Composition

Composition is the arrangement of shapes, values, colours and light so that a viewer's eye reads a view in the order you intend: the main subject first, supporting detail next, everything else last. Mateusz Piaskiewicz writes: "A level designers' work can be compared to that of a painter" (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design).

In games, the player controls the camera. You cannot compose every frame, so you compose the views that matter and make the rest calm and readable.

#Composing a space you walk through

Felix Leyendecker, a senior environment artist at id Software, says: "Since the player is constantly moving, there's no such thing as a fixed image composition in an FPS game" (80 Level: Environment Design: Modularity, Color &…). His advice is to pick a limited number of positions where composition matters, such as:

• a doorway that gives the first look into a room,
• a vantage point or watchtower that gives an overview,
• a fork in a corridor that presents several choices (80 Level: Environment Design: Modularity, Color &…).

Piaskiewicz calls the place where the player has to stand to see a composition the observation spot, and suggests using choke points or funnels, corridor-like spaces, to point the player at it (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design). In open worlds he recommends planning for "a few main paths" rather than every angle (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design). These spots overlap heavily with layout and flow and wayfinding.

#Layers: foreground, midground, background

Piaskiewicz divides a composition into layers (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design):

• Foreground — the layers closest to the observer. It frames the main subject and is "commonly overlooked in games".
• Centre of interest — holds the dominant element, the focal point, plus an optional secondary "counterpoint".
• Background — closes the composition. He advises: "Avoid using strong colors, sharp lines and lots of detail."
• Staffage (optional) — living figures, such as people or animals, whose gaze can lead the eye.

Andreas Lohse used the same structure in his Get Away alley scene: "I made sure to have elements in the foreground to frame the main visual interest and add more depth to the scene" (80 Level: Get Away: Lighting & Composition in…). He also layered light colour from "cold -> warm -> cold" to separate depth planes (80 Level: Get Away: Lighting & Composition in…). See light and shadow and colour for environments.

#Focal points

A focal point is where the eye lands first. Piaskiewicz lists ways to create one: detail, lines, colour, lighting, scale and motion (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design). "The most important objects should be well lit," and "Bigger composition elements will get more attention than the rest of the scene" (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design). The full term is covered in focal point.

Detail also needs rest around it. Leyendecker's guideline is that "30% of the space should contain 70% of the detail", with large calm surfaces in between (80 Level: Environment Design: Modularity, Color &…).

#Leading lines

Leading lines are edges or alignments that carry the eye towards something. Piaskiewicz separates practical lines, drawn by visible edges, from virtual lines such as a character's line of sight (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design). He attributes moods to directions (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design):

• horizontal lines bring out breadth and depth,
• vertical lines highlight height and strength,
• curved lines include the S-shaped "Line of Beauty",
• angled lines "give the impression of dynamic and active scene".

Treat the mood claims as conventions, much like shape language. The reliable part is the direction: converging lines lead the eye, and in a game they often lead the feet too.

#Framing

Framing puts darker or simpler shapes around the subject, like a picture frame. Doorways, arches, overhangs and foreground foliage all frame. Framing also limits where the player can look, which is why corridors and funnels work as composition tools (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design).

#Balance

Piaskiewicz distinguishes two ways of positioning the dominant element, which set the balance of a frame (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design):

• Static (symmetric): the dominant sits in the middle. Suited to patterns and architecture.
• Dynamic (asymmetric): the dominant sits off-centre, with a margin between it and the screen edge. Suited to natural scenes.

Visual weight comes from "color brightness and intensity, size and detail", not physical mass (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design). A small, bright, detailed object can balance a large dark one.

#The rule of thirds

The rule of thirds divides the frame into a 3 × 3 grid and places key elements on the lines or their intersections.

#Fixed shots versus a moving player camera

Fixed shots include portfolio renders, cutscenes, loading screens and fixed-camera games. Here classic picture composition applies directly: you can choose the lens, height and framing. Lohse found that changing the viewpoint helped: "By getting up high or down low, you are able to create a more interesting composition" (80 Level: Get Away: Lighting & Composition in…). Bennun's course teaches "choosing proper camera angles" and keeping "consistency between foreground and background" in a 3D layout before painting over it (The Gnomon Workshop: Environmental Storytelling: Composition and…). See cameras, lenses and field of view.

Gameplay cameras move. Leyendecker notes that in 3D "the camera perspective isn't fixed", so composition changes as the player sees objects from different angles (80 Level: Environment Design: Modularity, Color &…). Practical consequences:

• Compose at observation spots, then check the views on the way in and out.
• Prefer compositions built from strong masses and value groups; they survive angle changes.
• Piaskiewicz notes composition is simpler "when the observer is not able to move" (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design), so use moments where movement is constrained (lifts, ladders, doorways, cutscene transitions) for your strongest frames.
• Gameplay comes first. "It's easier to fit the composition into existing gameplay than break the gameplay" (Game Developer: Composition in Level Design).

#Interior design and composition

Dan Cox's GDC 2014 talk argues that interior design techniques have direct parallels in level art and design (GDC Vault: What Modern Interior Design Teaches Us About…). Interior designers solve composition in rooms people walk through, which is closer to the game problem than painting is.

#Further reading and watching