# Level Encounter Planner > Structure spaces and encounters to deliver on pillars and pacing. The craft of "what happens where and in what order." Use this skill when: (1) designing level layouts, encounter sequences, or scenario structures, (2) building pacing curves (tension/release patterns), (3) defining encounter composition (enemy mix, challenge types, resource pressure), (4) choosing spatial flow models (linear, hub-and-spoke, open, gated), (5) planning difficulty ramping across a game, (6) designing for replayability through encounter variation, (7) mapping narrative beats to specific encounters or locations. Medium-agnostic — works for digital levels, tabletop scenarios, and hybrid encounters. - Skill: `wanghaisheng/level-encounter-planner` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add wanghaisheng/level-encounter-planner` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/wanghaisheng/level-encounter-planner/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: wanghaisheng (https://skillmd.com/u/wanghaisheng) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/wanghaisheng/level-encounter-planner --- # Level/Encounter Blueprint Planner Levels and encounters are where design meets the player. Vision, pillars, loops, and narrative all converge into "what actually happens during play." This skill structures those moments. ## Level vs. Encounter **Level** — A bounded play space with a beginning, progression, and conclusion. A dungeon. A mission. A board game scenario. A chapter. **Encounter** — A discrete challenge or interaction within a level. A combat. A puzzle. A social negotiation. A skill check. Levels contain encounters. Encounters express the core loop. The level's job is to *sequence* encounters to create pacing, variety, and emotional arc. ## Spatial Flow Models How the player moves through a level: ### Linear ``` A → B → C → D → E ``` Player progresses through a fixed sequence. - **Strengths:** Easy to pace, clear narrative progression, no disorientation - **Weaknesses:** Low exploration reward, predictable, no player choice in routing - **Best for:** Narrative-driven levels, tutorial sequences, competitive maps - **Examples:** Call of Duty campaigns, Pandemic Legacy scenarios, linear dungeon crawls ### Branching ``` A → B → {C or D} → E → {F or G} → H ``` Player chooses between paths at decision points. - **Strengths:** Player agency, replay variety, strategic route planning - **Weaknesses:** Balance across paths, content some players never see - **Best for:** Roguelikes, heist missions, story-choice games - **Examples:** Slay the Spire map, Betrayal at House on the Hill exploration ### Hub-and-Spoke ``` ┌→ B ─┐ A → HUB ─┼→ C ─┼→ HUB → FINALE └→ D ─┘ ``` Central area with radiating paths the player can tackle in any order. - **Strengths:** Player freedom, natural pacing (self-directed), clear orientation - **Weaknesses:** Hub can feel repetitive, difficulty in non-linear areas varies - **Best for:** Exploration games, RPG towns, Metroidvanias - **Examples:** Zelda dungeons, Hades hub, Clue mansion ### Open/Sandbox ``` ┌─────────────┐ │ A B C D │ │ E F G H │ │ I J K L │ └─────────────┘ ``` Player can go anywhere, encounter anything. - **Strengths:** Maximum freedom, emergent discovery, high replayability - **Weaknesses:** Hard to pace, disorientation risk, difficulty to balance encounters - **Best for:** Open worlds, sandbox games, exploration-first designs - **Examples:** Breath of the Wild, Minecraft, sandbox tabletop RPG sessions ### Gated ``` A → B → [GATE: requires key] → C → D → [GATE: requires boss kill] → E ``` Linear or open with progression gates that require specific conditions. - **Strengths:** Controlled progression, mastery verification, dramatic pacing - **Weaknesses:** Can feel artificial, backtracking frustration, key-hunt tedium - **Best for:** Metroidvanias, campaign games, tiered content - **Examples:** Metroid, Gloomhaven scenario unlocks, tech-tree-gated content ## Core Deliverables ### 1. Pacing Curve The tension/release pattern across a level or session: ``` INTENSITY 5 │ ╱╲ 4 │ ╱╲ ╱ ╲ ╱╲ 3 │ ╱╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ 2 │ ╱╲ ╱ ╲╱ ╳ ╲╱ ╲ 1 │╱╲ ╱ ╲╱ ╲ 0 └────────────────────────────────── START END ↑intro ↑build ↑peak ↑climax ↑resolution ``` **Pacing principles:** - **Rising baseline** — Each peak should be slightly higher than the last - **Valleys matter** — Rest moments after peaks let the player process and anticipate - **The final peak should be the highest** — Don't put the best encounter in the middle - **Variety in peaks** — Not every peak should be the same type (combat, puzzle, narrative) - **Opening hook** — Start with a small peak to establish tone, not a slow tutorial **Pacing template per encounter:** ``` ENCOUNTER # TYPE INTENSITY DURATION PURPOSE ────────────── ──────────── ────────── ────────── ────────────────── 1 [type] [1-5] [minutes] [Why is this here?] 2 [type] [1-5] [minutes] [Why is this here?] ... ``` ### 2. Encounter Composition Templates Define the building blocks of encounters: ``` ENCOUNTER TYPE: [Name — e.g., "Ambush", "Puzzle Gate", "Resource Trove"] CHALLENGE TYPE: [Combat / Puzzle / Social / Exploration / Survival / Hybrid] DIFFICULTY: [1-5 scale relative to player's expected capability] DURATION: [Expected time to complete] RESOURCE PRESSURE: [What resources does this encounter cost the player?] REWARD: [What does the player gain?] PLAYER COUNT: [Solo / Small group / Full party / Scalable] FAILURE STATE: [What happens if the player fails? Retry? Consequence? Bypass?] PILLAR SERVED: [Which design pillars does this encounter deliver?] ``` **Encounter variety checklist:** - [ ] Challenge types vary (not all combat, not all puzzles) - [ ] Resource pressure varies (some encounters drain, some replenish) - [ ] Decision density varies (some encounters are action-heavy, some are decision-heavy) - [ ] Optional encounters exist (for exploration-motivated players) - [ ] At least one encounter per level showcases a unique or memorable moment ### 3. Difficulty Ramping Plan How challenge escalates across the full game: ``` SEGMENT DIFFICULTY NEW ELEMENTS INTRODUCED PLAYER CAPABILITY ──────────────── ──────────── ────────────────────────── ────────────────── Tutorial 1/5 Core mechanics only Baseline Early game 2/5 First system combinations Learning Mid game 3/5 Full system depth Competent Late game 4/5 Mastery-required encounters Skilled Endgame/Bonus 5/5 Creative challenge Expert ``` **Difficulty sources** (not just "enemies hit harder"): - **Mechanical complexity** — More systems active simultaneously - **Time pressure** — Less time to think and react - **Resource scarcity** — Less margin for error in resource spending - **Information scarcity** — Less knowledge about what's coming - **Combination challenge** — Requiring multiple skills/systems at once - **Opponent intelligence** — Smarter/more aggressive AI or scenario design - **Stakes escalation** — Higher consequences for failure ### 4. Replayability Design How encounters stay fresh across multiple playthroughs: **Procedural variation:** - Randomized enemy placement / encounter composition - Modular level segments that recombine - Random events or modifiers per encounter - Tabletop: shuffled event decks, random map tiles **Player-driven variation:** - Different builds/characters experience encounters differently - Multiple viable strategies per encounter - Optional objectives that change approach - Tabletop: different player count, different character combinations **Structural variation:** - Branching paths ensure different encounters per playthrough - Difficulty modifiers (challenge runs, hard mode, scenario difficulty) - Meta-progression that changes available options - Tabletop: scenario variants, legacy changes, expansion content ### 5. Level Blueprint Template Complete blueprint for a single level/scenario: ``` LEVEL NAME: [Name] LEVEL TYPE: [Main path / Side content / Optional / Bonus] SPATIAL FLOW: [Linear / Branching / Hub / Open / Gated] DURATION TARGET: [Expected play time] DIFFICULTY BAND: [Where in the difficulty curve] NARRATIVE ROLE: [What story does this level tell?] EMOTIONAL ARC: [What should the player feel at start, middle, end?] ENCOUNTER SEQUENCE: 1. [Encounter — type, intensity, duration, purpose] 2. [Encounter — type, intensity, duration, purpose] 3. [Encounter — type, intensity, duration, purpose] ... RESOURCE ECONOMY: Starting resources: [What the player enters with] Resources available: [What can be found/earned in-level] Resources consumed: [Expected expenditure] Net result: [Player should exit with more/less/same as entry?] KEY MOMENTS: [The 1-3 moments that make this level memorable] AESTHETIC NOTES: Visual: [How should this level look?] Audio: [How should this level sound?] Feel: [What's the kinesthetic/tactile mood?] ``` ## Workflow ### Designing levels/encounters for a new game 1. **Reference the core loop** (Skill 7) — Encounters are instances of the loop 2. **Reference the experience model** (Skill 4) — Levels deliver the emotional arc 3. **Reference the narrative structure** (Skill 12) — Where do story beats land? 4. **Choose spatial flow model** — What movement pattern serves the game? 5. **Build the pacing curve** — Map tension/release across the level 6. **Define encounter types** — What are the building blocks? 7. **Compose encounter sequences** — Arrange encounters to serve the pacing curve 8. **Plan difficulty ramping** — How does challenge escalate? 9. **Design replayability** — How do encounters stay fresh? 10. **Cross-check with aesthetic direction** (Skill 3) — Visual/audio pacing per encounter 11. **Cross-check with balance** (Skill 11) — Are encounters appropriately challenging? 12. **Blueprint specific levels** — Full documentation per level ### Evaluating an existing level 1. Play through and note where engagement rises, falls, or stalls 2. Map the actual pacing curve — does it match the intended curve? 3. Check encounter variety — are there enough different types? 4. Check difficulty curve — does it ramp appropriately? 5. Check resource economy — does the player exit in the intended state? 6. Check narrative delivery — do story beats land at the right moments? 7. Identify the memorable moment — every level needs at least one ## Outputs This skill produces: 1. **Pacing curves** — tension/release patterns per level and per session 2. **Encounter composition templates** — reusable building blocks 3. **Difficulty ramping plan** — challenge escalation across the full game 4. **Replayability design** — variation mechanisms 5. **Level blueprints** — complete documentation per level/scenario These outputs feed into: - **Skill 11 (Balance)** — Encounter difficulty needs balancing - **Skill 12 (Narrative)** — Encounters deliver story beats - **Skill 15 (Prototype)** — Which levels to prototype first - **Skill 16 (Playtest)** — Levels are what's being playtested - **Skill 3 (Aesthetic)** — Visual/audio pacing per encounter - **Skill 19 (GDD)** — Level designs are a core GDD section