Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Level Design Lobby
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press Start: The Alejandro Arque Story | 15 Sep 2026 | 00:46:50 | |
In this episode, we sit down with Creative Director Alejandro Arque. Alejandro shares his journey through the world of game design from discovering his creative voice to leading the vision behind games and experiences that engage players. We dive into the craft of building worlds, developing ideas, balancing creativity with practical challenges, and understanding what makes a game truly memorable. join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ---------- Contact Alex ---------- Linked In: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alejandro-arque-gallardo Twitter: https://x.com/DarkVegetaMad Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alejandroarque/ Email: alejandroarquegallardo@gmail.com ---------------------- Let's Design Books ----------------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Level Design Kit ----------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------- | |||
| Branching Out: The Art of Skill Trees | 08 Sep 2026 | 00:37:47 | |
Back again but with a different look of something that we have not touched on before, yet an aspect that is still engaging. I am talking about Skill Trees. Going back to a classic of Final Fantasy X I have been caught up in that of its skill tree (Sphere Grid) join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ---------------------- Let's Design Books ----------------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Level Design Kit ----------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------- Research on Skill Trees: ---------------------- Keys to Meaningful Skill Trees: https://gdkeys.com/keys-to-meaningful-skill-trees/ Skill Tree Itteration: https://medium.com/@thomas_1379/game-design-is-easy-2f8150a82734 Skill Tree Debate: https://www.reddit.com/r/RPGdesign/comments/1haj3zy/skill_tree_design/ Skill Tree Video Essay: https://youtu.be/r4IkgYQc4Os?si=aEeC6gsDQaHbUAOC ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Materials #73 | 01 Sep 2026 | 00:21:37 | |
Back at it again with more incredible resources to help you all learn & grow as developers! I have found some incredible game dev info whcih I want to share with you all, so sit back, relax and let us get educated! join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ---------- Resources ---------- The Art of Game Design: https://bit.ly/45ZTUas The Game Narrative Toolbox: https://bit.ly/4zNjIEf Level Design Kit: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d Build a Second Brain: https://bit.ly/3V5AHSd Silent Hill Townfall: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/how-silent-hill-townfall-gets-deep-into-its-protagonist-s-headspace ---------------------- Let's Design Books ----------------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com | |||
| Global Play: The Craft of Game Translation | 05 May 2026 | 00:21:54 | |
What does it take to make your favourite game feel "just right" in another language? In this episode, Yana, a game localisation specialist, takes us behind the scenes of the gaming industry. We chat about her career path, the surprising challenges of translating games, and why localisation is about so much more than just words. If you've ever wondered how games travel across cultures, this one's for you. Join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ------------------ Contact Alconost Inc ----------------- Website: https://alconost.com/en ------------------ Level Design Kit ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d -------------- Level Design Books -------------- Let's Design Books --------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com | |||
| Bricks, Spells & Storytelling: Crafting Game Worlds with Raphael Kidd | 08 Apr 2026 | 00:46:18 | |
Joining me for this episode is Senior Level Designer Raphael Kidd, who has worked on an incredible range of titles including LEGO Horizon, Hogwarts Legacy, and LEGO DC Villains. Raph shares insights into his journey, along with his unique design approach across such a diverse set of projects. We'll also take a deep dive into his work on Hogwarts Legacy, exploring his creative influences and the perspective he brings to game design. ------- Contact Raph ------- Website: https://www.raphael-kidd.com/ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/raphael-kidd-9b6b6630 ------------------ Level Design Kit ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ------------- Let's Design Books --------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ---------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com | |||
| Building the Raid: Designing the World of Arc Raiders | 27 Jan 2026 | 00:53:02 | |
In this episode, I'm joined by Tim Spaninks, level designer on Arc Raiders, for a deep dive into his journey through the game industry and the craft of designing immersive worlds. We talk about how Tim broke into game development, the lessons he's learned along the way, and how creating content on his YouTube channel has shaped his approach to both learning and teaching game design. The heart of the conversation focuses on level design in Arc Raiders how levels are planned, iterated on, and balanced to support exploration, combat, and player choice. Tim shares his design mindset, practical workflows, and what it really takes to build spaces that feel fun, readable, and alive in a large-scale multiplayer experience. Whether you're an aspiring game developer, a level design nerd, or just excited about Arc Raiders, this episode offers a thoughtful behind-the-scenes look at how great game worlds come together. -------- -------- ------------------ Level Design Kit ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ------------- Let's Design Books --------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS - ---------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com | |||
| Entering the Fog: Al Yang Talks Story, Fear, and the Making of Silent Hill F | 09 Dec 2025 | 01:09:58 | |
In this exclusive interview, Creative Director Al Yang takes us deep into the unsettling world of Silent Hill F, offering a rare look into the creative vision behind the next chapter of the iconic horror franchise. Al discusses the narrative themes, artistic inspirations, and emotional core shaping the game's haunting atmosphere. He reveals how the team approached psychological horror in a fresh, culturally rich way, and what fans can expect from its setting, characters, and disturbing new creatures. From story philosophy to visual design and the challenges of reimagining Silent Hill for a new generation, this episode is a must-watch for horror fans, game developers, and anyone curious about the craft of building fear from the ground up. ----------------------- Contact Al Yang ---------------------- Twitter: https://x.com/QQBert BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/qqbert.bsky.social ------------------ Level Design Kit ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d -------------- Let's Design Books --------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt | |||
| Designing for a new Frontier - Prashant Patil | 11 Nov 2025 | 00:40:56 | |
First ep of Nov and we are kicking off with a great interview with Co-Founder/Art Director Prshant of 'Look North World'. Formed of incredible industry Vets who are taking their skills and designing for a new space for Fortnite's User Generated Content. join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ------------------ Contact Prashant Patil ----------------- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashant-patil-6028401b Website - https://looknorth.world/ ------------------ ----------------- -------------- Level Design Books -------------- Let's Design Books --------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt
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| Blocktober Starter Pack | 13 Oct 2025 | 00:45:41 | |
Hey All, Thank you for all reaching out and supporting the Level Design Kit. I have heard the cry for a better understanding of how to use these tools. I wanted to give a bit more of a deatiled break down so please enjoy. ------------------ Level Design Kit ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d Low Poly Shooter: https://fab.com/s/578036b16d6c Advanced Locomotion: https://fab.com/s/0eb8afffb774
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| Level Design Lobby - Blocktober Plans | 04 Oct 2025 | 00:07:06 | |
Hey All, We are blasting through Sept way quicker than I want haha, but I wanted to announce the plan of what I will be doing come October for Blocktober and hopefully I can hear what you are all thinking! join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X Let's Design Books ----------------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Level Design Kit ----------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt | |||
| Scripting in Games ft Vladimir Gaidenko | 09 Sep 2025 | 00:25:04 | |
A banger of an episode today as I am joined by the Associate Lead Scripter Vladimir Gaidenko. We break down his career and what his time is like balancing that of his leadership abilities while scripting the games he works on (We are talking level Scripting) Twitter: https://x.com/De_Von_Ver LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonver/ ------------------------- Let's Design Books ----------------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Level Design Kit ----------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Materials #72 | 02 Sep 2025 | 00:14:26 | |
Welcokme in the autumn, by welcoming in more great resources, as we talk about more tools & the wrap up from Gamescom. Take a look what you might enjoy and grow from. | |||
| Creative Arcades : Re-desgining the Box | 30 Jul 2025 | 00:31:17 | |
A slightly different episode as we are joined by Brian Horowitz the founder of Creative Arcade. We talk about how arcades have changes over the years and what innovations they have designed when creating thier projects. join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X Creative Arcade -------------------------------- Website: http://bit.ly/45bQi46 ---------------------- Let's Design Books ----------------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Level Design Kit ----------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Materials #71 | 15 Jul 2025 | 00:10:42 | |
Welcome everyone, it is a new month, so time to talk about some cool elements which we have found! Editing took a little longer on this but we hope you enjoy! Level Design Kit ---------------------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------------------- Contact Me ---------------------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/ Email: leveldesignlobby@gmail.com Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Materials #70 | 17 Jun 2025 | 00:14:29 | |
Mixing it up for June but still have new recommendations for all you to check out and learn from. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/what-s-driving-growth-in-the-chinese-video-game-industry-
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| DaggerHeart - Designing TTPRGS | 11 Jun 2025 | 00:40:58 | |
A different style fo design but one still so interesting for us to check out learn more about. I am joined by Spencer and Rowan as we talk about how they crafted both the mechanics and narrative for DaggerHeart.
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| Designing Knowledge for Others | 22 May 2025 | 00:52:05 | |
This episode was a great to for me, as I was joined by the lovely Stuart Maine. A Veteran Designer who has been working on games for generations! We explore his thoughts on designing through times, different projects, and leadership. | |||
| The Balancing Act of Leadership | 13 May 2025 | 00:20:38 | |
Second episode of May, I want to talk to you all about some of the hard realities of leadership and what needs to be considered. We talk about new ideas from the team vs that of production timelines. join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ---------------------- | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Material #69 | 06 May 2025 | 00:16:05 | |
May baby, which means it is the start of the month, for us to talk about all the other great resources we have seen that I want to share with all of you. Best way to learn is through other incredible designers. | |||
| Designing for Engaging Narrative | 15 Apr 2025 | 00:47:18 | |
Hey All, It is not just me on today's episode! We have an incredible guest joining us with Tom Huges Lead Narrative Designer (Great Ape Studios) I really enjoyed this ep as we take a dive into his career and how he has developed from Game Design into that of Narrative Design. For more LD Info join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X | |||
| The Cost of The Level Design Kit | 08 Apr 2025 | 01:06:22 | |
End of last year I launched the Level Design Kit, so I want to walk through the process of making the kit, markting & profit made. Follow for the process of making Level Design. For more LD Info join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Material #68 | 01 Apr 2025 | 00:18:44 | |
It may be April's fools, but there are no fools here! Let us go through some incredible resources by other amazing devs! | |||
| Level Design Portfolios - Design Tips | 18 Mar 2025 | 00:24:04 | |
Standing out in a crowded space can be hard, I want to talk about tips I have seen by others to make great looking & eye catching portfolios which I want to share with all of you. | |||
| Which Game Design Role is best for you? | 11 Mar 2025 | 00:29:24 | |
Our industry is every changing as are the roles that are avalible for us. With that in mind, I want to talk about the different Roles and help you deicde what is best for you. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Material #67 | 04 Mar 2025 | 00:18:21 | |
March is here, so we are kicking off with a great list of incredible resources for you to checkout & grow from! Wanting to learn more, please join my mailing list: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X | |||
| A day in the life of Level Design Leadership | 18 Feb 2025 | 00:22:53 | |
I am still very early in my leadership role, but want to discuss what I have learned and what the role of a lead actually is! I hope you enjoy hearing what I have to say. | |||
| Best Unreal Tools for Level Designers!! | 11 Feb 2025 | 00:20:42 | |
Start of the new year is still in effect, and I am sure like many of you, you are itching to make new levels! With this video I want show you some of the best tools avalible to help improve your work for Unreal. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Material #66 | 04 Feb 2025 | 00:16:54 | |
Start of Feb, so let us kick it off with more great resources for us to all grow & learn from! | |||
| Level Design Kit - Updates | 28 Jan 2025 | 00:17:34 | |
More great updates are here for the | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Gaming Industry, What's Changed? | 21 Jan 2025 | 00:30:15 | |
It is no secret that our industry is going through a difficult time, and so much is and has changed that I wanted to share some of my thoughts on what has changed and what to keep your eyes open for. ---------------------------------- | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Materials #65 | 14 Jan 2025 | 00:21:13 | |
Happy New year all! It is graet to be back in 2025 with some awesome new resources which I have found over the Xmas break. If you are looking to get back into the learning then check these out. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Materials #64 | 05 Nov 2024 | 00:15:41 | |
New month, new ways to level up! I have collected more resources for us to enjoy & learn from so I hope you enjoy! | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Silent Hill a Short Message | 29 Oct 2024 | 00:24:32 | |
Happy Halloween All, | |||
| Level Design Resources #63 | 15 Oct 2024 | 00:14:44 | |
Some incredible new resources out there for us all to learn from, so I wanted to share ones that I have enjoyed from the last month: | |||
| Unifying Vision - Devcom 2024 | 08 Oct 2024 | 00:47:47 | |
Myself & Jonny Wilson (Snr Level Designer) present our talk, as we discuss the challenges of contracting in Level Design & how we can quickly adapt per project. While also talking about how to best speed up/communicate with our own team members with other disciplines. (This is a talk, you can watch it online on the youtube page) | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Hobbies to improve your Design Skills | 10 Sep 2024 | 00:14:03 | |
We talk A LOT about how to improve our skills, which could be through editor, theory & communication. But we can also improve in other ways, by being creative in other ways. In this episode I talk about what I think are some handy & fun ways to improve. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Acriss Discsipline Communication | 14 Aug 2024 | 00:15:46 | |
This show primarily foucses on that of Level and Game design, we have had many guests who are involved with other roles. In this ep we want to talk about how we communicate to one another in other disciplines. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Materials #62 | 06 Aug 2024 | 00:15:05 | |
A start of a month, only means more materials I recommend for you all to check out! | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Lead Level Designer Leo Mah | 25 Jun 2024 | 00:54:55 | |
This episode I am joined by Lead Level Designer Leo Mah, who shares his journey to that of a Lead Designer. Breaking down what makes a good lead and work on his past projects. Support the show: http://bit.ly/33xpKbG | |||
| Level Design Lobby - How to approach Stealth Design | 11 Jun 2024 | 00:19:06 | |
In this episode, I have taken a deep dive on of my favourite levels to play when growing up which was stealth levels. I was a huge fan of both MGS & Splinter Cell franchises, now we see some form of stealth in many of our games. So I wish to share some tips which I have learned over my time. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Materials #61 | 04 Jun 2024 | 00:15:30 | |
A month of incredible resources avalible for us to learn from, I share some of my fav over the month: | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Redesigning Others Levels | 23 Apr 2024 | 00:17:59 | |
An aspect that is not always spoken about is the fact that during development, time is not always on the team's side. This can be because work is not split evenly, deadlines, holidays, or possibly someone leaving the company. Regardless of the reason you may end up taking over another work, which can be great but also challenging, so let us talk about what we can do once handed ownership. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Design through production | 16 Apr 2024 | 00:17:34 | |
As we develop games there are multiple stages of processes we go through: | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Materials #60 | 09 Apr 2024 | 00:16:03 | |
April is upon us, so let us celebrate it with an incredible list of great resources to help us all learn and grow from one another. https://youtu.be/Ieg5qv1JYuU?feature=shared | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Inspiring Through Design | 26 Mar 2024 | 00:15:54 | |
Design is not a solo journey but one in which to achieve the best designs possible we work with incredible other devs and disciplines. So we must figure out how to inspire, learn, compromise and design with others.
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| Level Design Lobby - Designing Boss Battles | 19 Mar 2024 | 00:18:53 | |
While working on my GoW level I have currently been designing a boss arena. I received some questions on twitter and want to give some advice on how you should and would design. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reading Material #59 | 12 Mar 2024 | 00:11:40 | |
Start of the month and here are the recommended resources which I think are very much worth checking out to learn from! ---------------------------------- | |||
| Level DesignLobby - Unionise | 20 Feb 2024 | 00:11:48 | |
I was not feeling good the week I recorded this as I am sure many of you have seen it had been nonstop layoffs for nearly the whole of January. This affected some good friends of mine as well as my own mental health. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Tools to make Level Design Better | 13 Feb 2024 | 00:15:03 | |
In our career, we use a lot of different tools to construct and build our worlds. I wanted to talk about some that have helped in my experience. Each game is different & requires different equipment to improve our work. | |||
| Level Design Lobby - Reduendcy Sucks, but this can help! | 06 Feb 2024 | 00:18:01 | |
It is no secret that we have seen the biggest job losses in the industry. With over 9000 lost in 2023 and currently 6000 in 2024. I sadly was one of these, so I wish to share my experience with you all alongside that which helped me to land jobs as well. | |||