Abstract

A level usually corresponds to a unit of place (and time) in the progression of a game. Each level normally has a setting that differentiates it from previous levels. Sometimes called a map, or even a world, a level is thus a stage in a video game as it is simply a recognizable subspace inside the more general game world. Levels are distinguished by various characteristics: environment, typography, enemies, objectives, difficulties, etc. They are “discrete virtual locations containing tasks that must be accomplished before players can advance” (Laidlaw, 1996, p. 122).