Here’s how we build the perfect levels in Warstride Challenges

Ludwig Dresh here, Co-creator at Dream Powered Games, the small studio behind the ultra-fast first-person shooter Warstride Challenges. Our game has been in Early Access for the past ten months and it has been great to share the challenges of making this speed racing dream come true with an amazing community of Striders by our side. We are now super thrilled to bring the v1.0 of the game now on Steam.
We released a Launch Trailer which should give you a nice insight into the satisfying flow Warstride Challenges is all about: blasting hordes of demons at lightning speed, through increasingly intense time trials. Here's a bit about how we design a level in Warstride Challenges!



[h3]Our level design principles[/h3]

For each level, we first define a general theme, according to the weapons and the type of actions that will have to be performed to complete the level. These actions can involve shooting explosive urns, using slow-motion, engaging in melee combat, using the Stomp or the Grappling Hook. We also define the types of mechanism that come into play, such as shootable buttons and levers, as well as the traps.



We have a lot of levels and we need to make sure they all feel different. To make sure of that, we use a sheet that compiles all of these defining features for each level. It’s an efficient tool that allows us to check if each new level is different enough from the previous one to keep things interesting. It’s also very convenient to quickly see the player progression and which new weapons and powers are introduced in each level.



Warstride Challenges’ level design approach is all about rushing forward and feeling like an unstoppable killing machine. The most important thing to keep in mind when designing a level is that it should be possible to go through it from A to Z without stopping. Aside from this consideration, the general flow of the level requires constant playtesting as we design, going back and forth to get a feel of what we are creating.
That is really what will make all the difference. We first place the actions we want to start the level with (mostly enemies!), we then test it and ask ourselves: what is the boldest move we would like to perform next? Switching weapons to shred a guy into pieces with the shotgun? Taking a slider to boost our speed? Having a large drop and do a Stomp? And so on. This is, in my opinion, the best way to create levels that are sure to feel bombastic and utterly satisfying when we finally get to play them from start to end!

Warstride Challenges is now available on Steam along with a free demo. We look forward to seeing you playing the awesome levels we designed and shared with the already vibrant community!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1608470/Warstride_Challenges/?l=french