The Rhythm of Level Design
By Peri Maciaz - Environment Artist & Level Designer
If Esquelito is about exploring a world shaped by rhythm, then the environment kit isn’t just a production tool, it’s the foundation of how players move through music. Supporting level design means building a system that allows space, pacing, and gameplay to emerge naturally. The kit determines not just what the world looks like, but how it feels to navigate within a rhythm platformer game.
Designing a level to support rhythm is a carefully constructed balancing act. In Esquelito, the player interacts with the music through movement, most prominently, jumping. Jumping to the beat is how the player builds up their “Mariachi Meter” which then gives them additional movement abilities.
Level design is rhythm. Players need moments of compression and release, consecutive jumps that create tension, followed by flat platforms that let them breathe. If the kit only supports one type of pace, the emotional range of the game shrinks. So when designing modular pieces, I think about how to accommodate the ebbs and flow of the music. One easy and effective method is to unitize the kit, allowing pieces, such as small platforms, to tile into larger ones if needed.
The kit also has to respect player movement. Wall heights, ledge depths, and structural spacing quietly define what’s possible. If jumping is central, surfaces must read clearly as footholds. I’m less concerned with technical perfection and more concerned with implied affordance, architecture and color that naturally suggests interaction. An open gate hinting at a path upward feels more immersive than an obvious gameplay marker.
A final critical factor that was in the forefront of design is audience. In the early development of the game, the level was structured more like something you would see out of a game like Super Mario Bros. It focused on skill-based gameplay, requiring precise timing and fine motor skills. The team quickly recognized that this style, or skill-based focus, were not congruent to the foundational pillars of our game: fun and rhythm. From the start, we knew that this game is intended for a wide range of audience. Instead, we pivoted to a more linear approach to the level design. When the skill requirement was removed for platforming, the player was able to more easily engage with the rhythm of the game, and consequently, experienced more fun.
When an environment kit truly supports level design, it becomes a creative partner. It enforces world logic, strengthens gameplay flow, and allows musical pacing to emerge organically. Players may never think about the kit itself, but they will feel its impact in every step they take.