Best 2026 Video Games for level design

#1

Large, vertical maps are a standout, with strong visual variety, hidden routes, and traversal abilities that make exploration consistently rewarding.

#2

Level design receives very strong praise from IGN for systemic intelligence, opportunity density, and the way environments support stealth and action.

#3

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive: level design was repeatedly praised as a standout strength across 1 review(s).

#4

Base layouts earned strong praise for creating distinct defensive choices and intense close-quarters spaces.

#5

The previewed locations stand out for environmental storytelling, charm, and personality-rich visual composition.

#6

The reviewed levels are praised for supporting tactical variety and pairing well with changing hazards, enemies, and environmental rules.

#7

Clever level layouts combine secrets, traversal challenges, enemies, and boss spaces in ways that consistently push players to learn and adapt. The design rewards attention without abandoning the interconnected Metroidvania...

#8

Districts, interiors, rooftops, and alleys communicate history and mood before dialogue begins. The compact city supports discovery without feeling like a generic open world.

#9

Level design was a major strength, especially the care center’s loops, agency, and interconnected mansion-like structure.

#10

Level design was strongly praised for handcrafted chunks, biome structure, combat spaces, and a balance between freshness and mastery.

#11

Level design was broadly praised for open-field layouts, strong world structure, and mission-like areas integrated into larger spaces.

#12

The game uses broad, explorable stages rather than one continuous open world. Hidden paths, optional items, side activities, and compact runbacks give the zones both freedom and structure.

#13

Mount Kami works as a long sequence of open-ended climbing problems, with multiple lines, difficult cruxes, plateaus, caves, and optional routes that reward observation rather than markers.

#14

Level design is praised for longer, more vertical, and well-designed mission spaces rather than flat or shallow levels.

#15

Stage transitions are praised for being fast and not interrupting match flow.

#16

Enemy nests, alleys, rooftops, and urban squares provide lively, action-focused combat arenas.

#17

Kalona's city-based combat spaces are viewed as a strong fit for Gears, with verticality and new traversal seen as potentially game-changing.

#18

Skyrim improves sharply on Oblivion’s repetitive dungeons, with more individualized layouts, environmental variety, shortcuts, traps, and discoveries. Repetition still creeps in after very long play sessions.

#19

Level design gets positive marks for remixes, logical escalation, and mini-games that reviewers found well thought out and engaging.

#20

Level design is widely admired for semi-linear routes, shortcuts, varied sectors, and combat arenas, though repetition appears in a few late-game comments.

#21

Road, city, track, and landscape design are often praised as dense and varied, though some criticism targets overly wide roads.

#22

Large, layered, highly vertical levels are one of the clearest strengths, giving players many routes through dense spaces and turning infiltration into spatial problem-solving.

#23

The clearest level-design praise centered on vampire abilities opening unconventional routes through environments.

#24

Wonder’s original level design remains a standout, and the best Training Camp and Koopaling remixes find smart new uses for familiar spaces. Some expansion stages are criticized as recycled or...

#25

Most stages work as compact, open-ended sandboxes filled with interactions rather than simple left-to-right courses. The best pages feel dense and clever, while weaker ones can seem small, empty, or...

#26

Level design was often praised for branching paths, biomes, and movement support, though procedural layouts sometimes became familiar or disrupted flow.

#27

Special courts and Adventure environments often use hazards and themes effectively, with Wonder-style and other gimmick courts standing out. A few reviewers criticize the limited number or inspiration of some...

#28

Open, vehicle-sized maps are a major point of differentiation and can make exploration feel freeing, but some reviewers think the larger spaces dilute pacing and memorable encounter design.

#29

Cities and regions are larger and more distinctive than before, and some quest spaces reward alternate routes. Other areas feel linear, repetitive, or visually under-varied.

#30

Level design ranges from criticized simple spaces to praised scale, nonlinear structure, and distinct larger environments.

#31

Level design ranged from intuitive and propulsive in positive reviews to overly restrictive or lacking interpretive room in a negative one.

#32

Many stages combine readable routes, vertical movement, secrets, shortcuts, and memorable themed spaces. Other areas fall back on linear corridors, repeated arena scripts, or restrictive invisible barriers.

#33

Dungeon and level design drew mixed evidence: some praised memorable layouts and new gimmicks, while one reviewer disliked a Grim Garten objective enough to sour the experience.

#34

Minakami’s dense houses and winding paths build strong tension and familiarity, though some corridors and chase spaces can feel restrictive or confusing.

#35

Level design had strong claustrophobic highlights in vents and corridors, but one larger station area was criticized as nondescript.

#36

Level design ranged from dungeon-like, vertical, side-path-heavy praise to complaints that early spaces could resemble long linear hallways.

#37

Levels are often built smartly around rails, verticality, and varied set pieces. Linear or cramped arenas can work against the skateboard and make combat harder to read.

#38

Arena and dungeon layouts vary in quality: Survival Hell can be compelling, while repeated warehouses and recycled battle spaces make other modes feel monotonous.

#39

Arena layouts were described as relatively flat, though the same review still appreciated the genre-consistent presentation.

#40

Level design has limited, mixed evidence, with one reviewer criticizing repeated small rooms that look similar.

#41

Level design was mixed, with one reviewer finding the large terrain rewarding but sometimes too mountainous or exhausting.

#42

Level design is uneven: some reviewers praise purposeful loops, secrets, and thoughtful shortcuts, while others call the spaces bland, repetitive, poorly matched to movement, or frustratingly cluttered by enemies.

#43

Dungeon and level design is frequently criticized for repetitive corridors, cramped combat spaces, and reused layouts, though a smaller group praises the visual range of individual dungeons.

#44

Level design is a recurring weakness despite flashes of creativity. Reviewers praise certain chapter gimmicks and the asylum, but criticize bland corridors, reused spaces, overly linear layouts, and Subspace-heavy progression.

#45

Linear chapters and dungeons are often polished but can feel corridor-like, padded, or less interesting than the larger sequel.

#46

Preview builds suggested some scenic variety, yet finished-game reviewers overwhelmingly describe compact, generic, empty arenas with little interaction.

#47

Levels can be visually impressive but are often criticized as narrow, repetitive corridors with confusing landmarks, invisible boundaries, and traversal solutions that are easy to miss.

#48

Routes are highly linear and often padded with obvious ledges, narrow corridors, and invisible walls, leaving little room for discovery or improvisation.

#49

Dungeon design is one of the clearest weaknesses, repeatedly described as linear, bland, maze-like, repetitive, or too long.

#50

Level design criticism focuses on repeated arenas and spaces that do not support the scope of the world.