Design Commentary

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Match-3 game levels are fairly complex then it would seem on the surface. Designing levels for this genre requires quite a bit of testing and fine tuning to create an experience that the player will find challenging while still getting some kind of enjoyment to continue investing time in playing the game. To achieve this, players need to be given a variety of tasks so they do not feel like they are repeating the same game loop mindlessly. Furthermore, adding difficult obstacles and adjusting how often they interfere with the player’s task is also equally important to avoid making the player feel frustrated. This is where testing the level to adjust rates comes into play. A level that has very little challenge will not keep the player interested in continuing to play because they do not need to think or come up with strategies on tackling the objectives within the level. That is a why striking a perfect balance between tasks and obstacles is crucial to making a successful level.

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Something as simple as increasing the number of match-able items in the level from 4 to 5 can create a drastic difference in gameplay. This is because it increases the difficulty by reducing the number of possible matches in the level, since there are more elements that interfere with each other it restricts the area in which the player can make their matches. Understanding when to make such changes comes with experience and a solid understanding of the level layout. A level that already has very limited space to work with does not need a high number of match-able items dropping in it, as the level quickly becomes very crowded with obstacles and forces the game to reshuffle the items. Hence, taking agency away from the player and disrupting their strategy which inevitably leads to poor gameplay experience. Consecutively, a level that is fairly open with little to no obstructions and a low number of match-able items dropping in will become too easy to the point where the player needs to spend very little action economy and efforts formulating a strategy.

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Lastly, the placement of tasks needed to successfully complete a level can help bring a breath of fresh air to the typical “dig down” gameplay style within the genre. Simply placing tasks in various sections of the level completely changes the way in which a typical level can be played. For example, placing all the task related items on one side of the level will cause players to prioritize a strategy in which they value horizontal matches much more than vertical matches as these can reach further to the sides of the level where the objective lies. Additionally, keeping in mind how the various helpful boosters work in the game and setting task in ways that benefit the use of said boosters will also encourage players to utilize these helpers more often and generate bigger profit from a single level.

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While designing levels was a big responsibility working on this project, having successfully created a wide variety of interesting designs/concepts, I was also tasked with checking the quality of levels from other designers to ensure they understood the creative process that is involved in making successful levels. As well as, help with reporting/documenting bugs and resolving issues between customers. Ultimately my performance was very well received and as I continued to work in the studio my role and responsibilities also grew to help the product and project manager by taking on some of their responsibilities and help continue to maintain the game.