Level design tips by Hume2

Things to avoid

Full resolution

Other things to avoid:

• All tiles should really tile.
• Use mainly the terrain blocks. Don't build levels mainly of the crappy blocks such as wood, boxes etc..
• Use floor and celinig where appropriate. The only type of levels those don't have to have neither floor or ceiling are sky levels.
• Always put solid blocks on solid layers. The only exception where you can use solid blocks on foreground is secret areas.
• Tilemaps those hide a secret area should be limited to the secret area and shouldn't be all over the sector.
• Tilemaps those contain just several blocks in a small area should be limited to that area.
• Get rid of putting large text made of blocks. Put them into info blocks instead.

Holes

Possible jumps with default gravity. First column is without running, secound is with running.

• V: Possible
• ?: Possible, but hard
• X: Impossible

height/width	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
+5	XV	XV	XV	XV	XV	X?	X?	X?	XX	XX	XX	XX	XX	XX	XX
+4	VV	VV	VV	VV	XV	XV	XV	XV	XV	X?	XX	XX	XX	XX	XX
+3	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	?V	XV	XV	XV	X?	X?	XX	XX	XX	XX
+2	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	XV	XV	X?	X?	XX	XX	XX
+1	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	?V	XV	XV	X?	XX	XX	XX
0	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	XV	XV	XV	X?	XX	XX
-1	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	XV	XV	XV	XX	XX
-2	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	XV	XV	XV	X?	XX
-3	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	XV	XV	XV	XX
-4	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	XV	XV	XV	X?
-5	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	VV	?V	XV	XV	XV

Background

• When the holes are trough the floor (or a ceiling in an indoor level), it should be filled by the corresponding background tiles.
• Interiours should be filled by background tiles too.
• Use paralax background tiles when possible.
• Or use more background layers at least. The transparent-up.png is your friend.

Sector properties

• I advertize to make sectors at least 36 blocks high. A level that scroll upwards and downwards too looks much better.

difficulty/length	Short	Medium	Long
Easy	Crap!	That was weak.	Boring!
Medium	Next level!	Fun (?)	Challenge
Hard	Frusturating	Challenge	Rage quit!

Note: This is not exact. Both the lengths and the difficulties are subjective. Younger players tend to see the levels as longer, older players see the levels as shorter. For newbies the levels are harder, while the same level can be easy for an advanced player. These feelings are also affected by other factors, such as how the level looks like.