Delivered Level Design From the Basics to Creating a Portfolio [Coloso. Bisk]

[Macaws]

Level Design From the Basics to Creating a Portfolio [Coloso. Bisk]

Publisher

Coloso

Product Type

Video Course

Product URL

https://coloso.global/en/products/gamegraphic-bisk-us

Author

Bisk

Language

Korean (English subtitle)

Duration

16:01

Release date

Aug 1, 2022

Skill level

3.00 star(s)

Product Price

$140

​

Build a Job-Ready Level Design Portfolio with a Veteran Game Designer​

Level design is one of the most important parts of game development. It shapes how players move, explore, make decisions, and experience the game world.
Are you looking for a practical level design course that will help your portfolio stand out from the crowd?
In this class, you will learn how to create an interview-ready level design portfolio by building playable 3D maps in Unreal Engine 5. No previous experience with level design, 3D software, or game engines is required.
Guided by Bisk, a professional level designer with 17 years of industry experience, you will progress from the fundamentals of Unreal Engine 5 to the creation of multiplayer shooter maps, dungeon environments, and a large-scale open world.
By the end of the course, you will have completed seven different playable maps that demonstrate your understanding of level design, player guidance, gameplay flow, environmental structure, and iterative testing.
This class also includes professional portfolio guidance, successful student examples, and practical advice for presenting your work during job applications and interviews.

Images shown are examples from the course exercises. Final materials may differ slightly.

Learn from Expert Level Designer Bisk​

Bisk has approximately 17 years of professional experience designing levels for FPS, TPS, route-based shooters, and open-world games.

His professional work includes projects such as:

• Operation7: Showdown
• Ironsight
• Combat Arms
• GunZ 2

He currently works as an open-world level designer.

Throughout his career, Bisk has also contributed to the level design community through public lectures and specialized books. In this course, he shares the techniques, workflows, and practical knowledge he developed through years of professional experience.

Why Take This Class?​

Start Without Previous Experience​

You do not need prior knowledge of Unreal Engine, 3D modeling, or level design.
The course begins with the installation of Unreal Engine 5 and introduces the editor, viewport navigation, actor placement, project creation, and basic map-building techniques.
Each concept is explained step by step so that complete beginners can follow the course comfortably.

Create Seven Different Playable Maps​

You will complete seven practical level design projects, progressing from beginner exercises to advanced environments.

The projects include:

1. A playable map based on MW Shipment
2. An American suburban town
3. A medieval village
4. A player-guidance environment
5. A medieval church dungeon
6. A Bayhead junkyard multiplayer shooter map
7. A large-scale open-world map

Each project introduces new concepts and gives you practical material for your portfolio.

Learn Professional Level Design Principles​

You will study essential concepts such as:

• Gameplay flow
• Meaningful player choices
• Passages and battlefields
• Player guidance
• Landmarks
• Tension curves
• Cover placement
• PvE and PvP layouts
• Points of interest
• Experience density
• Playtesting
• Iterative improvement

Instead of focusing only on theory, you will apply every concept directly while creating playable maps.

Use the New Features of Unreal Engine 5​

Unreal Engine 5 includes many powerful tools, but structured level design training can still be difficult to find.

This course introduces practical workflows using features such as:

• Unreal Landscape
• Landscape Layers
• Landscape Blueprints
• Level Instancing
• Procedural Foliage Spawner
• World Partition
• Environmental optimization tools

You will learn how these systems can improve both the quality and efficiency of your level design workflow.

Build a Portfolio That Stands Out​

A portfolio should demonstrate more than theoretical knowledge or static images.
In this course, you will create playable 3D environments that show employers how you approach layout, gameplay, player movement, testing, and iteration.
You will also learn how to organize your portfolio, avoid common mistakes, and present your work clearly during job applications.

Eight Main Course Projects​

01. Unreal Engine 5 Fundamentals​

Learn how to install Unreal Engine 5, create a project, navigate the editor, place actors, and build your first playable map.

02. Level Design Fundamentals​

Understand the role of a level designer, the meaning of gameplay, meaningful choices, play flow, standards, testing, feedback, and iteration.

03. American Suburban Town​

Use Google Earth and paint.NET to collect references, create a floor plan, and build a believable American suburban environment.

04. Passages and Battlefields​

Study the fundamental structure of level design by creating pathways, combat areas, terrain, structures, and gameplay spaces.

05. Player Guidance​

Learn how to guide players naturally through landmarks, lighting, framing, breadcrumbs, movement lines, environmental shapes, and calls to action.

06. Dungeon-Level Design​

Create a medieval church environment while learning how dungeon structures and tension curves affect player immersion.

07. Multiplayer Shooter Map​

Design a Bayhead junkyard map while studying PvP layouts, battlefield composition, cover placement, sightlines, and player flow.

08. Open-World Environment​

Create a large-scale open world using points of interest, Landscape tools, World Partition, procedural foliage, and environmental optimization.

What You Will Learn​

Unreal Engine 5 and Level Design Fundamentals​

Learn how to install Unreal Engine 5, navigate the editor, place objects, create a project, and build a simple playable environment.
You will also study the basic theories and responsibilities involved in professional level design.

Creating Maps with Google Earth​

Learn how to collect geographic references using Google Earth and transform them into usable floor plans with paint.NET.
You will then import the floor plans into Unreal Engine 5 and use them as the foundation for realistic environments.

Designing Passages and Battlefields​

Understand the structural relationship between corridors, transitional spaces, combat zones, and gameplay elements.
You will create terrain and battlefield layouts using Unreal Landscape.

Guiding Players Through the Environment​

Learn how professional level designers influence player movement without relying entirely on signs or interface markers.

You will use:

• Landmarks
• Lighting
• Framing
• Environmental forms
• Breadcrumbs
• Calls to action
• Route-guidance lines
• Terrain composition

Creating Immersive Dungeon Levels​

Explore the history and structure of dungeon design.
You will learn how to create and control a tension curve, then apply those principles while building a medieval church environment.

Designing Multiplayer Shooter Maps​

Understand the differences between PvE and PvP level design.
You will study combat spaces, routes, cover, sightlines, map themes, player flow, and battlefield composition before creating a complete multiplayer map.

Building Open-World Environments​

Learn how to structure a large game world using points of interest, experience density, landmarks, terrain, foliage, cliffs, and environmental layers.
You will also study World Partition and practical optimization methods.

Creating an Interview-Ready Portfolio​

Learn what makes a level design portfolio effective, which common mistakes cause portfolios to fail, and how to present your design decisions clearly.
The course also examines portfolios created by students who successfully found employment.

Curriculum​

SECTION 01. Introduction to the Course​

01. Instructor and Course Introduction​

• Meet the instructor
• Course overview
• Learning objectives
• Introduction to the class projects

SECTION 02. Unreal Engine 5 Fundamentals​

02. Installing and Launching Unreal Engine 5​

• Minimum system requirements
• Creating an Epic Games account
• Downloading and installing the Epic Games Launcher
• Installing Unreal Engine 5
• Creating a new project

03. Unreal Editor Fundamentals​

• Understanding the viewport
• Editor navigation
• Placing actors
• Basic editor controls

04. Creating a Playable Map​

• Selecting MW Shipment as the reference map
• Finding and downloading a floor plan
• Importing the floor plan into Unreal Engine 5
• Adjusting the scale
• Creating the main structures
• Placing gameplay elements
• Conducting a playtest

SECTION 03. Level Design Fundamentals​

05. What Is Level Design?​

• Understanding the structure of a typical game company
• The role of a level designer
• How level design responsibilities differ between companies
• Level design principles explained through platformer examples

06. What Is Gameplay?​

• Establishing standards
• Creating meaningful choices
• Understanding gameplay flow

07. Testing and Feedback​

• The curse of knowledge
• Conducting playtests
• Gathering useful feedback
• Making repeated improvements

08. Creating an LD Gym​

• Why standardized measurements are necessary
• Creating a new map
• Building an LD Gym
• Establishing reusable level design standards

SECTION 04. Creating an American Suburban Town with Google Earth​

09. Realistic Level Design with Google Earth​

• Challenges of creating believable environments
• Introduction to Google Earth
• Using Google Earth for level design research

10. Understanding Floor Plans​

• What a floor plan is
• Why floor plans are useful
• Installing paint.NET
• Preparing tools for floor-plan creation

11. Creating an American Suburban Floor Plan​

• Finding suitable references in Google Earth
• Collecting environmental data
• Creating the floor plan in paint.NET

12. Building the American Suburban Town​

• Importing the floor plan into Unreal Engine 5
• Creating structures based on the plan
• Placing gameplay elements
• Conducting a playtest
• Evaluating the layout

SECTION 05. Passages and Battlefields​

13. Designing Passages and Battlefields​

• The basic structure of level design
• Passage-based layouts
• Battlefield-based layouts
• Components of a passage
• Components of a battlefield

14. Creating a Medieval Village Floor Plan​

• Finding visual and geographic references
• Collecting data through Google Earth
• Creating a floor plan in paint.NET

15. Using Unreal Landscape​

• Introduction to Unreal Landscape
• Creating terrain
• Editing landscape forms
• Preparing the environment for level production

16. Medieval Village Map Production: Part 1​

• Importing the floor plan
• Creating terrain based on the layout
• Establishing the main paths and gameplay spaces

17. Medieval Village Map Production: Part 2​

• Creating structures
• Organizing buildings and environmental elements
• Refining the surrounding environment

18. Medieval Village Playtesting and Iteration​

• Placing gameplay elements
• Conducting a playtest
• Identifying problems
• Making iterative improvements

SECTION 06. Guiding Players Through Level Design​

19. The Language of Form and Space​

• Starting points
• Landmarks
• Calls to action
• Areas that discourage action
• The language of environmental forms
• Pushing players toward objectives
• Route-guidance lines
• Breadcrumbs
• Framing
• Lighting

20. Applying Form and Space: Terrain and Routes​

• Importing a floor plan
• Creating the terrain
• Establishing movement routes
• Controlling player direction through the environment

21. Applying Form and Space: Buildings and Completion​

• Constructing buildings
• Refining the environment
• Conducting playtests
• Making iterative improvements

SECTION 07. Immersive Dungeon-Level Design​

22. Dungeon-Level Design Fundamentals​

• The history of dungeon design
• Common dungeon structures
• Essential components of a dungeon
• Creating exploration and progression

23. Creating a Tension Curve​

• What a tension curve is
• Components of a tension curve
• Controlling pacing and intensity
• Analyzing tension curves in existing games

24. Creating a Medieval Church Floor Plan​

• Collecting reference materials
• Creating the floor plan in paint.NET
• Evaluating the initial design
• Revising and completing the layout

25. Medieval Church Map Production: Part 1​

• Importing the floor plan
• Creating terrain based on the design
• Establishing the main environment

26. Medieval Church Map Production: Part 2​

• Creating residential buildings
• Using Level Instancing
• Placing repeated structures
• Creating building variations

27. Medieval Church Map Production: Part 3​

• Constructing the medieval church
• Establishing its primary architectural forms
• Connecting the church to the surrounding environment

28. Medieval Church Map Production: Part 4​

• Creating the environmental setting
• Refining paths, terrain, and surroundings
• Improving atmosphere and readability

29. Medieval Church Map Production: Part 5​

• Placing gameplay elements
• Conducting playtests
• Evaluating the tension curve
• Making iterative improvements

SECTION 08. Multiplayer Shooter Level Design​

30. Differences Between PvE and PvP Level Design​

• Differences between PvE and PvP routes
• Three approaches to starting a multiplayer map
• Developing a multiplayer map from a central theme

31. Battlefield Composition​

• Understanding battlefields in shooter games
• Essential battlefield components
• Studying battlefield structures through examples
• Organizing routes and combat spaces

32. Understanding Cover​

• What cover is
• Blocking sightlines
• Creating gameplay flow with cover
• Controlling player movement and positioning

33. Creating the Bayhead Junkyard Floor Plan​

• Finding references in Google Earth
• Collecting environmental information
• Creating the floor plan
• Evaluating the overall combat layout

34. Bayhead Junkyard Map Production: Part 1​

• Importing the floor plan
• Creating terrain based on the layout
• Establishing major routes and combat areas

35. Bayhead Junkyard Map Production: Part 2​

• Creating structures
• Placing environmental objects
• Building cover and battlefield elements

36. Bayhead Junkyard Playtesting and Iteration​

• Placing gameplay elements
• Conducting multiplayer-focused playtests
• Evaluating routes, cover, and sightlines
• Making iterative improvements

SECTION 09. Open-World Level Design​

37. Open-World Level Design Fundamentals​

• Overview of open-world level design
• Understanding points of interest
• Placing major and minor points of interest
• Managing experience density
• Understanding the open-world production process

38. Creating an Open-World Floor Plan​

• Importing map information from Google Earth
• Adjusting the overall scale
• Placing points of interest
• Checking distances in Unreal Engine
• Finalizing the floor plan

39. Open-World Map Production: Part 1​

• Placing the floor plan in Unreal Engine
• Using Landscape Blueprints
• Creating the main terrain
• Establishing the overall world structure

40. Open-World Map Production: Part 2​

• Adjusting points of interest
• Using Procedural Foliage Spawner
• Placing trees procedurally
• Creating and placing cliffs
• Adding gravel, grass, and environmental details

41. Open-World Playtesting and Iteration​

• Understanding World Partition
• Organizing layers in World Partition
• Making landmarks visible
• Testing player navigation
• Optimizing the environment
• Making iterative improvements

SECTION 10. Creating a Professional Level Design Portfolio​

42. Building a Level Design Portfolio​

• Common reasons level design portfolios fail
• Choosing suitable projects
• Structuring an effective portfolio
• Presenting your design process
• Explaining gameplay and layout decisions
• Preparing your portfolio for applications and interviews

43. Successful Student Portfolio Examples​

• Successful student portfolio example 1
• Successful student portfolio example 2
• Successful student portfolio example 3
• Comparing different presentation approaches
• Organizing and finalizing your own portfolio

SECTION 11. Conclusion​

44. Final Course Review​

• Reviewing the complete level design workflow
• Organizing your completed projects
• Preparing your portfolio
• Planning your next steps as a level designer

Create Your Own Playable Worlds​

Even without previous experience, this course will help you develop a strong foundation in Unreal Engine 5 and professional level design.
You will learn how to research environments, create floor plans, guide players, structure combat spaces, design dungeons, build multiplayer maps, develop open worlds, conduct playtests, and improve your work through iteration.
Most importantly, you will finish the course with a collection of practical projects that demonstrate your abilities as a level designer.

Begin your journey into level design and create a distinctive portfolio that can help you take the next step toward a career in the game industry.

 

[VUnicorn]

hi, we don't have this course, would you like to trade it?

 

[VUnicorn]

The course is available for download - thanks to Macaws for the trade. ​

 

[Herric11]

how can I download it ?

 

[VUnicorn]

how can I download it ?

Follow the instructions:
Top-Up --> Join --> Pay --> Conversation --> Download & Learn