Level Design Principles:
Naughty Dog
Cinematic Pacing, Guided
Exploration, and Set-Piece
Design
Wide-linear
words
Naughty Dog’s level design philosophy is often
summarized as “wide-linear” cinematic
gameplay: delivering a tightly scripted, story-
driven experience while still giving players
moments of exploration and choice.
Wide-linear
words
Expansive freedom, directed flow: Naughty
Dog’s levels are big open areas that still
funnel you through the story
Players can roam (collecting treasures, side
goals) but key landmarks and story beats
always guide them forward.
Sandbox in disguise: ND calls this “wide-
linear” design: Uncharted 4 let you choose
routes through a huge jungle or ruin, even
as the narrative gently steers you along.
Design takeaway: Plan large vistas with
multiple paths, but anchor them with a critical
path (tower to reach, temple to explore, etc.) so
the level never feels aimless
Environmental
Storytelling
The environmental storytelling in ND’s levels is
meticulous: every space tells a story, from the
family photos to the layout of an abandoned
quarantine zone, conveying emotion without a
single line of dialogue.
Environmental
Storytelling
World as a storyteller: Every area feels
lived-in. Naughty Dog scatters props, notes,
and graffiti to hint at past lives or events.
Handcrafted details: Unique set-dressing
tells narratives without words: a burnt-out
car and dried blood suggest danger past, a
child’s drawings hint at survivors.
Anthony Vaccaro, ND: “every space has a
purpose… truly lived in by people with their
own lives, beliefs, fears…”
Design takeaway: Avoid generic empty halls.
Fill scenes with evidence of story beats (faded
posters, radio logs), immersing players and
conveying context organically.
Clear Navigation
& Affordances
Naughty Dog’s level design makes interaction
feel natural and obvious: if it looks usable, it is.
Climbable ledges, rope anchors, breakable glass, all
follow consistent visual rules that build trust
between player and world.
Clear Navigation
& Affordances
Intuitive Interactables: Everything that
looks usable, truly is. ND isolates affordances
so players would never guess wrong. If a
surface looks climbable, it is; if not, it isn’t.
Consistent rules: Doors, crates, ladders and
cover all follow visual rules. A slightly open or
highlighted door means “go through here.”
Breakable glass has cracks you can shoot.
Pete Ellis, ND: ““any object or surface that
looked like you could hang the rope off it
behaved exactly as expected”
Design takeaway: Avoid “false knobs” or
unreachable ledges that mislead. his builds
trust in the environment.
Combat Arena &
Cover Design
Naughty Dog’s combat spaces feel natural, but
they’re carefully sculpted: walls, ledges, and
covers are placed to create flanking routes,
chokepoints, and escape options.
Combat Arena &
Cover Design
Multi-Path Battles: ND’s combat arenas
feature varied cover and flanking routes.
Good level design means “multiple realistic
cover sides and paths” so encounters can be
approached in different ways.
Clear Metrics: Distances, heights, and
sightlines are tuned so players always know
what to do.
Clarity is key: all climb-up ledges from
water are set to a fixed height so it’s never
ambiguous. Bulletproof cover is easily
distinguished from partial cover.
Design takeaway: Barriers (cars, walls, rocks)
look natural in the space but are placed to
create chokepoints and escape routes.
Want to design
levels like
Naughty Dog?
We cover this, and a lot more,
in my live Level Design class.
Details here.
