Bricks, Spells & Storytelling: Crafting Game Worlds with Raphael Kidd

Joining me for this episode is Senior Level Designer Raphael Kidd, who has worked on an incredible range of titles including LEGO Horizon, Hogwarts Legacy, and LEGO DC Villains. Raph shares insights into his journey, along with his unique design approach across such a diverse set of projects. We'll also take a deep dive into his work on Hogwarts Legacy, exploring his creative influences and the perspective he brings to game design. ------- Contact Raph ------- Website: https://www.raphael-kidd.com/ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/raphael-kidd-9b6b6630 ------------------  Level Design Kit   ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d -------------  Let's Design Books --------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ---------------------- Contact Me   -----------------------   Website: https://www.maxpears.com/​ Email: [email protected]

In this episode, I'm joined by Tim Spaninks, level designer on Arc Raiders, for a deep dive into his journey through the game industry and the craft of designing immersive worlds. We talk about how Tim broke into game development, the lessons he's learned along the way, and how creating content on his YouTube channel has shaped his approach to both learning and teaching game design. The heart of the conversation focuses on level design in Arc Raiders how levels are planned, iterated on, and balanced to support exploration, combat, and player choice. Tim shares his design mindset, practical workflows, and what it really takes to build spaces that feel fun, readable, and alive in a large-scale multiplayer experience. Whether you're an aspiring game developer, a level design nerd, or just excited about Arc Raiders, this episode offers a thoughtful behind-the-scenes look at how great game worlds come together. Sign Up to News Letter: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X -------- Contact Tim -------- Website: https://www.timspaninks.com/ X: https://x.com/TimLevelDesign Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timdoesleveldesign/ ------------------  Level Design Kit   ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d -------------  Let's Design Books --------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS - ---------------------- Contact Me   -----------------------   Website: https://www.maxpears.com/​ Email: [email protected]

In this exclusive interview, Creative Director Al Yang takes us deep into the unsettling world of Silent Hill F, offering a rare look into the creative vision behind the next chapter of the iconic horror franchise. Al discusses the narrative themes, artistic inspirations, and emotional core shaping the game's haunting atmosphere. He reveals how the team approached psychological horror in a fresh, culturally rich way, and what fans can expect from its setting, characters, and disturbing new creatures. From story philosophy to visual design and the challenges of reimagining Silent Hill for a new generation, this episode is a must-watch for horror fans, game developers, and anyone curious about the craft of building fear from the ground up. Sign Up to News Letter: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ----------------------- Contact Al Yang ---------------------- Twitter: https://x.com/QQBert BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/qqbert.bsky.social ------------------  Level Design Kit   ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d --------------  Let's Design Books --------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Contact Me   -----------------------   Website: https://www.maxpears.com/​ Email: [email protected] Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt

First ep of Nov and we are kicking off with a great interview with Co-Founder/Art Director Prshant of 'Look North World'. Formed of incredible industry Vets who are taking their skills and designing for a new space for Fortnite's User Generated Content.  join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ------------------ Contact Prashant Patil ----------------- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashant-patil-6028401b Website - https://looknorth.world/ ------------------  Level Design Kit  ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d -------------- Level Design Books -------------- Let's Design Books --------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Contact Me   -----------------------   Website: https://www.maxpears.com/​ Email: [email protected] Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt  

Hey All, Thank you for all reaching out and supporting the Level Design Kit. I have heard the cry for a better understanding of how to use these tools. I wanted to give a bit more of a deatiled break down so please enjoy. ------------------ Level Design Kit  ----------------- Buy Here: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d Low Poly Shooter: https://fab.com/s/578036b16d6c Advanced Locomotion: https://fab.com/s/0eb8afffb774  

Hey All,  We are blasting through Sept way quicker than I want haha, but I wanted to announce the plan of what I will be doing come October for Blocktober and hopefully I can hear what you are all thinking!  join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ---------------------------- Let's Design Books ----------------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Level Design Kit ----------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------- Contact Me   -----------------------   Website: https://www.maxpears.com/​ Email: [email protected] Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt

A banger of an episode today as I am joined by the Associate Lead Scripter Vladimir Gaidenko. We break down his career and what his time is like balancing that of his leadership abilities while scripting the games he works on (We are talking level Scripting)  join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ---------------------- Contact Vladimir ---------------------- Twitter: https://x.com/De_Von_Ver LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonver/ ------------------------- Let's Design Books ----------------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Level Design Kit ----------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------- Contact Me  -----------------------  Website: https://www.maxpears.com/​ Email: [email protected] Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt

Welcokme in the autumn, by welcoming in more great resources, as we talk about more tools & the wrap up from Gamescom. Take a look what you might enjoy and grow from.  join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ---------- Resources ---------- Silent Hill F: http://bit.ly/45IKGjr Mike Bithell Podcast: http://bit.ly/4g7w2pw BlackEye Camera: http://bit.ly/3JFpVwx Door Problem: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/revisiting-the-door-problem-with-liz-england-game-developer-podcast-ep-53 Blood of the Dawn Walker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrqS0dN5Jis&ab_channel=IGN Lego Horizons: https://interactive.libsyn.com/how-two-studios-brought-lego-horizon-adventures-to-life  ---------------------- Let's Design Books ----------------------- Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ----------------------- Level Design Kit ----------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/​ Email: [email protected] Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt

A slightly different episode as we are joined by Brian Horowitz the founder of Creative Arcade. We talk about how arcades have changes over the years and what innovations they have designed when creating thier projects. join the Mailing List: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X --------------------------------- Creative Arcade -------------------------------- Website: http://bit.ly/45bQi46  ---------------------- Let's Design Books -----------------------  Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS  ----------------------- Level Design Kit ----------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d ----------------------- Contact Me ----------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/​ Email: [email protected]  Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bit.ly/42HX9Tt

Welcome everyone, it is a new month, so time to talk about some cool elements which we have found! Editing took a little longer on this but we hope you enjoy! Sign up to Newletter: https://bit.ly/4eNPm8X ------------------------------------------------ Resources ------------------------------------------------ GDC Talk: https://youtu.be/UTE_bVUeHCQ Making Movie Titles: https://youtu.be/Ggw8Gqi4-Z0 Movie Posters: https://youtu.be/BEbW2fXSShc Game Developer Podcas: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/mike-bithell-s-journey-from-auteur-to-studio-boss-game-developer-podcast-ep-49 ----------------------- Let's Design Books ------------------------ Ebook - https://bit.ly/39BakJD Physical Books - https://bit.ly/3mfOsbS ---------------------------------- Level Design Kit ---------------------------------- Purchase now: https://bit.ly/4gYaJ9d  ----------------------------------- Contact Me  ---------------------------------- Website: https://www.maxpears.com/​ Email: [email protected] Twitter: https://x.com/MaxPears Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/maxpears.bsk...