#user made levels

[extracreditsblog]

User-generated content is one of the top ways to engage players and adds a lot of replayability to a game but it comes with some interesting challenges. What are your thoughts?

[metanetsoftware]

This month we have another selection of really incredible levels by the stellar level designers in the N++ community! Wow, the intricate tile and entity designs this time around -- just amazing. Drop what you're doing and check these out! Thank you for the submissions, Skylighter, and to everyone who contributed levels (HamSandwich, NewGirl+, NiceDay, Frankytrees, and Hemogoblin) and commentary (Skylighter, NateyPooPoo, HamSandwich, Kostucha and bigblargh)!

Here are the levels, from the top screenshot above, to bottom:

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FIGHT BACK by NewGirl+

Like having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. Each room creates itself to tell a new piece of a story you thought you already knew. Remember to forget what you don't know yet and drive your way through these furtive hallways. The end is behind and in front of you. -NateyPooPoo

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VegetatioN by HamSandwich

N++ is a grid-based game full of robots, lasers, missiles, and bullets. Everything about the game evokes futuristic technology. Therefore, HamSandwich's "VegetatioN" is a naturalistic triumph. Ham isn't just suggesting the presence of natural things, instead he actually composed leaves, stems, roses, and thorns. Any mapmaker who has tried to bring the natural world into the robotic one understands just how difficult Ham's accomplishment is. Here the ninja can feel peace while strolling amongst the roses, but if a highscore is desired, the winding garden path offers a maddening number of routing choices. I don't say this lightly: this is a map anyone can enjoy. -bigblargh AKA sam

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A reversal of fortunes by NiceDay

A level where for once you'll find yourself willingly chasing the enemies. If you think on your feet and trust your instincts you might just be able to survive. -Kostucha

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For Skylighter - Phoenix Rising by Frankytrees

Rising from the ashes once more, the blazing Phoenix soars into the sky and casts its piercing gaze onto the world below!' I think this level encompasses everything I wanted to see in a map about myself. It's got the very fiery, bold design, the sharp tiles that accentuate the map, the very deceptively simple yet precarious movement on the one-ways, everything! I'm okay with it not being very hard in the end - when Franky began to make the map, he had actually asked me about the difficulty, and we ended up on something that was accessible to most, but not necessarily easy - it couldn't have come out better. I think Franky's map is definitely an easier-to-handle version of what I stand for as a mapper, both in artistic integrity and level design. I'm also very much absolutely in love with the artwork - Franky made the analogy of a phoenix when he thought of my handle, and it translated incredibly well to the medium of mines and tiles. The scorching, spanning wings and the blazing tail really bring out the charm of the great avian, radiating an air of legend and power. All in all, despite being simple to play, it's one of the many reasons I adore the effort mappers like Franky put into creating amazing art in such a niche medium. -Skylighter

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Popularity contest by Hemogoblin

There are two idiots in front of me, arguing. “I’m her favorite! I copy her every move, I worship the ground she walks on! I deserve to be with her!” one of them whines. “Ha!”, the other scoffs, “you’re just a pathetic minion. What she needs is someone strong. Someone who’s brave enough to approach her head-on, rather than meekly following in her footsteps. Someone like ME.” I roll my eyes and continue collecting all their gold. After all, this isn’t a popularity contest. It’s a robbery. -HamSandwich

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Want to play these levels? Awesome! All levels can be played from all platforms.First, you’ll need N++:

Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en_CA/games/detail/n-plus-plus-switch Xbox One: https://www.microsoft.com/en-CA/store/p/N-/BT33CHSSB89V Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/230270 PS4: https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/games/n-plus-plus-(n)/cid=UP2108-CUSA00041_00-NPPGAMENPPGAMENP Kartridge: https://www.kartridge.com/games/MetanetSoftware/n-nplusplus

Then from the Main Menu, just go to Browse, and choose the “Featured” tab. So easy! Of course the levels probably aren’t ;)

Want to suggest levels to feature, to make your own levels, or to enter design contests?Join the excellent community on discord: http://discord.gg/nplusplus