Before that, please use something like this to provide enough information for us to judge:
Level Name: Souperhot
Level Creator: soupersoup
Level ID: 30495323
Level Difficulty: Normal 3*
Level Song and Author: Stay Inside Me by OcularNebula
Collaboration / Solo Level : Solo Level
Splitting into gameplay and decoration...
Gameplay
There are some aspects a level needs to achieve in order to be a good level. These include:
1) Sync. Gameplay must sync with the level, otherwise, the player would feel like playing a platformer while listening to a random song.
2) Variety. If the player is playing with a single mode, speed, or dodging only one type of obstacle, the player would be bored to death right?
3)
Uniqueness. The level needs to be different from all other levels to stand a chance against the scrutiny of the rating system. (that is getting attention from mods
)
I think this level really lacks in syncing, and attractiveness. Variety is okay, considering the length of the level. (which is too short) You should focus on making unique gameplay that is at least somehow related to the music. I recommend listening to the song a few times to get a feel about the song: what it is expressing, what emotion it want to bring. Here are a few more tips:
- Be aware that the cube can jump over triple spikes without any orbs. Be sure to check whether an orb is necessary or can be skipped by the player.
- Spamming to gain altitude is often frustrating. The faster the player needs to click, the easier they are going to lose control. This not only increases difficulty, but also increases frustration. (not those when the player messes up, but those when the level messes up)
- Either make orb combos very attractive, or never make them at all. Orb combos can be detrimental to gameplay if it is repetitive, or generic.
- Increase the readability of the level. This include marking the route, blocking out unnecessary bypasses, and avoid using dark objects with a equally dark background.
I would like to talk about a little about consistency. If you want to build a 3* level, think about what obstacles a 3* level has. Don't spam triple spikes if you want to make an easier level. People don't feel so well Michigun'd at an easy level.
Decoration
Compare your level with other epics. Does it look good? It is important to appreciate the detail in other levels. You can play any level you like as long as it is rated, but you will get the most out of epics. They are decorated with effort and time, and has decent gameplay. Some creators are generous enough to allow password-protected copying, so if you can copy them, copy them. Break down what they use and learn the details making those shiny deco. Learning deco is a long journey, so remember, try, try, try! Some other few tips:
- Explore more tabs in the level editor. Limiting your choice from the static objects (first tab) will heavily hinder your block deco.
- Using the same object repeatedly will give a bland, boring feel. Diversify your deco, either by object choice, or position, or orientation, or animation, or... you get the idea.
-
Experiment! If you are unsure what to build,
here is a video introducing different decoration style. I am personally on the modernistic side, but you are free to choose your way to fill up the gaps of the level. DO NOT go for nostalgic: those level tends to be unrated. If you really want to, first establish your fame, second design a gameplay that is super good. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Verdict
Needs Improvement. If you compared your level with other levels right now, you can see the shortcomings. This is quite good for your first level though. I remember creating a triple speed ball at my first level that is buggy, hard to play, and a waste of time verifying. Good design comes with time. Stay strong, and never give up!