The GMTK canon of really neat video game levels

Michael Fury

Loads of great suggestions from everyone! I love Kaldwin's Bridge, Click Clock Wood, Route Kanal. For myself, I would perhaps go for Lumberjack Hedgemaze Mayhem from Zombies on the SNES, which was the ultimate distillation of fear to young me (although SO many levels from that game are exceptional). After a few easy intro levels, the game tosses you this curveball: your best tactic is to runveryfast. I'd have to throw a nod to Doom as well. There's a level from the first episode where the exit can be seen but not accessed easily, and the player has to go into a small maze with a very low ceiling to get to it. Pinkies were everywhere; it was crazy stressful! That level was just very well paced. I'll have to try and think of some more. It's tricky to distinguish between levels which are genuinely very good and ones which I just played a ton of or have a sentimental attachment to :/

Vesselin Jilov

I really liked two levels from the game Project Eden (environmental exploration and puzzle game, in the spirit of the Boss Keys series you made). The levels were called Construction Site (level 3) and The Zoo (level 8) In these two levels the team you control (4 people with different skills) gets split. In Construction Site, a bridge is destroyed and the two men and the two women get stranded on different sides of the bridge. In The Zoo, one of the team members (the hacker lady) gets captured and the team should find a way to reunite again. The separated team members often see each other and almost reach each other, and you constantly feel "If only Andre was here, he would be able to fix this... if Minoko was here, she'd be able to hack this..." but this is either impossible or can be achieved much later. The Zoo also does something fun in terms of puzzles and combat using mirrors and reflections which just became possible when the game came out (in 2001). It's a British game, done by the same team that did TR1 and TR2. The game has a lot of flaws, and doesn't have a strong start, but the levels are neat - large, intricate, interconnected, and make you (justifiably) feel smart.

Zach Stasz

Kaldwins Bridge in Dishonored is by far one of my favorite levels, nice picks!

Zach Stasz

Great list, you pretty much nailed it between the two of you. I would probably add just a couple more... The Medical Center (Batman: Arkham Asylum), A great predator sequence and saving the three doctors leads to three different fight sequences. Then, of course, this leads to the first Scarecrow sequence. Kaldwin Bridge (Dishonored), a sprawling series of areas that all lead to kidnapping Sokolov. Great views, cleaver navigation, and small stories spread throughout. Black Site (Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes)... basically the whole level... kinda cheating, but whatever. Rasvet (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater), the starting area where you rescue Sokolov, then come back later and fight Ocelot. Full of nooks and crannies, fun sandbox elements.

Adam Russell

Click Clock Wood from Banjo-Kazooie is a sensational level. I love how each season has a unique feel and certain areas are unlocked or cut off depending on the time of year. It's strikes me that it has similarities the Zelda dungeons you love in terms of situational awareness - you have to plant a seed in Spring to access an area in Summer, or certain characters are only available when they aren't hibernating. And the music - oh god the music - It's just so perfect; the general theme is consistent but each season brings in elements to match the time of year - Spring has bees singing, winter has sleigh bells etc. I could ruminate on this for ages :D

I love 'Alice Wade' in F.E.A.R., since it so varied.

Game Maker's Toolkit

It's just a really nice level, mixed with a very clever idea. It has been years since I played it though, so I'd have to check it out again!

mcwizardry

Great pick!

I love omega from mass effect two

Theo Gerome

I'm really curious why Tick-Tock Clock jumped out for SM64 specifically; it's high praise to get singled out like that! Any chance of a one-to-two sentences on your thinking?

Matt Hauke

I really enjoyed cathedral of the deep in Dark Souls 3. It was my first Souls game so the tension and fear was heightened by the fantastic vertical, inter-weaving and intricate level design. Every time I'd complete a section and end up back at the bonfire I'd loathe to have to do it all over again to open the next section, something that truly captures the Souls experience for me

Louis

First one that came to mind was Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast - Nar Shaddaah. The tense combat in the streets (snipers) with ships hovering around and some platforming required hooked me at the time (+ the coolness of Kyle Katarn)

mcwizardry

I like your picks of Route Kanal (HL2) and Contact (Crysis), they are great showcases for their respective games and the entire FPS genre.

Turbo Button

This inspired me to do my own list for Patreon but I'll boil down the choices here: Panamanian Bank (Chaos Theory), World 3-3 (SMB3), Grassland Groove (DKTF), Angel City (Titanfall 1/2), Elysia (Metroid Prime 3). It's kinda weird thinking that some of them are there more for the thematic element than the actual level mechanics.

Michel Sabbagh

Solid picks you have there, and good thing you brought SuperBunnyHop up. I was similarly inspired to provide my personal list of levels that made a huge impression on me. Here's some of them in no particular order (also, one game per franchise since variety's the spice of life): -Route Kanal (Half-Life 2). The seamless mix of puzzle-solving, exploration and gunplay, combined with the series' trademark atmosphere and peerless pacing, results in one of the more impressive early segments I've seen in a video game. Trekking through the depths of City 17 never felt so immersive and moody. -Constantine's Mansion (Thief: The Dark Project). A lot of games subvert players' expectations of the mechanics and virtual world in one way or another, but this maze-like level from the original Thief steals the show for revealing character through the environment and toying with Garrett's idea of how to rob well-guarded establishments. Perfectly sets the tone for what's to come. -The Khallos Express (TimeSplitters: Future Perfect). Narrow levels generally run the risk of being too spatially restrictive to be enjoyable, but this train sequence from the TimeSplitters series manages to impress by properly compartmentalizing its individual scenarios and sprinkling some tension into them with a helicopter chase and missile countdown. Has more character and charm that Uncharted 2's equivalent. -Bishop (F.E.A.R.). I could've gone with any of the intervals comprising this unmitigated classic, but this one takes the cake for hosting some great combat spaces for experimentation and complementing those with some moments of silence that make room for exploration and a few scares. -Cordon (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.). As far as opening areas go, the Zone's antechamber ranks among the best. From its balanced mix of wide open spaces and critical landmarks to its vertical layout that enhances the grim atmosphere, Cordon serves as a great example of a starting place that tests the player's mettle from the get-go. -City Museum (Condemned 2). Making short work of deranged lowlives with medieval weaponry and taking on an iron-clad juggernaut with nothing but your wits, speed and a crossbow? Sign me up! Besides those silly but cathartic descriptors, the scenery and combat scenarios help make this level from this underrated horror title a must-play for any discerning fan of isolated terror. -The Cauldron (Darksiders II). Like F.E.A.R., I could've gone with any dungeon from this overlooked gem. The first one you have to clear on your quest to save War remains noteworthy for its fiery aesthetics and swell implementation of combat and puzzle bits that teach the player the basics they'll have to master throughout their lengthy journey. -Vault 101 (Fallout 3). The first few hours of an RPG can be a real deal-breaker if the progression doesn't feel rewarding or believable enough. Thankfully, the first area you explore in Fallout 3 manages to avoid that issue by tying the introduction of mechanics to your avatar's childhood and providing a glimpse at Vault life. Let's not forget the moment you finally emerge from the cavernous depths of your upbringing... -Sundercliff Watch (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion). It's one thing to build an epic landscape the player can happily wander around, it's another to craft a mammoth-sized, multilayered dungeon that can house an entire village. Venturing into this add-on fort ruin and taking on the hostile denizens populating it makes the trek into Varsa Baalim even more tantalizing. -Contact (Crysis). In a shooter that's all about freedom of choice in open-ended but linear levels, presenting that kind of selling point is key to hooking the player from the outset. The first level in Crysis is a wonderful medley of mystery and gameplay possibilities that shows how one can turn the environment into a focused, veritable sandbox. Let me know what you think of my picks!

Pabloo

I'm thinking now about the very first spaceship you visit at the beggining of metroid prime... or that level in splatoon with invisible walls that you have to paint to see... It's an really interesting subjet indeed, that two levels are only two that came to me very quick when I start thinking, but gimme more time and I'm sure I can put a few more (But your list and superbunnyhop list are already really relevant indeed)

mcwizardry

I think your list combined with the list by Super Bunnyhop covers most of the important levels in gaming. Some more that could be considered in the future: Pauper's Drop in Bioshock 2, Hengsha in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, E1M1 in Doom 2, Argent Tower in Doom (2016), The Royal Physician in Dishonored, Evil Within: Ch. 6 Losing Grip On Ourselves, Tower in Half-Life 2.

Liam Harvey

Greattttt list! I'll have to have a think. It's made difficult, as you said at the end there, when you have to weigh up actual good design and your very real, very POWERFUL feelings of nostalgia. Francis Folly was a great pick in that regard—it's simultaneously a huge, very exciting space full of everything I loved about the Core Design games AND the first level where I properly connected with Tomb Raider. It's the moment where, as a kid who just owned a PlayStation, 3D platforming and exploration was seared into my brain as Cool Things I Want To See More Of.