# Recommended talks

Below, we recommend level design talks that are: (1) from experienced designers, (2) aimed at other level designers, (3) free to access.

{% hint style="info" %}
*If it's not here, that doesn't mean it's bad. For example, GDC paywalls talks for 2 years, so many recent talks aren't here.*
{% endhint %}

Talks are grouped by topic, more recent at the top. ⭐ = especially influential / famous

* [**General level design talks**](#general-level-design-linear-design-talks)
* [**Combat / encounter design talks**](#combat-encounter-design-talks)
* [**Non-linear / sandbox / open world design talks**](#non-linear-sandbox-open-world-design-talks)

## General level design talks

     *see also:* [*How to make a level*](/process/overview.md)

<table data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th width="296">Talk Name</th><th width="74">Year</th><th width="288">Talk Description</th><th width="260" data-type="files">Slides PDF</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Designing the Museum Flashback: 'The Last of Us Part II'</strong> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vQ_HGUtZmk">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1027964/Level-Design-Summit-Designing-the">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2022</td><td>by Evan Hill; <a href="/pages/-LtwhzZxQ3uJvtpgU6_Z">storytelling</a> and <a href="/pages/-MaDkqBpi_UPYnkXsToW">pacing</a> for a walking sim level, and an overview of the level production process at Naughty Dog.</td><td><a href="/files/mWPyd65jRdsB3LT4MlSi">/files/mWPyd65jRdsB3LT4MlSi</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Just Me &#x26; My Pitch: The Confused Art of Showing a Layout</strong> (<a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1027998/Level-Design-Summit-Just-Me">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2022</td><td>by Simon-Albert Boudreault; abstract production process theory for iterating on <a href="/pages/-LtWYFZekhJoJoJ3_Rwm">layouts</a>, how to run a design meeting.</td><td><a href="/files/XQSQP9bAHlpOhBT5OWG7">/files/XQSQP9bAHlpOhBT5OWG7</a></td></tr><tr><td>⭐ <strong>Modular Level Design of Fallout 4</strong> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBAM27YbKZg">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1023202/-Fallout-4-s-Modular">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2016</td><td>by Joel Burgess and Nathan Purkeypile; an authoritative primer to <a href="/pages/-MbP9SbwNv97GeIR1F3I">modular kit design</a>, essential for environment artists.</td><td><a href="/files/KymiPFnaomF5TCqpUl08">/files/KymiPFnaomF5TCqpUl08</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Wayfinding and Storytelling</strong> (<a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1022117/Level-Design-in-a-Day">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2015</td><td>by Brendon Chung; <a href="/pages/-MM-2684-LFUOiIoPXiI">wayfinding</a> and <a href="/pages/-LtwhzZxQ3uJvtpgU6_Z">storytelling</a>, but maybe more about <a href="/pages/-M-8iuzOF6sPB4lw6CSN">flow</a>. Lots of videos, slides not recommended.</td><td><a href="/files/RBZZtihMfM9kxUd8rjOv">/files/RBZZtihMfM9kxUd8rjOv</a></td></tr><tr><td>⭐ <strong>Everything I Learned About Level Design I Learned from Disneyland</strong> (<a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1305/Everything-I-Learned-About-Level">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2009</td><td>by Scott Rogers; the original theme park level design talk. Despite its influence, we disagree with much of it, see: <a href="/pages/-MM-3VGw4GDgu7cGofA_">Disneyland</a>.</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Combat / encounter design talks

&#x20;    *see also:* [*Combat*](/process/combat.md)

<table data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th width="288">Talk Name</th><th width="71">Year</th><th width="288">Talk Description</th><th width="260" data-type="files">Slides PDF</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Creating Conflict: Combat Design for AAA Action Games</strong> (<a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1023860/Creating-Conflict-Combat-Design-for">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2016</td><td>by Michael Barclay, Pete Ellis, Sam Howels; three talks on combat <a href="/pages/-MaDkqBpi_UPYnkXsToW">pacing</a>, <a href="/pages/-LtWYJ1qJe0sar54n7eb">encounter design</a>, and open world combat.</td><td><a href="/files/W3cpJFzUSb8eIUlwMPc6">/files/W3cpJFzUSb8eIUlwMPc6</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Community Level Design for Competitive CS:GO</strong> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocqmuBq4Ts4">YouTube (2014)</a>, <a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1021868/Community-Level-Design-for-Competitive">GDC Vault</a>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/GDC2015Garozzo">Archive.org</a>)</td><td>2015</td><td>by Shawn "FMPONE" Snelling and Sal "Volcano" Garozzo; sightlines and readability in PvP maps for Counter-Strike.</td><td><a href="/files/q1VP6zTrmzuWQ1F8eZuI">/files/q1VP6zTrmzuWQ1F8eZuI</a></td></tr><tr><td>⭐ <strong>Design in Detail: Changing the Time Between Shots for the Sniper Rifle from 0.5 to 0.7 Seconds for Halo 3</strong> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YJ53skc-k4">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1012211/Design-in-Detail-Changing-the">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2010</td><td>by Jaime Griesemer; influential <a href="/pages/-Lxjrb0iUvI1u7Ej6CS6">balance</a> and tuning workflow talk, not directly about level design but still relevant to any combat game. See also: <a href="/pages/-MLpql1Y6qAAc4ZHVMmb">Chill Out</a>.</td><td><a href="/files/3yeWHuY4bUaR0DFajukv">/files/3yeWHuY4bUaR0DFajukv</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Non-linear / sandbox / open world design talks

<table data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th width="288">Talk Name</th><th width="71">Year</th><th width="288">Talk Description</th><th width="260" data-type="files">Slides PDF</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Designing Radically Non-Linear Single Player Levels</strong> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTBor4rhnQs">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1025883/Level-Design-Workshop-Designing-Radically">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2019</td><td>by Aubrey Serr; affordance theory for systemic non-linear sandbox <a href="/pages/-LtWYFZekhJoJoJ3_Rwm">layouts </a>via immersive sim examples.</td><td><a href="/files/yX6Csg4HT8vc8kQORoM3">/files/yX6Csg4HT8vc8kQORoM3</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>'Hitman' Levels as Social Spaces: The Social Anthropology of Level Design</strong> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpRJuinc9AM">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1025879/Level-Design-Workshop-Hitman-Levels">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2019</td><td>by Mette Podenphant Andersen; <a href="/pages/-LtWYFZekhJoJoJ3_Rwm">layouts</a> for non-linear sandbox maps in Hitman 2 (2018) as sociological spaces.</td><td><a href="/files/gQCPAhiuPSLop3hXStBR">/files/gQCPAhiuPSLop3hXStBR</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>'Mooncrash': Resetting the Immersive Simulation</strong> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXm5zCdiNT0">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1025732/-Mooncrash-Resetting-the-Immersive">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2019</td><td>by Rich Wilson; <a href="/pages/-MaDkqBpi_UPYnkXsToW">pacing</a> and progression for Prey (2017) DLC adapting the immersive sim into a semi-proc-gen roguelike.</td><td><a href="/files/qCr5wRIWwkASK0InwJbq">/files/qCr5wRIWwkASK0InwJbq</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Level Design in 'Hitman': Guiding Players in a Non-Linear Sandbox</strong> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc8_W2PERZE">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1023849/Level-Design-in-HITMAN-Guiding">GDC Vault</a>)</td><td>2016</td><td>by Mette Podenphant Andersen and Jacob Mikkelsen; tutorial and <a href="/pages/-MM-2684-LFUOiIoPXiI">wayfinding </a>for Hitman 1 (2016) Paris chateau level.</td><td><a href="/files/Gm6Z8gaGwgUs0l49uf95">/files/Gm6Z8gaGwgUs0l49uf95</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

## See also

* [GDC Extras archive at Archive.org](https://archive.org/details/gdcextras)
* [YouTube playlist: NYU Practice talks](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAIAHfJvz15kI8Ow6UwWH0kI0cQqvLzzQ)


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