All That's Left - Last of Us Inspired Level
Summary
All That’s Left is a The Last of Us inspired, linear, narrative-driven level that combines stealth, dynamic combat, and player choice. While the level provides clear guidance to the player, it also offers multiple routes for traversal and engagement, particularly within larger areas. This balance allows players to experience both structured storytelling and freedom in how they approach each encounter, offering a variety of tactical options and collectibles to encourage exploration.
The player is searching for his sister, who has been taken by an unknown group. Captured inside a cathedral the player is tasked with reaching, locating and rescuing her from there by the group. Once she is freed, the player must escape by reaching the car outside the cathedral and driving away while under fire from any remaining enemies.
A level design breakdown video where I show and explain some of the thought processes behind creating and implementing this inspired The Last of Us level.
Design Intentions
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Year: 2025
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Genre: Third Person Action-Adventure
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POV: Third Person
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Type: Single Player
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Platform and Engine: Windows PC
& Unreal Engine 5 -
Team Size: 1
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Duration: 6 Months
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Achieve a touching story using only environmental storytelling
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Build a level with objectives, collectibles, stealth options and combat spaces that support different player approaches
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Integrate and improve on Blueprint Scripted events
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Combat scenario setup and scripting
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Practice blocking, sculpting, enemy & collectible placements
My Process
Research and Design
As this is a Last of Us inspired level and all the levels in Last of Us are based from real places it was important to plan where the level would take place and how it would look before jumping into Unreal Engine. After some research I decided Guildford which is a town in England would be a very good place to create the level. This was because I wanted to have a main landmark in my level and due to the town having a cathedral at a very high point I decided this would be a great anchor point which would provide guidance, player engagement and world building to the player. Since I wanted the player to see and reach the cathedral from far away I made sure I designed the level in a way that they would start from the low ground and gradually walk their way up by going through sections within the level.
Inspired by The Last of Us, my goal was to give players guidance, multiple options for traversal and combat, POI, environmental storytelling, visual cues and tension and pacing.
The images below show the references I took from the real place in Guildford with the Cathedral and university campus being the main structures which I created in my level. I did some drawings on top of the screenshots before starting the level layout phase because I wanted to have an idea of where the player could start from and what route they could take to reach the cathedral.
Level Layout
Using Canva I create a 2D layout map that would give me a rough overview of the level. This helped me with the blocking out process, and made it easier for me to know how the level would look and where all of the objects, enemies, collectibles, objectives and buildings would be placed.
Blockout Process
Using basic shapes, modeling, and landscape tools, I began greyboxing and sculpting each section of the level to establish the core layout and player flow. I started with the motorway and the campus entrance as the initial areas, then continued building each section until reaching the final location which is the cathedral on top of the hill. Along the way, I added cover points, objects, enemies, collectibles, and traversal routes to support both structured storytelling and player freedom. This design approach allows players to choose how they engage in encounters and complete objectives. Each area was designed to feel distinct, offering unique gameplay experiences throughout exploration and combat.
This before and after slider showcases the level's progression through multiple iterations during the blockout stage.
Level Design Techniques
Landmarks
I decided to create the cathedral at the top of the hill as the main landmark and also show it early in the player's view because I wanted this to be the tallest structure in the level, provided a clear directional goal and for it to serve as a key visual reference point while the player is exploring the level.
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Another example is the drop down from the ladder here which stops the player from returning and shows that they’ve entered a new area of the level.
Guiding The Player
Multiple techniques have been used in the level for guiding the player.
Navigational Colour scheme: To improve clarity and guide the player throughout the level, I added a distinct colour such as yellow which highlights climbable and interactable elements and improves the overall flow and navigation.
Enemies which are placed in certain areas to show and tell the player they can maybe go to that part of the level even though it might be dangerous
Landmarks which help the player reach their objectives
One Way Valve
Similar to Last of Us throughout the level I used one way valves which is a point of no return which transitions players between spaces. For example, the drop down here stops the player from returning and shows that they’ve entered a new area of the level.
Environmental Storytelling
Throughout the level I used environmental details like notes, graphite on the walls and the condition of objects and scenes in the level which told the story of what happened in the location the player is exploring and continuing towards the next location.
Level Walkthrough
The level begins with the player walking along a motorway and finding a body with a note, some supplies and a clear sightline which directs the player’s attention toward the next objective. The player is also introduced to some mechanics. The reason behind my choices are to make the player understand and get used to the mechanics, give them some narrative and show them straight away where they have to get to.
To guide the player, I used funneling which is a technique that guides players through a narrow path towards a specific area before it opens into a larger space. Here, the funnel guides players directly to their first main objective, the university campus entrance, ensuring they stay on track to reach it.
The next section introduces more freedom to explore while slowly revealing the narrative.
Since verticality is an important part of Last of Us, I made sure to include it here. Instead of just opening a gate or going through a hole in the wall the player climbs and navigates across the wall in different ways. Each section introduces new mechanics that will be important later, while also keeping traversal interesting.
Further into the level as the player has not been introduced to any enemies yet, I wanted the first zombie combat encounter to be simple. So here, I placed a zombie facing away from the player to let them learn and get comfortable with the mechanics and avoid any immediate difficulty while preparing them for harder challenges ahead.
Here I designed this area with multiple routes (Short Route and Long Route) and engagement options because I didn’t want the player to be forced to follow the same path after each elimination. This also gave them the freedom to choose how to approach each encounter. After reaching the building where the enemy is located and discovering the bow, if the player chose not to eliminate the enemies below, they can practice shooting and learn a new mechanic.
I decided to make the cathedral have multiple entrances and exits, because I wanted the player to have the freedom and options of choosing where to enter and exit the building from. The cover outside gives the player the option to either go stealth mode or take cover while in an open combat.
Final view of the end scene where I decided to end the level with an open ending. This will make the player think there might be more to the story and leaves room for a potential sequel.
Iteration
After blocking out my first layout by following the 2D map I made (as well as making tweaks along the way) I realised my layout had these issues after doing playtesting and getting feedback:
Funneling: In the initial design of the level at the start I did not have any funneling and the player went directly towards the gate. After some testing and decision making I created a narrow path which opens into a larger space and reveals the rest of the area.
Path Changes: Originally, the player moved through the building via the right side. After testing and gathering feedback, I changed the progression so the player moved through the building via the left side. This adjustment allowed the player to move through the first part of the level more smoothly, without needing to enter and exiting the buildings multiple times. It kept the gameplay from feeling repetitive or boring.
I also removed the traversal wall where players would jump over and be suddenly overwhelmed by zombies. Instead, I added a hole inside the building. This gave the player a higher vantage point, allowing them to view the area from above and plan their route more strategically.
From here, the player also has two main choices:
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Use stealth to save ammo, but take a riskier route.
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Take the direct combat route, using barrels to clear zombies quickly, but lose valuable resources needed later.
Traversal: Originally, the player simply jumped across and continued moving from building to building. After some testing, this progression felt repetitive and boring and I noticed that I hadn’t used another traversal moment since the campus wall, so this felt like the right place to reintroduce it. Here, the player now has to jump and use stealth while moving along the top, staying above the enemies to avoid being detected.
Conclusion
To conclude while working on this level design project I wanted to follow the level design process of creating 2D sketches and jumping straight into UE5 without wasting time and start blocking.
All That's Left was an incredibly rewarding experience. It deepened my understanding of the action adventure genre and challenged me to improve the quality of the level experiences I can create. By having played and also studied The Last of Us and its mechanics, I refined my blockout workflow and learned new ways to craft engaging gameplay moments.
My main goal was to design an immersive, narrative-driven experience that was both visually captivating and emotionally resonant. From tense yet intriguing exploration areas to heart-pounding combat encounters, every element was carefully crafted to engage players and leave a lasting impression.
Although I’m happy with the final result, there are a few things I would improve next time. For example, I would add an intro cutscene like the outro to set the tone and provide context for the player. I would also make some combat areas feel more intense by giving enemies better patrol routes and positioning. Additionally, I’d place more strategic cover points so players can use stealth, take advantage of positioning, and protect themselves during firefights.
Overall, I learned a lot from this project. I was able to create a level that mirrors the constraints and quality seen in The Last of Us.