An Architectural Approach to Level Design

W. Chiu's assessment, that "The book reads like an extended graduate thesis on level design", is a good description of this book. This is both its strength and its weakness.On the plus side, there are lots of great ideas discussed. These are backed up with plenty of examples from actual games, including some fairly recent releases (for a 2014 publication). The references are many and most of them are great sources of additional information, especially if you want to further research a particular topic.On the minus side, there is not a lot of connection between concept and execution. There is very little "how to" info here. The mechanics of applying the ideas to working game content are left to your imagination and your personal engineering skills. Also on the minus side, the general tone of the book is just barely on the bearable side of the line between readable and insufferably academic. There are several passages where 100 words were used to say something that could have been conveyed effectively with 20 words. In the style of many educators and lecturers, nearly every point was introduced, made, remade, and then summarized. As a training tool, this can be very effective or very tiresome. Also, there were at least half a dozen grammar gaffs that slipped by the copy editors. That is probably forgivable, however, in a 400+ page book.Overall, this still a valuable and recommended addition to the library of any level designer, environmental artist or even game producer striving for delivering great game content. If you can wade through the heavy passages, you might find your whole perspective on level design has been expanded. If you combine the ideas and concepts in this book with the techniques from other more practical guides, such as Alex Galuzin's "Preproduction Blueprint: How to Plan Game Environments and Level Designs" (and plenty of hands on practice), you will probably create some truly amazing game spaces.

Almost done reading it. I bought it after watching a GDC session that referenced it as inspiration in several level design challenges. I can see why they liked it. It doesn’t have as many visuals as I thought it would, a fair amount of text, but lots of gems and good advice. I will be able to apply what I learned, already thinking about how. Recommended.

Haven't read it completely yet, but based on the structure and the content it's going to touch on, I can say it will be a very excellent book. I think it's easily accessible to people who make games as well as people who have a passing interest in level design.

I used this book as the foundation for the course on spatial and temporal design that I teach at Northeastern University. The author has created a book that delivers a solid foundation in applying architectural theory to many aspects of game and level design.

As a Game Design Professor at Touro College, this is an invaluable and timely book just for the illustrations alone. This works as a supplemental text for my graduate students and I am sharing it with many colleagues in the gaming industry.

As a former architect, i think this is a brilliant piece of documentation further cementing the connections between real and digital spatial experiences.

I liked it. It was an ok book. Now I am just trying to fill the word count. Apple Jacks

This book offers a broad perspective for anyone who wants create interactive content. It's examples are from real world architecture as well as video games. I had lots of fun reading it.

I'm half-way through and loving this book so far. This book is great for either aspiring level designers and LDs working in the industry. Whether you're a junior or a senior, it's always a good thing to take a step back from production once in a while and go back to theory. We often forget little details that in the end is what makes a great level/game.

I was writing an essay based on spatial experience in landscape architecture and level design.This book is covers a full body of info for any non-level designers to understand the principles and elements to design a good level for a game. The structure of this essay helps to quickly access to any info if you are running out of time on essays or you are just missing tiny bits of info.Further readings and references are right at the back of the chapter so if you need any further info they are there for you.My only problem with this book is that it is only taking architecture as an approach. Although there is a lot of overlapping across the design principles with landscape architecture, I think spatial experiences in virtual reality games can also be included in the contents.Overall no doubt this is book is a well written, and the scope of study is nuanced. Lovely book! Worth that price!

Très bien

This is useless to me as text to speech does not work.

Decent