases. For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question “How can we eat?” the second by the question “Why do we eat?” and the third by the question “Where shall we have lunch?”

—THE RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE, DOUGLAS ADAMS²

WE HAVE ALREADY EXPLORED historic types of ...