World and levels › Space and combat
Stealth levels: light, shadow, patrols and cover
Know first: Layout: loops, forks and dead ends
This lesson is about levels for hiding. A stealth level gives the player light and shadow, guards whose routes leave gaps, cover to move between, and floors that are quiet or loud. Above all, it gives a clear sense of whether they have been seen. We’ll look at how such levels are laid out, why cover means something different here than in a shootout, and why fairness matters more than realism. In the demo you’ll choose where a player crosses a guard’s route and whether the crossing is lit, and count the moments when they get through.
Why this matters
In a shooter, a mistake costs some health. In a stealth game, a mistake can end the attempt: one guard turns, sees the player and raises the alarm. Martin Walsh, who wrote about the guards of Splinter Cell: Blacklist, puts it bluntly. Getting detected can be the difference between success and the player throwing the controller across the room, especially if it felt unfair. Much of that feeling comes from the level. Where the light falls, where the guards walk and what the floor is made of decide whether sneaking feels clever or random.