| name | level-flow |
| description | Design and evaluate player flow through spaces using goals, orientation, choice, gating, traversal, landmarks, backtracking, recovery, and pacing. |
Level Flow
Use when a level or playable space needs coherent navigation and progression.
Procedure
- Define the player's goals, abilities, entry state, expected knowledge, and required sequence or freedom before shaping routes.
- Map critical path, optional paths, loops, shortcuts, gates, transitions, and return routes in terms of player decisions rather than geometry alone.
- Use sightlines, landmarks, lighting, composition, affordances, and environmental storytelling to support orientation.
- Control decision density so choices feel meaningful without becoming constant navigational noise.
- Check traversal metrics such as distance, speed, verticality, jump or climb requirements, chokepoints, and accessibility options relevant to the game.
- Plan failure or recovery and backtracking so mistakes do not create accidental dead ends or excessive repetition.
- Prototype with simple geometry and play through without designer narration to identify confusion.
- Iterate from observed player behavior and telemetry or playtest evidence, not only intended route diagrams.
Decision rules
- Players experience flow as decisions and perception, not a top-down map.
- Signposting should support discovery without eliminating all exploration.
- Critical path clarity and optional exploration can coexist.
- Do not polish art before blockout proves the route structure.
Quality gate
Level flow is ready when representative players can understand goals and navigate without designer intervention, choices and optional routes are intentional, traversal and recovery work with player abilities, and observed play confirms the intended progression rather than only the designer's map.
