ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the special purpose of first levels and the building blocks that help them reach their goals. It looks at how to determine what to teach with the levels and methods that level designers use to introduce game mechanics. In games, categorizing and differentiating visual information is imperative for overcoming challenges and achieving high-level play. Indie games have a long history with skill-based games where failure often means falling into an obstacle or otherwise “killing” the player’s avatar. Many games stop gameplay to deliver tutorial directions, but Death Star Attack keeps the player in the action of A New Hope’s finale. Players who have effectively mastered a game’s mechanics can do some really great things, such as telling their own stories using games. The chapter further explores how gamespaces can be used as facilitators of narrative, both pre-created by designers and created through the player’s interaction.
