
Rules of Open World Game Design - 80 Level Podcast
12/06/23 • 47 min
Join 80 Level Podcast for a deep dive into game design with Jamie Smith, Principal Game Designer at People Can Fly. We discuss the core principles that make open world games stand out. Jamie shares how to design captivating gameplay mechanics, maintain player engagement, and balance form and function. If you're a game developer or simply fascinated by the world of video games, this episode uncovers the creative and technical aspects that drive the industry forward.
More about Jamie: https://linktr.ee/smithstock
Some examples in the video used by Jamie
Yakuza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKiFfCE949s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k71rZSh0ipM
Fallout: New Vegas Map
http://www.gamemapscout.com/falloutnewvegas_interactive.html
The player starts at Goodsprings (to the left of the map), meaning they can only go up, right, or down
Elden Ring
https://mapgenie.io/elden-ring/maps/the-lands-between
Super Mario
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLl7lbbpjig
Destiny 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLpD4KH6kwI
More gamedev & digital art news, tutorials, and interviews with experts: https://80.lv/
Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty
https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/
https://twitter.com/80Level
We are looking for digital artists!
Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalent
Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.
This video is sponsored by Xsolla, a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the video game industry: http://xsolla.pro/8023
Join 80 Level Podcast for a deep dive into game design with Jamie Smith, Principal Game Designer at People Can Fly. We discuss the core principles that make open world games stand out. Jamie shares how to design captivating gameplay mechanics, maintain player engagement, and balance form and function. If you're a game developer or simply fascinated by the world of video games, this episode uncovers the creative and technical aspects that drive the industry forward.
More about Jamie: https://linktr.ee/smithstock
Some examples in the video used by Jamie
Yakuza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKiFfCE949s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k71rZSh0ipM
Fallout: New Vegas Map
http://www.gamemapscout.com/falloutnewvegas_interactive.html
The player starts at Goodsprings (to the left of the map), meaning they can only go up, right, or down
Elden Ring
https://mapgenie.io/elden-ring/maps/the-lands-between
Super Mario
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLl7lbbpjig
Destiny 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLpD4KH6kwI
More gamedev & digital art news, tutorials, and interviews with experts: https://80.lv/
Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty
https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/
https://twitter.com/80Level
We are looking for digital artists!
Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalent
Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.
This video is sponsored by Xsolla, a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the video game industry: http://xsolla.pro/8023
Previous Episode

Mastering Unreal Engine with YouTube Tutorials - 80 Level Podcast
William Faucher, 3D Generalist & Unreal Engine Mentor joined 80 Level Podcast. We discuss all-things Unreal Engine and the best ways to master it. William talks about his career journey & YouTube experience, and gives valuable advice for aspiring 3D artists on honing skills, choosing the right software, and understanding the evolving gamedev landscape.
Watch William’s tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/c/williamfaucher
Check out the EasyFog tool for UE: https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/easyfog
William’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williamfaucher.vfx/
William’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/WillFaucherVFX
More gamedev & digital art news, tutorials, and interviews with experts: https://80.lv/
Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty
https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/
https://twitter.com/80Level
We are looking for more artists!
Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalent
Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.
This video is sponsored by Xsolla, a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the video game industry: http://xsolla.pro/8023
Next Episode

Art vs. Technology? - 80 Level Podcast
Scott Eaton, multi-disciplinary artist & creative technologist, joins 80 Level Podcast. We discuss machine learning, its impact on human creativity, and the limitations & potentials of AI-generated content in gamedev. Scott shares his thoughts on future changes and possibilities for artists in the gaming world and tries to find a balance between art and technology.
More gamedev & digital art news, tutorials, and interviews with experts: https://80.lv/
The episode was recorded at the VIEW Conference 2023: https://www.viewconference.it/
Scott’s website:https://www.scott-eaton.com/
Scott’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/_ScottEaton_
Check out Scott's online courses (Winter session starts in January): https://www.scott-eaton.com/courses
Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty
https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/
https://twitter.com/80Level
We are looking for more artists!
Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalent
Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.
This video is sponsored by Xsolla, a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the video game industry: http://xsolla.pro/8023
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