Level Design sprint

Master the Recipe for Level Design with Oliver William Walker

Explore the key building blocks of level design by building a level alongside the founder of Oliver Makes Games and former Senior Level Designer at ZA/UM, Oliver William Walker. Oliver has a decade of experience, including work on Minecraft Dungeons, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Sniper Elite VR.

In this course, you'll learn to craft design blueprints, master level structure, utilise key design ingredients, and refine your work through playtesting and iteration. Finally, you'll showcase your polished level professionally. Join now to gain practical skills and insights from a seasoned professional dedicated to creating memorable gaming experiences.
  • Create Detailed Design Plans
  • Master Advanced Layout Techniques
  • Utilise Key Gameplay Elements
  • Refine Through Iterative Playtesting

Join us today 

Join us today

Join us today

Join us today

Join us today

Join us today

Join us today

4 -22, NOV 2024
6-8 PM

*UK Local Time (GMT)
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All Sprint Courses Have Limited Space

ENROLMENT CLOSED

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THE SPRINT BRIEF 

BUILD A VAlve INSPIRED LEVEL 
All Sprints focus on industry-relevant briefs to help you build hands-on skills. In this Sprint, you'll design a level inspired by Valve Corporation and create a 10 min playable prototype on web browser.

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for early-stage game developers with a foundational understanding of game development, typically at a graduate level. To fully participate, you should be able to use a game engine (any) to create a functional game level prototype.

Those who only have experience designing in 2D may not fully benefit from the material, as the course mainly covers 3D level design and prototyping.

If you are not sure if this is for you, please contact us.

For Aspiring Level Designers

This course is designed for 3D artists with 1-3 years of experience, whether from professional work, university projects or game jams. You should already be familiar with character art workflows.

Game Engine Proficiency 

To fully participate, you should be able to use a game engine (any) to create a functional game level prototype. Oliver will be guiding the cohort in a tool agnostic way. 

   In this course, the Sprint Leader will demonstrate using Unreal Engine 5 & Miro   

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From The Oliver's Portfolio

Blocktober Level Design by Oliver William Walker
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The Sprint Experience

Highlights from how we run our Sprint Courses

Real Time Instruction

Fully live remote course with real-time instruction
(no pre-recorded content)

Industry Professional Led

Collaborate closely with a  top game industry professionals to gain insights into industry standards and trends

Portfolio Project

Create a tangible portfolio piece to showcase your game development skills and impress potential employers

Level Up Skills

Bridge skill gaps, refine abilities and maintain an edge over competitors

Guided Progress

Experience personal accountability with regular progress checks, Q&As and feedback

Coordinator & Peer Support

 Learn and network with like-minded peers, facilitated by an Into Games team member 

Key Information

We are a little bit different from other online courses so please make sure you are clear on what we offer and if you are at the right stage in your learning journey to take part. Get in touch if unsure.

01

Software requirements

In this course, the Sprint Leader will demonstrate tasks using Unreal Engine 5 & Miro. While we aim to remain software agnostic and encourage participants to use the tools they are most comfortable with, please note that we cannot provide guidance for every software option.

02

This course is not for complete beginners

You need to be age 18+. This course is not for complete beginners. This Sprint course is designed for graduates, juniors and freelancers with some experience. You should already have some experience in game development projects. 

03

Showcase and game jam

At the end of each Sprint, participants are invited to showcase their work in our virtual exhibition and further hone their skills by participating in a game jam. Both activities are optional.

04

We are based in the United Kingdom

Our team and colleagues are all based in the United Kingdom, our time zone and case studies will reflect this. However, we welcome participants from all over the world and try to present content that is universal. 

05

Time commitments

This is a 3-week online course, with all live sessions taking place in the evenings from 6pm-8pm BST (UK local time). You can review the activity dates below. Participants can expect to invest about 10-15 hours per week on this course.

LEVEL UP TODAY! 

Into Games is a non-profit committed to making quality game development training affordable and accessible.
We offer bursaries and discounts for those from low-income backgrounds, so everyone has the chance to gain valuable experience.
Meet your sprint leader

Oliver William Walker

Oliver William Walker is a passionate and creative level designer with a decade of experience in the gaming industry, including four years professionally. Formerly a Senior Level Designer at ZA/UM, he now leads his new studio, Oliver Makes Games. Oliver has contributed to renowned titles like Minecraft Dungeons: Hidden Depths at Radical Forge, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora at Ubisoft Reflections, and Sniper Elite VR at Just Add Water Developments Ltd.

His expertise covers level design, mission design, rapid prototyping, and proficiency with game engines such as Unity and Unreal. Oliver is also skilled in 3D modeling using Maya and scripting with Visual, JSON, and C#. Known for his hands-on approach and collaborative problem-solving, he excels at delivering in-depth feedback and refining game experiences.

In addition to his professional work, Oliver creates content for a 35k-strong community on TikTok, inspiring aspiring game developers. His passion for gaming extends to hobbies like playing Dungeons and Dragons and Airsoft. Oliver's dedication to crafting memorable experiences makes him a credible and engaging instructor for future level designers.
Patrick Jones - Course author

You'll love learning with us

"I didn't know about the Sprint Courses, it was a nice surprise and learnt a lot of new things and meet nice people sharing the same objectives as me. I definitely recommend doing Sprints!"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Niels, TEchnical Design Sprint

"Was great to get such hands on feedback from a pro - rare to find unless paying insane amounts or still in education."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jenna, LEVEL DESIGN SPrint
"The opportunity to learn from an industry veteran in a live, small cohort setting is an incredible deal. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone interested in learning about setting up their own indie studio and the business aspects of game development"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Shane, Indie Studio Sprint
"I felt really connected to my huddle group, we were such a good gang. Loved the course and tutor, everything worked really well - 100% doing another one.  
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ILYA, Concept Art Sprint

"Going into this Sprint, I had no expectations really since it would be my first. Nevertheless, it was a superb experience where I have learnt more than I would have ever expected!"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Davud, Technical Design Sprint
"Absolutely excellent! Insight into specifics about your chosen discipline like what sort of documents you might need, how to prepare them, and plenty of feedback from the Sprint leader and your fellow sprinters. Totally recommend."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Francis, Narrative Design Sprint

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I get a certificate?

We award certificates based on overall engagement, not just attendance. It’s not about perfection! For example, if you missed a few live sessions but submit to the showcase, it will help balance your engagement points. Similarly, good attendance without all submissions can still lead to certification.

Certificates are password-locked and emailed to participants who have reasonably engaged. As an absolute minimum, participants should at least 50% of sessions.

I can't make all the dates - is this still for me?

While we recommend that you try to attend as many of the live and group sessions as possible, we understand that might not be possible. All sessions are recorded for participants, and you have 24-7 access to content and support for the duration of the Sprint. 

Is financial Aid or assistance available?

Yes, we have a variety of discounts and sponsored places on our courses. Please check out our affordability page for more information on criteria and application. Financial Aid is only available for UK residents.

Do you offer refunds?

Please read our refund policy here and contact our team for support. 

My question is not answered here 

Please contact sprints@intogames.org
We are a non-profit organisation that helps people, no matter their background, get access to rewarding roles in the games sector.

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