Measuring

Measuring & Data Analysis for Levels

• Subjective vs Objective measurement

• Personal experience = subjective

  • Different designers have varying opinions
  • Can like/dislike for different reasons

• Games allow objective measurement via data

• Gameplay Metrics

• Start/Completion rates

  • Ratio: starts vs completions
  • High drop-off can indicate:

    Too difficult Too boring

  • Used to fine-tune levels

    Test difficulty adjustments Watch rate changes

  • Used in Mario Maker 2

    Main metric = completion rate

• Heat maps

  • Visual representation of activity
  • Shows:

    Most traversed areas Problem spots Choke points Unused areas

  • Can record:

    Player position Firing rates Movement speed

  • “Critical for arena multiplayer maps”

• Post-release measurement

  • Achievements/badges

    Mark completion Data for future design

Level measurement combines objective data with subjective experience to improve design. Using metrics like completion rates and heat maps allows designers to fine-tune levels based on actual player behavior rather than assumptions.