Level Design Ideas: Random Level Brief Generator

Pick an environment, an objective, a twist and a length, and get a level brief you can build from: a one-line hook, a five-beat structure that introduces, practices, tests, twists and pays off one idea, three to five set-piece moments, and an optional secret. Copy it or download it as a markdown file for your design notes.

Step 1 of 4: Environment
Where does the level take place?

How to use it

  1. Choose an environment, or Surprise me, and press Next.
  2. Choose the level objective, or Surprise me, and press Next.
  3. Choose a constraint or twist, or Surprise me, and press Next.
  4. Choose the length and press Generate level.
  5. Press Reroll level for a new brief, Reroll set pieces or Reroll secret to change one part, then Copy brief or Download .md.

Build a level around one idea in five beats

Introduce the idea where nothing can go wrong, so the player sees it before it can hurt them. Practice it with low stakes and an easy way to recover. Test it with real danger once the player has had a few safe tries. Twist it by changing one thing about the rule the player just learned. End with a payoff that uses everything and rewards the player for having learned it.

Example: in a level with crumbling floors, a single tile shakes and falls near the start (introduce), a short path of crumbling tiles has a safe way back (practice), a long run over a pit has no safe way back (test), the crumbling starts chasing the player on its own (twist), and the final run reaches the exit just as the last floor drops away (payoff).

Set pieces and secrets

A set piece is a moment the player will describe to a friend afterwards: a bridge that snaps mid-crossing, a staircase that collapses as you climb it. Space them out, and put a quiet stretch after each one so the next one lands. Short levels need about three; longer levels can carry five.

A secret rewards players who explore. Hint at it with something visibly odd, like a cracked wall or a portrait that looks slightly wrong, and place it off the main path so players who skip it never feel blocked.

From brief to greybox

Block the level out with plain boxes before you make any art. Give each beat its own space, play through it with a timer, and compare the time with the target length. If the test beat is shorter than the practice beat, the level is probably too easy; if a set piece takes longer than a minute, it is probably two set pieces.

For a whole dungeon layout rather than a single level, the dungeon generator makes a seeded dungeon map you can use as a starting point.

Frequently asked questions

How does the level design idea generator work?
It combines your environment, objective and twist with hand-written templates for each beat, picks landmarks and hazards from the environment, and adds set pieces and a secret. Anything you leave on Surprise me is picked for you. It runs in your browser with no AI.
What are the five beats?
Introduce, practice, test, twist and payoff. Each beat uses the same core idea with a little more pressure, so the player learns the rule, masters it, and is then surprised by it.
How many set pieces does a level need?
The generator gives three for a short level, four for a medium one and five for a long one. Fewer, well-spaced moments usually work better than many back-to-back ones.
Can I use these level ideas in my game?
Yes. The briefs are free to use in any project. Download the markdown file and keep it with your design notes or your game design document.
Does it work for 3D and 2D games?
Yes. The briefs describe goals, beats and moments rather than a specific camera or engine, so they fit platformers, action games, stealth games and 3D adventures alike.
  • Dungeon Generator: Seeded roguelike dungeon maps with a Godot TileMapLayer script export.
  • Puzzle Idea Generator: Video game puzzle ideas with a rule, a solution sketch, a teaching step and a harder variant.
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