I imagined what columns might be like as a battle royale and published that proof of concept on itch.io - note that in this demo you're playing against bots.
https://theburntcrumpet.itch.io/columns-32
I wish Sega (or whoever owns the rights to this) would make it real. So much better than tetris
I've been dabbling with game development as a hobby for at least 12 years now - only ever small games for my own learning and amusement. Programming, music and art (to an extent) are things I feel like I can at least get by at (I'm a professional software developer so I'd say the programming is my strongest area).
I'm trying semi-seriously to build a game now and I'm finding I suck at level design.
My game is a cross between Pilotwings and Crazy Taxi with inspiration from Wii Sports, and it's given me a new appreciation for how much thought and effort Nintendo put into Wuhu Island. This isn't a plug or promotion, I'm just giving a sense of what I'm trying to build.
My idea is to create 3 islands, one for leisure, one for work and one to live on, and that's why people need you to take them places on an aeroplane. I think the concept works, but I'm having massive difficulties trying to bring life to the leisure island (my starting point) and make sure there's enough happening to keep the player's attention.
My question is - how does one get better at level design? Are there any tips and tricks you'd recommend? Are there any videos, courses, developer commentaries etc you'd recommend which teach this? Or is it just one of those things you learn over time, through trial and error. I think I'm finding it particularly difficult because verticality is such a huge part of my game.
I'm currently in the habit of logging any games I complete in a spreadsheet, giving them a note and rating of how I found them. This has taught me to note interesting mechanics. Maybe doing this on a granular basis when an individual level of a game strikes me as good or bad would help.