Level designers, level artists and environment artists work together to make sure a game has playable and visually coherent spaces. Level designers focus on the gameplay itself, adding mechanics and encounters based on player movement while level artists refine layouts provided by level designers.
Level artists add the necessary models, props and textures, making use of lighting to guide players through specific areas. The models and assets are created by environment artists, who are in charge of the visual worldbuilding as a whole. This workflow applies to large studios, but smaller studios still need at least one person to create assets (environment artist), and one to refine the levels accordingly (level artist).
Both level and environment artists use visuals to add to the overall narrative, ensuring gameplay is immersive and doesn’t clash with mechanics set by the level designer. Keep reading for detailed explanations of the differences between level designers, level artists and environment artists, including their responsibilities, career paths, salary ranges, skill sets, and each role’s pros and cons.
What’s the difference between a level designer vs. a level artist?
A level designer focuses on designing mechanics and layouts with easy usability, while level artists prioritize the visuals and atmosphere to ensure an immersive experience. The table below provides an overview of the differences between level designers and level artists, including how they use geometry and ensure optimization.
| Level Designer | Level Artist |
|---|---|
| Makes sure that objects are spaced enough to not mess with gameplay | Add the props, textures and lighting to flesh out the level |
| Comes up with level blockouts to test how players might move in levels | Polishes the blockouts by replacing the shapes with detailed models and materials |
| Designs the flow and pacing, like enemy placement | Guides players visually, like adding sparkle trails for players to follow |
| Make sure mechanics aren’t heavy on performance via AI and scripting | Optimizes the textures, lighting and models for performance |
Level designers and level artists bring different skills to the team but work together so that the game is visually appealing without straining performance. Level designers in Portal, for example, designed the puzzle chambers with the mechanics and pathways, but level artists threw in the lab visuals to set the scene.
How do the responsibilities of a level designer differ from a level artist?
A level designer is responsible for creating a playable space with efficient pacing and flow, making sure mechanics work in tandem with progression so that gameplay is balanced. A level artist’s responsibilities include turning the level into a visually appealing area and adding color and light to guide the player through it. Level artists ensure the atmosphere lines up with the game’s narrative and overall concept so that it’s an immersive experience.
Level designers build blockouts and whiteboxes, which are rough layouts of an area, using simple shapes like cubes and ramps. Blockouts help with testing out possible player routes, which in turn lets level designers figure out where enemy encounters are ideal and set the overall pacing. Placing enemies too close together, for example, might frustrate players since there’s no downtime after an attack.
Level designers are in charge of making sure the mechanics for puzzles and levels run smoothly with the needed AI, triggers and scripts. The designer’s primary focus is on the mechanics, such as jump distances, cover placement and checkpoints. Level designers decide where to add large boulders for players to take cover from enemy fire in an arena, for example. They then iterate on gameplay loops based on playtests and early player feedback.
A level artist uses the blockouts handed to them by level designers and refines the shapes using detailed models, props and architecture. Level artists add lighting and color to guide players through the levels visually, like using sunlight or a trail of sparkles to highlight the path to the next quest point.
Level artists are in charge of making sure the atmosphere of the level lines up with the game’s narrative points and overarching theme. Their work reinforces the game’s background lore at every step. Level artists ensure a recent battlefield carries a heavy atmosphere by filling the area with blood spatter and crumbling buildings. Textures, dynamic lighting and materials need to be optimized by level artists to avoid hindering performance, which harms both the gameplay and narrative experience.
What skills are required for a level designer vs. a level artist?
The skills required for a level designer include proficiency with level editors, scripting knowledge, and a deep understanding of player psychology. Level artists need to be skilled with both 3D modeling tools and game engines. Both roles require collaboration with one another as well as the rest of the team, so strong communication and teamwork skills are critical.
Level designers using level editors in game engines like Unity or Unreal need scripting knowledge to be able to add triggers and collision detection. Door mechanisms require triggers to open (like solving a puzzle), and collision detection determines when an enemy attack connects and knocks a player back.
Level designers need the ability to visualize player routes to predict a level’s pacing and space out boss encounters. Creating blockouts based on these routes requires an understanding of mechanics like jump distances, cover placement or puzzle logic. Clear visualization of gameplay scenarios helps level designers communicate the necessary layouts and additional systems to artists and programmers.
Mastering 3D modeling tools like Maya and Blender is a necessary skill for level artists, though they don’t need as much technical knowledge of each compared to environment artists. Level artists do need to know how to use game engines, however, to use engine level editors to add assets to levels.
Other important skills include using modeling tools, texturing tools and game engines to create necessary assets and add lighting systems to refine blockouts. The mood and atmosphere rely on visuals (as well as audio), so artists need to understand scene composition and lighting to properly reinforce the game’s narrative.
Which career pays more: level designer or level artist?
Level design pays more because level designers deal with technical gameplay designs and need both scripting and optimization skills. A level designer’s average salary in the United States ranges from $70,000 to $100,000 a year, with level artists earning an average of $55,000 to $70,000 a year, according to Glassdoor. Exact salary amounts vary based on experience level, region, and studio size.
Level designers need technical knowledge of scripting, collision, and gameplay systems, which helps explain their higher pay. Level designers play a direct hand in creating the player experience since they’re in charge of the pacing and level mechanics, both of which are crucial for a game’s success. Senior and lead level designer salaries can go up to $200,000 a year, especially in roles that involve managing teams and coordinating across multiple disciplines.
Level artists specialize in 3D modeling, textures and lighting. Though these skills are essential, they’re more common across industries like film and architecture, which reduces level artists’ relative pay. Level artists refine layouts made by level designers, so their work is restricted by gameplay requirements. Their salaries depend on how strong their portfolios are and the studio size, instead of only technical skillsets.
North America and Western Europe offer higher salary ranges for both level designers and level artists than Asia and Eastern Europe. AAA studios like Ubisoft pay more than indie studios in general, so including AAA studios in a portfolio contributes to both industry exposure and salary expectations.
What are the pros of being a level designer and level artist?
The pros of being a level designer tie into how they shape the player experience directly by curating the pacing and mechanics. The pros for level artists tie into their freedom with creating the atmosphere and mood, affecting players’ emotional experiences. The lists below go into the pros and cons of being a level designer.
Pros:
- Creates mechanics, enemy encounters and progression so they directly influence player experience
- Develops skills in scripting, layouts and optimization which are applicable to other design roles
- Uses technical creativity to come with up puzzles, combat arenas or travel routes
- Able to grow into roles like Lead Designer or Game Director
Cons:
- Needs to balance gameplay with performance
- Primary focus is on mechanics rather than aesthetics
- Constant playtesting and refinement becomes repetitive
- Compromises need to be made with artists and programmers
Level artists have space to shape the environment as needed to create a suitable mood, but need to follow the outline laid out by level designers, lessening their creative autonomy. The lists below detail the pros and cons of being a level artist.
Pros:
- Uses textures and lighting systems to create the mood which enhances immersion
- Adds narrative depth via the environment, like inscriptions in stone
- Gains skills that apply to multiple industries, like modeling and texture creation
- Career progression includes Art Director or Environment Lead roles
Cons:
- Artistic freedom is limited because of design requirements
- Works within technical constraints, as models need to be tweaked for optimization (texture sizes, vertices, etc.)
- Has less direct impact on the player experience compared to a level designer
- Strong project portfolio is needed to advance career-wise
Which role is better for me: level designer or level artist?
The better role depends on a level designer or artist’s personal skillset and familiarity with specific tools and software. Level designer roles are better for people that like to work with the mechanics and systems of a game. Level artist roles suit people who want to focus on creating stories and setting the mood via the game’s visuals.
Level designers have to work with level editors in game engines and be able to visualize the way players move and interact in a space. Having technical knowledge of the mechanics and knowing how to add scripting for triggers and collision is necessary. Playtesting and multiple iterations based on player feedback are part of the role, so having patience is key.
Level artists in bigger studios are in charge of placing assets to adjust the mood and intersperse visual cues for the narrative. Environmental artists are the ones in charge of directly creating assets, textures and materials. Smaller studios won’t have resources for both roles, so level artists need to be proficient with modeling tools as well as texture and lighting creation.
What is the difference between a level designer and an environment artist?
A level designer focuses on drafting layouts by visualizing player movements, and adding mechanics, enemy encounters and necessary objects. An environment artist creates the assets, textures and lighting that need to be added to the levels for visual appeal and atmosphere. The table below provides an overview of the differences between level designers and environment artists in terms of their focus and how they use tools.
| Level Designer | Environment Artist |
|---|---|
| Designs mechanics, encounters, puzzles and flow | Creates models and respective textures, materials and lighting systems |
| Builds blockouts with simple geometry to test the usability and pacing | Refines the geometry with detailed models, props and architecture |
| Uses placeholder shapes for testing | Creates reusable 3D assets, foliage and decorations for the shapes |
Level designers communicate the gameplay needs to both artists and programmers, so collaboration between both roles is crucial. Environment artists are in charge of creating assets for the entire game environment instead of a single level, which means they have a broader scope than level artists. Level artists work across multiple levels, too, but they use the assets and props that were made by environment artists, especially in big studios.
Level designers set dress multiple levels, but this is usually to make sure levels follow design intentions, and task allocation depends on the studio size and resource availability. The three roles typically operate together; level artists start with blockouts from level designers, turning them into polished spaces using assets made by environment artists.
How do level designers and environment artists collaborate?
Level designers create layouts to test out a level’s pacing and flow while communicating with environment artists about which assets are needed and what modifications need to be made to optimize performance. Collaboration involves compromises on both sides, since complex mechanics and visuals both strain a game’s performance.
Gameplay and flow are tested by the level designer when they create level blockouts of rooms, corridors and other spaces. Environment artists provide feedback on these blockouts to make early changes to the scale and layout. This back-and-forth helps ensure that levels turn out visually appealing and playable.
Level designers script in mechanics and triggers, like a depressable floor tile that triggers a trap mechanic when the player steps on it. Props and environmental cues, such as light paths or glowing doors, are suggested by environmental artists. Environmental artists also refine the shapes level designers have added to the terrain based on the game concept. The level designer can iterate further once they receive playtesting feedback, fine-tuning layout details and object placement to further polish the level.
What skills do I need to become a level designer or an environment artist?
Understanding the psychology behind how players interact with and move through a level, then visualizing the layout based on their predicted actions, are both key skills needed to become a level designer. Environment artists deal with creating assets for the entire game world, so they need to be proficient with the necessary software and be able to implement an artistic vision.
Player psychology is an area of study for level designers since it helps design levels that are challenging without being frustrating. To add in the triggers and mechanics for these levels, experience with game engines like Unity or Unreal is needed. Levels have to be refined multiple times since they undergo playtesting rounds, so adaptability is another critical skill.
Environment artists have to be proficient with tools like Maya and Blender to create the props, terrain and architecture for the environment. Based on the game concept, they need to create stylistic or realistic textures using Photoshop and other relevant tools. These need to be consistent across the game, and reusable (like trees and rocks), as level artists will distribute them across multiple levels.
Which role pays better: level designer or environment artist?
The level designer role pays better because they handle technical gameplay design, adding mechanics and scripting while coming up with layouts based on player movement. Level designers have a direct hand in shaping the player experience, contributing strongly to a game’s success. Salary ranges for both roles vary by region, studio size and experience level.
Level designers earn an average of $70,000 to $100,000 per year in the United States, with lead roles creeping up to $200,000. Environment artists get paid $60,000 to $75,000 in the United States per year, having similar required skill sets to level artists, including proficiency with 3D modeling, textures and lighting. These skills are spread across industries like animation and film, however, and their work is restricted to the game concept and layouts, bringing down the pay range.
What are the pros of being a level designer and environment artist?
The pros of being a level designer relate to how their work defines the player experience, as they’re in charge of creating playable spaces with efficient pacing and flow. Environment artists refine the assets and models for these spaces so they have high visual appeal, which increases immersion. The lists below outline the pros and cons of being a level designer.
Pros:
- Freedom to design encounters, puzzles and progression systems for a level
- Work adds to usability and player satisfaction
- Builds up skills for scripting, gameplay visualisation and using game engines
- Leads to Lead Designer and Game Director roles
Cons:
- Gameplay needs to be balanced with optimization so compromises must be made
- Limited visual freedom as the main focus is on mechanics
- Constant playtesting and refinement becomes repetitive
Environment artists have the freedom to decorate models and props according to the game concept, drawing players toward lore spots. The complexity of the models needs to be simplified so as not to strain performance, though, restricting creative capabilities. The lists below go into the pros and cons of being an environment artist.
Pros:
- Moderate freedom to add details and decor to models and props
- Textures, materials and models reinforce the world is alive so immersion increases
- Skills built via modeling and texturing are applicable to multiple industries
Cons:
- Flexibility is limited by design requirements
- Player experience is less shaped by visuals than design
- Career advancements rely on a strong visual portfolio
Which is better for me: level designer or environment artist?
Level design is better for people skilled with scripting and using the level editors in game engines, whereas environmental art is better for those experienced with 3D modeling tools and texture and shader creation. Personal preferences for what each career entails are important to consider, even though both roles interact with each other in a team environment.
Level designers focus on creating spaces that enhance the flow and pacing, adding mechanics for progression. Levels start out as blockouts with basic shapes as level designers visualize how players move through a space and where enemy encounters are ideal to place. They have control over the player experience as a result, but have less artistic freedom, and multiple iterations and playtests can get repetitive.
Environment artists focus on building on the world lore via models and props, contributing to an immersive gameplay experience. In addition to proficiency with 3D modeling tools, environment artists need experience with game engines to be able to add the models and props, as well as material creation tools like Quixel and Substance Painter.
