Level Design: Super Mario Maker 2
I’m making a Level Design Analysis about different popular games such as Left 4 Dead, Portal and Amnesia, in order to be able to learn myself and help other Game Designers and Level Designers to know about design levels from different genres. The first game is Super Mario Maker 2, and I decided to start by analysing one of its initial story levels, to learn how the professionals design it. The next step will be to design my own level, but that will be another day.

Level: ON/OFF Switch Research Expedition
In this level the “On / Off Switch” is used several times so that the player solves different puzzles while discovering its many uses. This object activates the collision on the blue or red blocks. If we divide the level, we can perfectly differentiate 8 puzzles that work well even independently.
Puzzle 01
The first one is the easiest, where players are taught that there are red and blue blocks. The objective is to get the question mark block that is above the deactivated blue blocks. Solution? Players just have to press the On / Off Switch once.


Puzzle 02
Puzzle 03

Next we have a puzzle that involves a little more danger: There is a Chomp going around. The safest option would be to lock it inside the red cubes zone when it gets into them, but that would make players lose the opportunity to get the coins. Players who believe that the risk is worth it, will dodge the Chomp and take the coins, to later lock the Chomp or not into the red zone and use them to jump to the next platform. This puzzle teaches players that they can use the power to activate the red and blue cubes in their favor, so that they help them fight enemies.
Puzzle 04


Puzzle 05
Puzzle 06

Puzzle 07

Puzzle 08

Conclusions
- A good level is self-explanatory, gradually adding difficulty and new mechanics that players learn, puzzle after puzzle.
- The levels can be subdivided. It is much easier to think about a level as a combination of small puzzles.
- A level has a progression and a rhythm, where the level of risk and tension goes up and down, as well as the player receiving some kind of reward for their learned skill.
Do you think we can draw any more conclusions from this level? I hope you found it interesting and help you to design new levels!