Top-down shooter level design: how map design supports game mechanics

In shooters, map design actually plays an important role for keeping players interested and coming back. In this post, we’ll look at how map geometry in top-down shooters supports gameplay mechanics, and we’ll derive some practical lessons you can use in your own work.

To create a fun shooter, you need to consider a lot of different factors. This is especially true when it comes to games that players return to every day. Of course, graphics and gameplay are usually a key point of consideration, but that’s not all — in this genre, map design plays an important role. A correctly made location will highlight the features of the game and help the player navigate during the match without losing interest.

My name is Denis Kozin, and I work as a level designer at the Pixonic studio, MY.GAMES. Today we’ll take a deep dive into the level design of multiplayer top-down shooters and see how the maps themselves actually help these games become more interesting.

We’ll consider four games, including our most recent one from August of this year, Little Big Robots. I’ll analyze certain map properties that support the main gameplay features, and at the end, we’ll draw conclusions that can be applied to the level design for games of similar genres.

This is a two-part series. In this first article, we’ll look at how different layouts (the map geometry that shapes the gameplay) support the game’s mechanics. Then, in the next one, we’ll see how to use maps to make the gaming experience more diverse.

Maps in top-down shooters (and shooters in general) represent the space where players fight each other. This means a map must support, first of all, features related to controlling the game character and, second, player interaction according to the rules of the game mode.

By character control, I mean the way the player sees the map, as well as the dynamics of the battle, which consists of the characters moving and attacking. Everything is pretty simple to understand with regards to the rules of the game mode — these are the conditions for player victory or defeat. So, character control and mode rules. Let’s look at the connection between map geometry and these basic game elements using examples.

Little Big Robots

We’ll begin with our very own top-down shooter, Little Big Robots. In this game, players assemble a hangar of 5 cute robots and then begin a 4v4 team PvP battle. Battles are fast and intense and last until players run out of robots or the mode goal has been achieved. (There are several of them with a variety of maps for each mode.) Let’s see how the features of the game affect the construction of maps.

First of all the game camera: it’s directed at a certain angle to the map and quite close to the character. This is how we focus attention on the robots, highlighting their visuals and the overall style of the game. But we have an interesting feature here: the camera doesn’t rotate, but is aimed at the character at a certain fixed angle.

At the same time, the character is always in the center of the frame, so that it has approximately the same view in all directions. This camera tilt causes the map geometry to block the space behind it. In a game like this, this could be a serious problem, since the camera doesn’t rotate. Hence, one of the requirements for the geometry is that the height of most cover areas should be approximately equal to the height of the character. So, while it’s clear that a character can hide behind a cover, on the other hand, the cover won’t block a lot of space.

Little Big Robots is a game characterized by a low time to kill; that is, in a collision you can quickly lose a robot. Because of this, it’s especially important for the player to notice the enemy in time. The non-rotating camera also has a peculiarity: the lower part of the frame is always blocked by the movement and shooting controls. Therefore, the player has the best view of the top of the frame, and the bottom is covered, although the character is located in the center.

The solution to this problem is a different camera angle for each team in the match. The camera is always located behind the player, no matter what team they play for and, accordingly, no matter what side of the map they start the battle from. So, the direction of the likely collision with the enemy will always be at the top of the frame.

Different camera rotation angles for players from different teams help make orientation on the map easier, but also add another requirement to the geometry. We’re limited in the use of tall objects even at the edges of the map. So, if we need an expressive landmark, it will be rather large, but definitely not high, so as not to create problems with the clear view of the space.

In addition to the camera, objects on the map are affected by the relatively low speed of robot movement, as well as the fact that the battles are based on ability shots, not continuous fire from all guns. Gunplay here is characterized by wide shot trajectories and large AOEs. Accordingly, the layout shouldn’t have many cover points in order to involve players in collisions and not impede their movement. At the same time, some covers may even be destroyed by ultimate attacks from robots, making the layout even more open.

The small number of covers is compensated by the active use of bushes — zones in which the player becomes invisible to opponents. Bushes provide a timeout and help save robots, while simultaneously regulating collision dynamics; the denser the bushes are, the more sudden the firefight will be.

At launch, players have access to two 4v4 team modes: Crystal Rush and Beacon Rush. In the first mode, the team needs to pick up crystals and prevent enemy players from doing the same. In the second mode, you need to capture and hold beacons on the map.

Later, the Battle Royale mode becomes available to the player: 10 players land their robots, collect power-up pickups, and they fight until there’s only one survivor. Each of these modes dictates the specific geometry of the environment based on the number of arenas for player collisions:

• In Crystal Rush there’s only one arena, as well as a goal, a spawn point for crystals which must be picked up and kept. Maps for this mode are smaller than others, and their geometry is built around a central zone where players meet.

• In the Beacon Rush mode, there are three arenas, one for each beacon, which must be captured and defended. The location of these arenas and the geometry between them determine the movement of players in the match and the severity of skirmishes in one or another part of the layout. And since there are several arenas, the maps in this mode are 1.5 times larger than in Crystal Rush.

• In the Battle Royale mode, arenas are points with power-ups and zones where the circle of damage zones narrows. In each battle, the narrowing zone is selected randomly from the preset ones. Power-up points are located between player spawns and further along the direction of their movement from the narrowing circle. And the narrowing circle zones are located closer to the center of the map so that players arrive at them more evenly from all sides. The layouts for this mode are the largest, three times bigger than maps for Crystal Rush.

All modes have a common feature — a small size for the layouts — so that the match fits within 4 minutes and is filled with intense battles between players, taking into account their low movement speed. For team modes, you also need to take into account the respawn of players after death. In this case, the map must let the player quickly return to battle after respawning.

So, Little Big Robots is characterized by a non-rotating camera, which limits the height of layout objects, but which also facilitates player navigation due to a different rotation angle for each team. The low speed of robot movement and gunfights (with an emphasis on AOE) determine the small number of cover areas.

Meanwhile, this geometry (with few cover points) is compensated by many mechanics on the map: bushes, destructible environments, and damage zones. At the same time, layouts are assembled for each mode in their own way, taking into account points of interest on the arenas, movement between them and the rapid start of a collision immediately after spawn.

Bullet Echo

Here we have a top-down shooter from ZeptoLab with an emphasis on stealth. The player sees the enemy only within a cone of light emanating from the flashlight on the character’s weapon; everything else is in the dark. The main game mode is Battle Royale where the player loots weapons and equipment, moves around the map within a shrinking damage zone and kills opponents, trying to hold out for as long as possible.

Here, the camera is directed vertically downwards, so object heights cannot be determined with the naked eye. Because of this, the layout consists of massive, shoot-proof objects, without small props. All of the geometry is high enough so that the player understands exactly where the walls and passages are.

In conditions like this, it’s more difficult to diversify the layout, we can’t use different height levels, and it is more difficult to implement different types of covers. And to ensure the readability of the map geometry, a strong visual contrast is used between the floor and the walls — the first is always in a light tone, and the second is very dark.

The vertical position of the camera is determined by the specific dynamics of the game; let me remind you, there is a strong focus on stealth. The player only sees enemies within the sight of their weapon, but they can “see” the sounds that enemies around them make as a result of their movement and gunfire.

To make this method of detecting the enemy interesting in terms of gameplay, we must have a lot of densely located shelters on the map. When the map geometry consists of many corridors and rooms, proper positioning to ambush a discovered enemy becomes more important. In such a dense layout, it’s more comfortable to navigate with a vertically oriented camera. As a result, the player can always clearly see the shape of the gameplay area. And it’s easier to take a position behind one or another cover: map objects don’t block sound sources, pick-ups, or advantageous shooting positions.

Bullet Echo has several modes, and each mode map is built according to its own rules. In general, these rules could be considered common across all multiplayer shooters:

• The map geometry for the Battle Royale mode doesn’t have long corridors, dead ends, or rooms with difficult exits. Everything is made so that the player can move freely around the map and not get stuck in a closed space with narrowing damage zones.

• For the Squad vs Squad mode (classic TDM), maps with a symmetrical layout provide equal conditions for both teams.

• In the Sabotage mode, one team tries to plant a bomb and the other must stop it. This mode has asymmetrical maps, supporting the defense of one team and the attack of the other, with guiding geometry from spawns to bomb installation points. In Bullet Echo, we can see another excellent example of navigation assistance: on the floor (which occupies the entire playing space) are placed large, contrasting directions to the bomb placement points.

Bullet Echo illustrates that the game camera and dynamics are closely related. In this game, they are designed in such a way that it’s better to organize clashes between players in cramped corridors, rather than in spacious arenas. We see an example of the active use of the floor both for player navigation and for the visual design of the game setting, but we will return to this later.

Tacticool

Tacticool is a team-based top-down shooter by Panzerdog, in which two teams of 5 players fight in various modes; the battles in this game are very intense, and there is automatic respawn.

The camera position in this example differs from the previous one since here it’s at a greater angle to the character, in almost a third-person view. Additionally, unlike Bullet Echo, the geometry here significantly blocks the space behind it, but this doesn’t prevent players from navigating the space; it’s all about high dynamics and spacious layouts.

The game focuses on active movement: players move quickly, are constantly dashing, and can even climb into a car and drive around the map. As a result, the arenas here are more spacious and the cover points are less densely spaced. So, the camera angle doesn’t interfere with an understanding of what’s going on, and it also allows for active use of the vertical space. All the layouts use multiple levels of height, both to provide variety in terrain shapes, and to allow players to take sniper positions.

Tacticool has several game modes. In the “Capture the Bag” mode, teams need to find and hold onto a bag of money for as long as possible. “Team Deathmatch” is a classic mode based on the number of kills, but with a modification: a random player gets a mark, and if others kill this player, they’ll get more points. In the “Control” mode, one team defends two points on the map and the other needs to capture one of them. All of these modes have some common features:

Players respawn after death and immediately enter the battle without searching for loot or other preparatory actions. This maintains the dynamics of the battles and necessitates the small map sizes, so players don’t have to walk a long way to the battlefield. Plus, frequent respawns allow players to actively use kill zone mechanics in the environment; both those unique to a specific map, like a helicopter shooting on this level, and within modes. For example, in Control, each contesting point on the map is periodically filled with fire from the rocket that is launched from a nearby machine.

There are no bushes on the maps in which you can hide or move stealthily, unlike in other top-down shooters we’ve reviewed. As I said earlier, the dynamics of Tacticool make the player move at all times, and the mode rules reinforce this aspect of gameplay. In Capture the Bag you need to chase the owner of the bag, in Team Deathmatch you need to chase a random player with a mark, and in Control you need to run between defended points. In this case, bushes would simply slow down the pace and allow players to lie low.

Arenas for player skirmishes correspond to the objectives of the modes:

In Capture the Bag, it’s one big arena with a bag spawn point. Most of the geometry on the map is tied to it, including convenient paths for players to move from one spawn to another in pursuit of the key object.

The basis of Team Deathmatch is the front line across the entire map where teams exchange fire. There are many cover points on the map that help the marked player escape pursuit.

In the Control mode there are two arenas, one for each defended point. Additionally, between them are massive objects that break player movement into two main directions.

Tacticool is a good example of using elevation changes in a top-down shooter; they are significant, easy to read, and don’t interfere with the player’s navigation in space. The high battle dynamics are supported by spacious arenas with closely spaced spawns, as well as environmental mechanics that give players more ways to deal with the enemy.

Zooba

Our next example is Zooba by Wildlife Studios, a top-down Battle Royale game about animal showdowns in a zoo; the player chooses a character with unique abilities and goes into battle on one large map, where they need to survive as long as possible. There’s been one map in the game for a long time, so it’s especially interesting to take a closer look at it.

Let’s start with the camera; In the previous example (Little Big Robots), the camera is oriented in a similar way, and again we have the same potential problem: the player cannot see the area behind tall objects on the map. The solution is to limit the height of layout objects to approximately the height of the character, so that players can always see what is happening in battle behind them.

Even the buildings on the map that the player can enter are made low, with flat roofs to block less space behind them.

The exception is buildings at the top border of the map. Due to their location, they don’t block the gameplay area and can serve as high landmarks that diversify the environment and which will be remembered by the player.

But even inside them, the visible walls under a roof are never higher than the character’s height.

In Zooba, characters don’t move and kill each other as quickly as in Tacticool. Here, the dynamics of combat aren’t about continuous shooting, but the use of abilities with wide damage areas (various cones of shotgun fire, circles of bomb damage, and so on). In other words, player skirmishes can be prolonged with constant movement around the arena. This dictates an open layout structure with a lot of free space for comfortable duels. For example, in the screenshot below there are no obstacles to movement.

This low geometry density supports the rules of the Battle Royale mode. For comfortable gameplay, it’s important that players don’t get stuck in some corners when moving from the narrowing ring of the damage zone. At the same time, the open space doesn’t feel empty, all thanks to various mechanics that don’t interfere with movement. There are bushes where you can hide, water players can swim in, and ice characters slide on while moving across it.

The mode parameters are well chosen for the open layout and the low character movement speed; in particular, a high density of players and a uniform grid of pickups throughout the map. Characters may move slowly, but they don’t have to go far to find an enemy. Plus, movement through partly empty arenas becomes more interesting because of the search and selection of new objects.

In Zooba we can highlight excellent work with the height of the geometry with a non-rotating camera: large accents along the top edge of the layout, and everything else is low for the sake of clear view. On one hand, the open space of the map corresponds to the dynamics of movement and combat. On the other hand, it’s densely saturated with environmental mechanics and points of interest due to the high density of players and pickups.

Conclusions

We’ve considered four examples of mobile top-down shooters and now we can draw conclusions about the principles in map creation helping support mechanics in games like this:

• When creating a layout, it’s important to take into account the dynamics of character movement and battles. This can dictate geometry that contrasts quite a bit: in one case, narrow corridors calling for interesting collisions; in another, open, half-empty arenas.
• It’s important to limit the height of the geometry on the map in accordance with the parameters of the game camera so that there are no problems getting a clear view of the space. In some places, you can use tall objects anywhere in the layout, in others only at the edges — or avoid them altogether. Everything depends on the angle and rotation of the camera.
• The same applies to different height levels; this is a tricky element of level design in top-down shooters (again, because of the camera). You need to take into account if players can clearly see what is happening around them and reinforce their gameplay significance. A rotating camera can help with the first thing, and increasing the firing range from an elevated position helps with the second.
• Environment mechanics can both complement the map space and support the rules of game modes. Open areas of the map, characteristic to Battle Royale, are often filled with interactions that promote active movement, and modes with player respawns are suitable for environments that give players more ways to destroy the enemy.
• The geometry of the map should also be linked to the goals of the mode: provide arenas for player skirmishes at points of interest, provide the opportunity to take the point of defense, or, conversely, force them to constantly hide from pursuers.

Next: Level design in top-down shooters: creating diversified experience using maps