2025-03-16: My Prompt to Open AI's Deep Research was:
Analyze what the most popular Doom levels (the original Doom game from the early 1990s, including Doom 2 but not the more recent sequels) and analyze what makes them great. I want a breakdown of key components that great levels need in order to go from average to great. Add tips to level designers for how to make great maps. If possible generate some layouts that exemplify great level design for 2.5D games such as Doom. If you cant generate images, use ASCII art if necessary.
Deep Resarched asked the follow up questions:
Before I begin, do you want the analysis to focus on official levels from Doom and Doom II, or do you also want
to include popular custom WADs (user-created levels)?
Additionally, do you want me to provide comparisons between official and custom levels, or just focus on
extracting the best design principles from the most popular ones?
You can add 3rd party maps that have reached legendary status in the community. But I dont want you to compare 1000s of maps either. Those maps that are regarded as the best from the original games + some epic community additions. I'm not that interesting in hearing comparisons between original and custom, the main goal is to nail the design principals that make for a great map.
Classic Doom (1993) and Doom II levels are still praised decades later, and the community has produced legendary maps that push 2.5D design to new heights. Below we analyze what makes these levels great – from their pacing and flow to combat, atmosphere, and exploration – and distill core design principles. We also provide example layouts (in ASCII) to illustrate excellent 2.5D level structures.
The original Doom’s Episode 1 (Knee-Deep in the Dead) by John Romero is revered for its seamless flow and clean layouts (John Romero's Level Design Tips - Helldorado Team). Levels like E1M1: Hangar masterfully introduce the game’s mechanics. E1M1 starts the player in a safe foyer with no immediate enemies on lower difficulties, functioning as a “sandpit” for newcomers to get comfortable with controls (The design of E1M1 ). Yet it subtly showcases Doom’s tech: non-orthogonal architecture, varied floor heights (a staircase), light contrast, and an outdoor area visible through windows (The design of E1M1 ) (The design of E1M1 ). As the player progresses, E1M1 uses visual cues (like flickering lights and candelabras by the exit) to guide them, introduces a low-risk enemy encounter (an Imp in a dark, blinking room to create tension), and rewards curiosity with secrets (a hidden corridor to the outside yielding a power-up) (The design of E1M1 ). This careful pacing – gentle at first, then a dramatic but manageable fight – hooks players immediately.
Other Episode 1 maps continue these strengths. E1M3: Toxin Refinery features an optional side area leading to a secret exit, exemplifying non-linear exploration and multiple routes. E1M7: Computer Station is praised for its looping layout and increasing complexity, unlocking doors that lead back to earlier halls and build the player’s mental map of the base. By contrast, Sandy Petersen’s Episode 2 maps were more experimental and sometimes chaotic in layout, but still produced gems like E2M6: Halls of the Damned, noted for its creepy atmosphere and clever fake-exit trap (a false “exit” room that ambushes the player) (John Romero's Level Design Tips - Helldorado Team). Episode 3 took Doom into hellish landscapes – e.g. E3M2: Slough of Despair (shaped like a giant hand on the automap) is memorable for its open, arena-like yard teeming with demons. And in the later-added Episode 4, E4M2: Perfect Hatred (a John Romero map) became famous for its ferocious combat and vertical design – it throws the player into an intense battle from the start on multiple height levels, epitomizing high challenge with fair design. These official maps show a range of styles, but all the great ones excel in layout, combat setups, and ambience.
Doom II (1994) introduced new monsters and a shift toward sprawling maps. John Romero’s MAP11: “O of Destruction” (Circle of Death) is a fan-favorite for its distinctive layout – a circular central area (the “O”) acts as a hub with multiple paths around it, utilizing height differences (ledges, drop-downs) and a key that unlocks a flow back through the center. It’s also the debut of the Arch-Vile, placed strategically at a distance to introduce this dangerous foe in a memorable way. Sandy Petersen’s MAP08: Tricks and Traps is legendary for its creativity: essentially a series of set-piece rooms, each with its own gimmick (an ambush in a false “safe” room of goodies, a chamber full of cacodemons, a Cyberdemon battle that can be turned against other monsters, etc.). It’s a masterclass in designing varied combat encounters within one level. MAP07: Dead Simple is simple in layout but brilliant in pacing: it locks the player in an arena and introduces the new Mancubus enemies in a clear wave, then triggers a second wave of Arachnotrons when the first is defeated – a scripted progression that was so influential it spawned the “MAP07 special” convention in many custom WADs.
As the game progresses, Doom II’s best maps mix open-ended exploration with tighter fights. MAP14: The Inmost Dens (by American McGee) is often praised for its architecture and flow – a realistic stone fortress with interconnected courtyards and walkways that require the player to crisscross over and under, leveraging vertical sightlines and featuring one of the first uses of deep water effect. MAP20: Gotcha! creates a memorable set piece by staging a duel between a Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind in view of the player, who can exploit the infight – a great example of using Doom’s monsters themselves as dynamic level elements. MAP23: Barrels o’ Fun earns its name with a famous opening: a gauntlet of exploding barrels that kick off an adrenaline rush of chain-reactions (Favorite Doom II Level? : r/Doom) – a risky gimmick that became iconic.
Many fans agree that MAP29: The Living End is Doom II’s design pinnacle. This Romero-designed level is an expansive cavernous hellscape featuring islands of terrain connected by teleporters, towering cliffs and slime pits, and an ingenious “climbing” progression toward a high exit. The map constantly loops back on itself from new elevations, making the player re-encounter areas from new angles. It maintains non-linear exploration while actually guiding the player through a logical order of challenges (keys and switches that raise bridges or open new paths in earlier areas). The combat is tough but balanced, with numerous moment-to-moment decisions about whether to engage enemies from afar or move in aggressively. A fan aptly summarized the community’s feelings: “The Living End is peak original and official Doom design… Romero was at the top of his game for this one.” (Favorite Doom II Level? : r/Doom) In other words, it exemplifies the best of id’s 2.5D level design: smart layout, vertical gameplay, strong visual theme, and excellent combat flow.
The Doom community has built on these principles, creating countless custom WADs – some of which have achieved legendary status for their level design. Early on, Team TNT’s Final Doom expansions (especially The Plutonia Experiment in 1996, designed by Dario and Milo Casali) demonstrated how far one could push difficulty and enemy placement while still feeling fair. Plutonia is renowned (and feared) for its devious monster placement and traps – for example, well-placed Arch-Viles and Chaingunners that force players to move and seek cover quickly. Its influence on later “challenge map” design was huge (The Roots of Doom Mapping - The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org). Around the same time, the fan-made Hell Revealed (1997) pioneered the “slaughter map” style – extremely challenging levels with high monster counts – encouraging players to optimize routes and even inspiring speedrunners (The Roots of Doom Mapping - The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org). While Hell Revealed’s gameplay was influential, its simplistic architecture aged poorly (How good is Alien Vendetta? Is it true that it’s the best wad of all time? : r/DoomMods). Mappers soon learned that truly great maps needed not just hordes of monsters, but also atmosphere, balance, and creativity.
One watershed release was Alien Vendetta (2002), a 32-map megawad blending techbases, cities, and hell fortresses. Alien Vendetta is widely regarded as a classic that still holds up today (How good is Alien Vendetta? Is it true that it’s the best wad of all time? : r/DoomMods), and it became “the first great modern megawad,” synthesizing the best of the styles before it (The Roots of Doom Mapping - The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org). Its levels range from short, frantic romps to sprawling epics. Notably, MAP20: Misri Halek (an Egyptian-themed level) is often cited as a masterpiece (How good is Alien Vendetta? Is it true that it’s the best wad of all time? : r/DoomMods): it presents a massive nonlinear temple complex with intricate progression, tons of secret areas, and a brilliant mix of exploration and combat. Alien Vendetta showed that a community project could equal or even surpass official IWAD quality, combining advanced visuals with solid gameplay. Similarly, Scythe (2003) by Erik Alm demonstrated how bite-sized, fast-paced levels could be just as compelling – it starts easy and gradually escalates to brutal difficulty by the end, all in a cohesive style. Scythe’s influence came from its elegant simplicity and superb balancing that appealed to both casual and veteran players (The Roots of Doom Mapping - The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org).
In recent years, the bar has been raised further by community WADs that marry modern complexity with classic sensibilities. Sunlust (2015) by Ribbiks and Dannebubinga is considered a gold-standard of modern Doom level design. It’s famous for ultra-challenging encounters, but also for its beautiful, creative, and tightly crafted maps (If you're bad at classic doom, play Sunlust. : r/Doom). Sunlust eases the player in with manageable fights and ramps up to grand “slaughter” battles later, showcasing how to tutor the player through difficulty – an exercise in pacing and balance even amid extreme fights (If you're bad at classic doom, play Sunlust. : r/Doom). Other acclaimed projects like Ancient Aliens (2016), Eviternity (2018), and Back to Saturn X (2013-2018) focus on strong thematic world-building and visuals alongside engaging gameplay. For example, Ancient Aliens uses a colorful sci-fi aesthetic and imaginative encounters (including custom enemy behavior) to keep players delighted and surprised. Mappers like Skillsaw (Valiant, Ancient Aliens), mouldy (Going Down), and many others have shown that core design principles remain timeless even as they experiment with new ideas. Whether it’s a one-room gimmick map or a grand adventure map, the best community creations excel in layout, combat tuning, and atmosphere just like the classic levels – and often push those elements to new extremes.
What exactly makes a level go from average to great? Several core components consistently show up in the most praised maps:
Pacing and Flow: Great levels have a sense of rhythm. They mix high-intensity fights with quieter moments of exploration or rearmament. For example, a level might start slowly (low-tier enemies or a safe zone) and build up to tougher battles, with peaks and valleys in tension. The original E1M1 did this intentionally – giving the player a breather at start, then a burst of combat, then another lull before a final surprise (The design of E1M1 ). Good pacing also means avoiding monotony: vary the enemy encounters (don’t throw the same trap five times in a row) and vary the environments to keep the player engaged. Flow is about how smoothly the player navigates the level. A well-flowing level subtly guides the player forward, often without explicit arrows or waypoints. Instead, design and visuals lead the way – lighting contrasts, architecture, and landmarks hint at where to go next (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). In Doom’s first level of Doom II (“Entryway”), for instance, the brightest lit hallway naturally draws the player’s eye, and the angled geometry literally points toward the first door (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). Good flow also involves looping paths: the player might unlock a door that takes them back to a familiar central area with a new route open. This backtracking (when done right) reinforces spatial awareness and prevents the feeling of being lost. Romero famously aimed for layouts that “flow so the player will revisit areas... to better understand the 3D space” (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). Tip: Design “loops” or a horseshoe layout (a U-shaped path that doubles back near the start) to give an illusion of non-linearity while actually keeping progression clear (John Romero's Level Design Tips - Helldorado Team) (John Romero's Level Design Tips - Helldorado Team). The player should ideally see places they will later reach, creating anticipation, and eventually return to earlier areas via new routes, feeling like the map is cohesive rather than a string of disconnected rooms.
Combat Encounter Design (Enemy Placement): Doom’s combat shines when level designers arrange enemies in interesting combinations and positions. Great levels don’t just place monsters arbitrarily; they set up encounters. This might mean a crossfire of different enemy types (for example, sniping hitscanners on a ledge plus melee demons rushing the player – forcing target prioritization), or sequential waves that alter an arena. The key is to challenge the player in a fair way – surprise them, yes, but don’t unavoidably kill them. Traps and ambushes are a staple of Doom: hidden monster closets that open when you grab a key, teleporting enemies that appear behind the player, etc. The best maps telegraph these just enough or make them learnable so the player can improve their approach on retries (If you're bad at classic doom, play Sunlust. : r/Doom). For instance, entering a suspiciously quiet room with a cache of weapons is Doom’s universal sign that a trap is coming (e.g. “Tricks and Traps” map telegraphs some setups with its very name). Diverse enemy placement is also crucial – mixing strong foes among weaker fodder. A classic technique is to include one big threat (like a Baron of Hell or Arch-Vile) supported by several smaller threats (Imps, Zombies) so that the player must dodge heavy attacks while managing the crowd. Use the environment to enhance fights: high ledges for snipers, pillars for cover, damaging floors to pressure movement, etc. An encounter in a tight crate maze (like E2M2’s warehouse) feels very different from an open-field battle (like E3M6’s outdoor areas) – variety in combat space is as important as the enemies themselves. And as the player gets more weapons over a level or episode, encounters should evolve to let them use their new tools. Plutonia is often lauded for its clever enemy placement – nothing is random; every Chaingunner, Revenant, or Arch-Vile is deliberately placed to create crossfires or pincer attacks that keep experienced players on their toes (The Roots of Doom Mapping - The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org). Tip: When designing fights, think about player movement. A good fight usually forces the player to move (dodging projectiles, finding cover, repositioning to handle new enemies). Arrange monsters to encourage circular movement around an arena or a back-and-forth traversal of a hallway rather than just camping one spot. Also, provide context clues: a pile of ammo and health is a sign a tough fight is imminent; a caged monster can be a turret the player must deal with, etc. Strive for encounters that are memorable (perhaps the first Arch-Vile appears in a dramatic way, or you get the rocket launcher right as a horde spawns). Each level should have a few “set-piece” battles or unique combinations that stick in the player’s mind.
Atmosphere and Visual Design: A great Doom level establishes a strong atmosphere or theme. This comes from architecture (the geometry and room design), texturing, and lighting. In classic Doom, even with 2.5D limitations, designers achieved distinct themes: techbase, gothic castle, hell cavern, cityscape, etc. Lighting is a powerful tool – using darkness and light contrast not only serves gameplay (hide monsters in shadows, highlight pickups) but also mood. For example, E1M1’s famous dark maze with blinking lights creates suspense as you hear Imps but see them only intermittently (The design of E1M1 ). A hell level with flickering torches and blood-stained walls immediately feels tense and ominous. Consistency in theme helps – a level that is mostly a high-tech base might sprinkle in a few demonic features as foreshadowing, but it won’t randomly have a marble castle area (unless the story or episode progression calls for a transition). Good levels often tell a story through environment: you might see dead Marines and broken machinery in a level, implying the base was overrun; or encounter an eerie shrine in a hell level that suggests a ritual took place there. These little touches engage the player’s imagination. Environmental storytelling in Doom is subtle but effective – e.g., in Doom II’s MAP15: Industrial Zone, the player starts in a courtyard facing a fortified structure and can spot a distant building with a megasphere on a ledge, sparking curiosity (and indeed, the level eventually lets you reach that building via a teleporter secret). Another example: in E1M2: Nuclear Plant, a secret area contains a chainsaw next to a corpse – a hint that a doomed soldier left a weapon behind for you to find. Such touches make the world feel lived-in. From a design principle perspective, Romero emphasized visual contrast heavily: “conscious use of contrast everywhere in a level between light and dark areas, cramped and open areas” (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). This not only aids gameplay (contrast draws the eye) but gives each area a distinct feel. Tip: Use lighting gradients to draw attention to important paths (as seen in Doom II’s Entryway (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad)) and consider adding landmarks – unique-looking rooms or structures that the player will recognize. A tall computer core in one room, or a blood fountain in another, can serve as a navigation reference and make the level more memorable (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). Lastly, avoid visual clutter that impedes movement – detail is great, but not when the player gets snagged on decorations. Keep floors relatively clear where combat happens (Romero once removed decorative pillars and chairs from E1M1 because they got in the way of gameplay (John Romero's Level Design Tips - Helldorado Team)).
Exploration, Secrets, and Non-Linearity: A hallmark of Doom’s best maps is the sense of exploration. Purely linear “corridor shooter” levels are generally less interesting in the Doom context. Great levels encourage the player to stray off the main path, whether to hunt for secrets or just to choose their own route. John Romero made sure to include multiple secret areas in every level (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad) – rewarding hideaways that might contain a powerful weapon, extra ammo/health, or an Easter egg. Importantly, a well-designed secret is usually hinted at in some way: maybe you glimpsed a room through a window earlier but couldn’t access it, or you notice an odd texture on the wall (slightly misaligned or different color) that invites a closer look (The design of E1M1 ). This trains players to be observant. Exploration is also driven by non-linearity: giving the player keys or objectives that can be obtained in any order, or branching paths that eventually reconverge. For instance, E2M2: Containment Area is a large open warehouse where you can wander through a maze of crates, discovering secret switches and stashes in many possible sequences – it feels like a real space to explore, not just a gauntlet. Non-linear design, when done right, increases replayability and engagement. However, non-linearity must be balanced with clarity – players should never be so confused that they wander aimlessly. That’s why loops and landmarks are vital, as mentioned earlier, to orient the player. Many beloved levels use a hub-spoke design: a central area that branches to multiple sections (spokes) where each has something (a key, switch, or challenge), and eventually the player returns to the hub to progress. Doom II’s MAP15: Industrial Zone is literally a city hub with different buildings to explore in no strict order, and upon obtaining keys you can exit through a central gate (or find a secret exit). This gives a sandbox feel. Another example is Back to Saturn X E1M3: Toxic Traverse (a community map) which uses a hub area that changes over time – as you hit switches in distant tunnels, new barriers lower in the hub. The key is that exploration feels rewarding – uncovering a secret or reaching a previously visible but inaccessible area provides a little rush of triumph. Tip: Always include at least a couple of secret areas, and where possible, design the main layout to allow choice: maybe the player can go left or right at some point and still eventually cover both. If using keys, you can sometimes let the player decide the order to collect two of them, for instance. Just ensure the combat and pickups support whichever order (non-linearity shouldn’t softlock or overly punish a particular route). Also, consider optional areas: not every room needs to be mandatory; some of the most fun spaces to discover are those the player could completely miss if they don’t explore.
Use of Verticality and 3D Space: Doom’s engine is 2.5D (no true room-over-room), but good mappers fully exploit height differences and creative pseudo-3D tricks. Changes in floor and ceiling height make spaces more interesting and serve gameplay roles (sniper perches, overwatch windows, choke points on stairs, etc.). Romero’s rule of thumb was “always change floor height when I wanted to change floor textures” (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad), which essentially forces vertical variety and clear separation of areas. Great levels often have the player ascending and descending frequently – climbing towers, descending into pits, riding lifts, etc., which creates a sense of journey. MAP29: The Living End is a textbook example: you start high, then descend into a lava pit area, then gradually climb back up through dangerous ledges – literally elevating the tension as you near the end. Verticality also enables interconnected views: you can stand on a balcony and see an earlier courtyard below, giving a feeling of a cohesive 3D world. Many maps use this to foreshadow – you see a key on a high ledge early on and later you find the route to that ledge. Even simple tricks like windows between areas (so you can shoot through or see monsters in an adjacent room before you get there) add a lot to the 3D feel. Tip: Incorporate multiple levels of height in your maps. Include some high ground and low ground in combat spaces – maybe a high overlook where a Revenant is positioned, or a pit that the player can fall into (with a way out, of course). Use lifts, stairs, or teleporters to let the player experience the same area from different elevations. And if the player can see an enticing area from above/below, try to let them reach it at some point (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad) – this ties back to the exploration reward.
Balance and Resources: Finally, great level design is also about balance – the right amount of ammo, health, and weapons for the encounters, and a difficulty curve that feels “just right” for the intended audience. A well-designed level keeps a moderately skilled player challenged but not frustrated. This often means giving just enough ammo to get the job done, but not so much that there’s no fear of running out. It also means placing health and armor strategically – perhaps a medkit right after a particularly punishing trap, or a Soul Sphere secret before a big finale fight as a buffer. Different difficulty settings should be considered too: Doom’s best official levels had carefully tailored monster counts and placements for each mode, ensuring newcomers on “Hey, Not Too Rough” aren’t overwhelmed while “Ultraviolence” veterans get all the monsters. Modern community mappers often playtest their maps extensively, sometimes even supporting difficulty mods or specific challenge modes. Tip: Play through your level from scratch (pistol start, no carryovers) on the target difficulty to see if you provided too much or too little. If you find the player is swimming in unused ammo at the end, consider scaling back or adding more enemies. Conversely, if you run dry and have to punch everything, you might need to adjust unless that was an intentional design (as a secret-chainsaw-only gimmick, for example). A truly great level often feels a bit scary resource-wise – the player might finish a tough fight with 5 health and two shotgun shells left – but then the designer offers just enough resupply to continue, creating relief and appreciation for the balance.
In summary, great Doom levels excel through a combination of smart layout, engaging combat setups, memorable atmosphere, and rewarding exploration. They use contrast and variety to keep the experience interesting from start to finish. As one designer put it, Doom levels benefit from the same principles as any art: landmarks to catch attention, details to reward scrutiny, interconnectedness to make the world feel real, and contrast to make areas distinct (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). Let’s translate these principles into concrete tips for level designers.
For those looking to create classic Doom-style maps today, here are actionable design tips distilled from the above principles:
Think in Loops, Not Lines: Avoid simple linear layouts. Design your map so that paths twist and reconnect to earlier areas (the “horseshoe” or loop design). This ensures the player sees areas multiple times from new perspectives, which improves navigation and makes the level feel dynamic (John Romero's Level Design Tips - Helldorado Team) (John Romero's Level Design Tips - Helldorado Team). Even a small loop that brings the player back near the start (unlocking a shortcut door) can make a level more interesting than a pure straight line.
Guide the Player Visually: Use lighting, color, and architecture to subtly lead players. Brightly lit hallways or uniquely colored textures can indicate the intended route (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). Conversely, dim or flickering lights can signal danger or a side area. Introduce landmarks – a distinctive structure or extreme texture usage – to anchor the player’s mental map (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). If a player ever says “Oh, I remember this room with the red key pedestal,” you’ve made a good landmark.
Use Height and Space Creatively: Embrace Doom’s 2.5D nature by varying floor and ceiling heights frequently (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). A room with multiple tiers, balconies, or pits is more fun than a flat box. Make some areas cramped (requiring close-quarters combat) and others open (allowing maneuvering and long-range combat) (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad). You can simulate bridges or multi-level structures with clever architecture (e.g., raised platforms you can walk under and later climb onto, as seen in some Eternal Doom maps). Don’t let the map exist all on one plane – think vertically.
Place Enemies with Purpose: When you place monsters, consider what the player will be doing when they encounter them. Will that Imp snipe from afar or ambush from a closet? Is the Arch-Vile placed with cover nearby so the player has a chance against its fire attack? Try to create crossfires and cross-pressures: e.g., a turret enemy on a ledge plus ground enemies rushing in = player must multitask. Always give the player some form of cover or maneuver room in fights – unless it’s a deliberate “survive in the open” challenge, a fight is more engaging if the player can dodge and use the environment. And mix up enemy types to leverage Doom’s diverse bestiary: a few weak zombies to harass, backed by mid-tiers like Revenants or Hell Knights, make a more interesting fight than any single type alone. Surprise the player, but do so fairly (telegraph major threats or give a second to react when triggering a big trap).
Distribute Rewards and Resources Wisely: Put goodies in secret areas or at the end of optional detours to reward exploration. A player who goes off the beaten path to explore an underground tunnel might find a rocket launcher – which not only rewards them but changes how they tackle upcoming fights. Balance health and ammo pickups so that skilled players who find secrets feel rewarded (they end up well-stocked), while even players who miss some secrets have enough to survive. If your map includes a particularly brutal fight, consider placing a health cache or ammo pile right after it as a pacing breather. Conversely, if you plan a tough ambush, maybe deny full resupply right beforehand so the player can’t trivialize it – it’s a fine line. Playtesting by different skill-level players is key to fine-tune this balance.
Include Secrets and Hints: Every classic-style map should have at least a couple of secrets. Design them in from the start rather than tacking on later. Use visual or audio hints: a differently colored wall (or misaligned texture) (The design of E1M1 ), a light pointing toward a suspicious alcove, or the sound of a monster behind a wall (alerting the player to a hidden closet’s presence). One common Doom trick is the “see it but reach it later” secret: e.g., the player sees a Soul Sphere on a ledge early on, taunting them, and eventually finds a hidden teleporter that leads to it. This both motivates exploration and gives a satisfying “aha!” moment when they finally get the prize. Secrets should feel optional but helpful – a player who finds none might have a tougher time, but can still complete the level; a player who finds them gets a smoother ride or extra fun tools.
Mind the Difficulty Curve: Within a single level and across a set of levels, ramp up the challenge gradually. Early on, introduce new monsters or concepts one at a time. For example, the first time a Chaingunner appears, maybe don’t put five of them; let the player learn its danger in a manageable scenario. Later, you can throw mobs of them. If you’re making an episode, the first map should be approachable (you can still hide a couple of tougher secrets for skilled players). Mid-episode maps can be hardest, and maybe ease off slightly toward the end to allow the player a victory lap (or vice versa, depending on the mood you want – some episodes end with an insane climax). Respect the player’s time: difficult fights are fine, but unwinnable traps or endless confusion are not “difficult” in a fun way, they’re just frustrating. Aim for “tough but fair”.
Optimize for Player Movement: Ensure the player can move smoothly through your level. Wide enough doorways, not too many little obstacles, and avoiding overly complex sector detailing where the player walks. If you detail the floor with lots of tiny sectors (for instance, making elaborate patterns), make sure it doesn’t create snag points or drastically slow the player down. Doom’s movement is fluid, so great levels allow players to circle-strafe and dodge freely in combat arenas. As a rule, don’t sacrifice gameplay for aesthetics – if that beautiful column makes a fight awkward because it blocks movement or sightlines in a bad way, either remove it or tweak the fight. There’s often a compromise: you could make the column shrink after the fight starts, or have it lower into the floor when players approach, etc., but always think about how architecture affects maneuverability (John Romero's Level Design Tips - Helldorado Team).
Test, Iterate, and Observe: Play your own map extensively, and if possible watch others play it. Notice where they get lost, where they take unexpected routes, or if they use an exploit to skip part of the level. A great level feels intentional – even if non-linear, it should not allow sequence breaking unless that’s a secret shortcut. Adjust any boring stretches (too much empty walking with nothing happening? throw in a small ambush or a scenic vista), and tone down any fight that proved unfair. Also check for softlocks (areas the player can’t escape, doors that can close and never reopen leaving player stuck, etc.) – these can ruin an otherwise good design.
By following these tips, a modern level designer can capture the essence of what made classic Doom maps fun while avoiding common pitfalls. The result should be a 2.5D map that flows well, challenges the player, creates a memorable atmosphere, and rewards exploration. Now, let’s look at a couple of example layout concepts that put these principles into practice.
Below are two simple top-down layout sketches (in ASCII art) to illustrate strong Doom-style level designs. Note: These are conceptual and not to scale, but they highlight features like looping paths, keys, secrets, and arena spaces.
This map uses a horseshoe loop design and one central hub room. The player will loop around and return to the starting area before exiting, ensuring they see areas multiple times from new angles. There’s an optional secret that provides a shortcut and goodies.
____ _______| | Start | S | Secret overlook (accessible via hidden switch)| P |———Door———+ |_______| * Contains a powerup and a view into the hub|____| [ Hub Room ]| (locked exit door) ____| | ^ _| |_ Exit area (raised platform)v | | Red door _| Exit |_ Contains exit switch, locked by red key[Hall] [Lift]_ | Key || Enemies | | _|________|_| ambush | v Opens |__________|v when player | [Red Key Room] (lower level, key ambush here)[T-intersection] | ^| __________| |_________| | Upper walkway (loop back) || | (one-way drop back into Hub)| |______________________________|v[Blue Key Area] — — — — — — — — — — — —| Multiple paths through crates || (player finds Blue key and a switch) ||__Switch lowers lift in Hub___________ |
Layout Description: The player starts in a small room (“Start”) and goes through a door into a central Hub Room. The hub is initially closed off by a locked exit door that requires the red key. There are two branching paths from the hub: one leads to a Blue Key Area (a maze of crates or corridors) and the other is initially a lift that is not usable until powered. The player chooses the blue path first (since the lift requires a switch). In the Blue Key Area, they navigate some rooms (multiple routes, maybe an upper ledge and a lower path that reconverge) and pick up the blue key. Picking it up triggers an ambush (monsters from hidden closets). There’s also a switch here that activates a lift elsewhere.
Returning to the hub, the activated lift now takes the player up to an upper walkway. This high walkway overlooks the hub (the player can see down into it – possibly sniping at new monsters that teleported into the hub after getting the blue key). The walkway leads to a locked blue door which the player can now open with the blue key. Behind it is the Red Key Room. When the player grabs the red key, a trap springs – perhaps the lights go out or walls lower revealing enemies – a classic key trap. The only way out is a one-way drop back into the hub room.
Now back at the Hub Room, the player can use the red key to open the exit door. The exit door leads to a final Exit area, which might be a small arena or simply the exit switch. In this design, maybe when the exit door opens, it also releases a wave of enemies for a last fight (keeping the pacing exciting up to the end). The player hits the exit switch and finishes the level.
Meanwhile, a keen player might have discovered a secret area (S) earlier: perhaps in the hub or near the start, a hidden switch opens a door to a secret overlook. This secret room could let them bypass part of the level (e.g., a window they can jump from to the upper walkway, skipping the need for the lift switch) or just provide extra ammo and a vantage point to preview the Red Key Room through a window (foreshadowing the fights). The secret gives a reward (like a Rocket Launcher) that makes the red key ambush easier. It also demonstrates the principle “if you can see it, you can reach it” (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad) by letting the player access an outside ledge they could see from the start.
Why it’s good: This layout forces the player to loop through areas – when they drop back into the hub with the red key, they see the starting door again, achieving that horseshoe loop effect. It’s non-linear (the order of blue then red key is enforced here, but you could make it so either branch could be first if designed carefully). It has interconnectivity (the hub visible from the walkway, etc.), verticality (lift and high walkway), and a mix of combat setups (initial ambush in hall, a maze-like fight in the Blue Key area, the red key trap, and a finale in the hub/exit). Navigation is aided by the hub acting as a landmark – the player frequently comes back to the same central room. There are at least one or two secrets to reward exploration. This kind of map would feel like a classic Doom base map with modern polish.
This second layout is more combat-focused, with a central arena that the player revisits. It demonstrates a hub-and-spoke design where three branches can be tackled in any order to collect keys, all feeding back into a central arena that changes over time.
_____________| Demon |<- Yellow Door (opens after Yellow key)| Spire | * Final key door leading to boss fight|__(Yellow Key)__|^Blue Door --> | Red Door -->(opens after | (opens afterBlue key) | Red key)________ | ________| | | | | Each wing has a distinct theme & key| Blue | | | Red | e.g., Blue Wing = caves, Red Wing = lava halls| Wing | | | Wing | Each contains its key and a challenge|__[Blue]_V_|__[Red]__|| || | (teleporter returns player to Hub after each key)| |____ v ____| | Legend:| HUB / | P = player start| Arena | B/R/Y = colored key or door| ___ | S = secret (e.g., hidden passage or item cache)| P | S | | Arrow “-->” indicates a one-way drop or door|_____|___|_| Hub/Arena has multiple heights (ledge, floor)|Start Area (lower)
Layout Description: The player starts in a foyer that opens into a large central Hub Arena. This arena has multiple locked doors: one blue, one red, and one yellow, each leading to a separate wing. Initially, only the blue and red doors are present (yellow might be a big gate that obviously is the final goal). The hub itself could have some light combat early (a few weaker enemies to warm up). The player can choose to go to the Blue Wing or Red Wing first – true non-linearity here.
Suppose they pick Blue Wing: they open the blue door (if the blue door is locked at first, you’d need to give the player a blue key in the hub, but more likely the blue door is just an unlocked path leading to the wing’s challenges and the blue key is found at the end of that wing). Inside Blue Wing, the theme might be caverns with toxic slime. They fight through and eventually pick up the Blue Key at the wing’s end. That might trigger a mini-boss fight or heavy ambush in that wing. At the end, a teleporter (or a lift) conveniently brings the player back to the Hub Arena.
Now some change has happened in the hub: maybe new monsters spawned in the arena as a surprise when the player returns with a key. Also, now the Red Door wing is accessible (if it wasn’t before) – it could have been accessible from the start too. The player goes into Red Wing, a series of lava halls or a fiery chapel. They overcome traps and get the Red Key. Again, on grabbing it, hell breaks loose – they fight their way out and teleport back to the Hub.
With both Blue and Red keys obtained, the previously barred path to the Yellow Key / Demon Spire opens (this could be the big door in the hub that required both keys, or perhaps the yellow door was visible but needed switches from each wing). The hub now transforms into a bigger fight: perhaps walls lower to create a larger arena and a wave of monsters (this tests the player using all the weapons and resources they’ve collected so far). After surviving, the player proceeds through the yellow door into the final area (“Demon Spire”), which is a short climactic section culminating in a boss (like a Cyberdemon or Spiderdemon battle) or just an exit switch with a final guardian.
Throughout this layout, there could be secret areas (S) tucked around. For example, a secret in the Hub (marked “S” on the diagram) might be accessible by pressing a hidden switch in one of the wings. That secret could contain a powerful plasma gun – very handy for the final arena fight if found. Each wing could also have a secret room (maybe the Blue Wing has a hidden cache of health in a side cave).
Why it’s good: This design gives the player freedom to choose order (non-linearity) while still ensuring they experience all major parts. The central Hub Arena acts as a memorable focal point that evolves – initially simple, later filled with bodies and scorch marks from battles. The branches (spokes) each have their own theme and pacing: the Blue Wing could emphasize exploration and environmental hazards, the Red Wing could emphasize traps and tricky platforming over lava, etc. This contrast keeps the gameplay fresh. By reusing the hub for multiple encounters, the designer reinforces the layout in the player’s memory (so they don’t get lost) and also can ramp up difficulty – each return to the hub introduces more opposition (maybe the first return spawns mid-tier enemies, the second return spawns an Arch-Vile and his minions). The final key/door being very prominent (the Yellow Spire in the center) gives the player a clear goal to look forward to – they likely saw the imposing yellow-locked gate from the start and knew they’d eventually get there, which is satisfying. This layout also supports environmental storytelling: the hub could be a sacrificial arena (with blood decals, etc.), the Blue Wing might show how the base’s waterworks got corrupted, etc., tying into a narrative of descending into hell. It’s a bit more complex than Example 1, but it illustrates advanced concepts like multi-route progression and arena set-pieces typical of modern Doom megawad levels.
These examples encapsulate many of the design principles discussed: interconnected layouts, thoughtful key progression, ambushes and arenas, secrets, and theme variety – all while maintaining a coherent flow. By studying classic levels and observing what worked (and why), level designers can create new maps that feel just as tight, thrilling, and immersive as the old masters’ works. Whether it’s an official map from 1993 or a community map from 2025, the best Doom levels share these timeless qualities, delivering an experience that invites players to dive in, get lost in the level (but not too lost!), and have a total blast demon-slaying in a well-crafted world. (You should make a Doom level, part 2: design / fuzzy notepad) (Favorite Doom II Level? : r/Doom)