Level Design Secrets for Fun, Tricky 2D Platformers
By the design team | Published: 25 October 2026 | Reading time: 6 min
Designing a fun platformer level is a craft that mixes spatial psychology with physics. In trap games, the line between "fun and challenging" and "frustrating and unfair" is very thin. This guide shares the rules we used for Trap Devil Fury's levels and shows how to use the built-in level editor well.
Rule 1: teach safely first
Before you set a deadly trap, show the player the mechanic in a safe setting where it doesn't kill them right away:
- If you are adding a crumbling platform, make the first one the player meets sit above safe ground, so they can see it shake and fall.
- Once the player understands how it works, you can later place a similar platform over a spike pit. If they fall, they blame their own hasty move, not the game. That is the heart of the fun.
Rule 2: give subtle visual cues
A good trap is never 100% random. It leaves a small hint for the attentive player:
- Lighting or color differences: fake platforms can be a slightly lighter or darker shade than solid ones.
- Geometric rhythm: if pillars are evenly spaced and one is unusually far away, that is a hint to a careful player that something is hidden in the middle.
Rule 3: pace the difficulty
Don't make every level extremely hard. Follow a wave: a hard level that demands full focus, then a fast, fun level built on dashing so the player feels relief and progress, then a puzzle, and so on, all the way to the boss fight at level 20.
How to design your own level in the game
Open the main menu and click "🛠️ Level Editor". A toolbar appears with normal platforms, crumbling platforms, fake ground, bouncy platforms, moving saws, the player start and the door. Use ▶️ Test level to try your level with one click, then export the level code as JSON and share it with everyone.