Inspirational Insight into ingenious Ideas

Hi there, I’m forced to write here glad to be with you again.

Sooner or later, a level designer might encounter the problem of not having any good ideas. Don’t fear, this happens to all of us. In this case, look for something inspiring.

This might be an ingenious art book, some stylish pictures you may find by googling around or simply a walk through the town or the park or whatever you live or work nearby. If all that doesn’t help there is no hope for you, sketch out something you remember fondly (or not so fondly). Remember your childhood. Or your last holidays. Or your most recent visit to grandma. Something like that (it all depends on the theme you’re working on, though – your grandma won’t help you when designing levels for the next Doom, you know…).

Well, search for inspiration anywhere, even in games you like – but, please, do not copy things. Simply don’t do it. 90% of the games you’re playing are doing exactly that. 90% of the people I’m working with are exactly doing that. And it’s just cheap.

So, that’s it. Use your imagination. Your own. (Truth to be told: I just read this for the third time, and only now I realise that it’s not “You own”, which motivated me, but rather “Your own”, which destroys your self-esteem. Sorry, readers. But you read this blog, so you DO own! And rock! And… so on. – E)

Bye,

-T