Level designer Max Pears builds a practical bridge from basic shape theory (rounded shapes = inviting, sharp shapes = threatening) to concrete level-design techniques, and the clearest demonstration is Nintendo’s triangle trick in Breath of the Wild. Nintendo’s own diagrams show how triangular terrain naturally pulls players to either climb for a vantage point or travel around the base — and by hiding landmarks behind triangles, the world teases curiosity without revealing everything. The Division’s Manhattan offers the counter-example: rectangular grid blocks create a corridor-like forward-pull and a trapped, outnumbered feeling that reinforces the cover-shooter narrative, with players moving around squares rather than climbing them. Get-to-the-top progression is also fundamentally different — Zigzag fire escapes in The Division versus the triangle’s straightforward climb — meaning the same shape theory that makes Hyrule feel open and adventurous makes New York feel claustrophobic and directional. The article is a primer rather than an encyclopedia, but the BotW triangle tool is immediately applicable: place a triangle-shaped landform between the player and a point of interest, and they will almost certainly investigate whatever you’ve hidden behind it.
Shape Theory in Level Design
How Nintendo used triangles to make Breath of the Wild's Hyrule irresistible to explore — and why The Division's rectangles tell a completely different story about player movement.