The Level Design Workshop returns to the Game Developers Conference next year for the tenth year running, and if you care at all about levelcraft you won't want to overlook this day-long series of talks about this crucial aspect of game design!
It's one of many Bootcamps and Tutorials scheduled during the first two days of GDC (Monday and Tuesday, March 18th and 19th) which are designed to offer attendees the chance to dive deep into topics across the vast spectrum of level design.
Historically, LD Workshop presentations run the gamut from sharing specific techniques, to in-depth analysis of shipped games, to introspective explorations of "big" concepts that affect level designers/teams, as well as providing guides to process and workflow.
For example, check out this great talk that Naughty Dog's David Shaver and NYU professor Robert Yang gave at last year's Level Design Workshop, in which the pair share techniques that studios like Respawn and Naughty Dog use to establish natural level flow! Or, look back at Jolie Menzel's great GDC 2016 Level Design Workshop talk on how to define, create, and refine puzzles through level design.
It's always an exciting mix, because the LD Workshop organizers do their best to curate a diverse mix of established and emerging voices from all corners of the level design world to present an entertaining and enlightening agenda of talks for attendees.
Don't feel like all this great content is locked off to you if you're not an experienced level designer, either; the LD Workshop draws a diverse crowd. Students and academics are typically well-represented, but the tutorial also receives a lot of attention from working game developers in design and art disciplines, as well as some production and programmer folks. LDW tries to make sure talks target a range of experience levels and areas of interest, so those interested in cherry-picking are able to do so.
To learn more about the Level Design Workshop and more, make sure to check out the GDC 2019 Session Scheduler. There you can begin to plan your GDC 2019, which takes place March 18th through the 22nd at the (newly renovated!) Moscone Center in San Francisco.
For more details on GDC 2019 visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.
