------------------------------
  Required skills
------------------------------
This game deliberately includes very few gameplay elements.
To plan what we can achieve with them, I have elaborated
this small list of the skills we can require to the player
and the elements we can combine to test each skill.


1) Precise platforming
    - hard jumps
    - small platforms
    - big falls
    - obstructing spikes

2) Movement coordination
    - Conveyors
    - Springs
    - Morning stars
    
3) Exact timing
    - On/Off blocks
    - Springs
    - Morning stars
    - Conveyors
    
4) Routing
    - Coins
    - Keys and doors
    - One ways
    - Bridges
    - Goal
    
5) Speedrunning
    - Different timer allowances
    - Waiting on on/off blocks
    - Waiting on morning stars
    - Fast movement on conveyors


------------------------------
  Level planning
------------------------------
In addition to the skill tests, I have found very useful to
build every map having some central idea. So, the ideas I
used to make each of the 30 levels were the following:


1-1) Teach the base game mechanics: Coins, goal, spikes
1-2) Present falls and longer levels (scrolling)
1-3) Present on/off blocks and require simple timing
1-4) Present one ways and key doors: light routing
1-5) Larger level, more complex routing with coordination

1-6) Precise platforming with more spikes
1-7) Present springs, jump over walls or climb high
1-8) Multiple key doors, precise platforming, less generous timer
1-9) On/Off sections combined with springs
1-10) Coins placed in aerial spring jumps, more spikes, less generous timer 

2-1) Present conveyors
2-2) Nested key doors
2-3) More advanced movement: springs + conveyors
2-4) Present morning stars
2-5) Downwards level (spring elevators, then descents)

2-6) Morning stars + Conveyors
2-7) Connected rooms concept
2-8) More advanced movement: conveyors + on/off
2-9) More advanced movement: springs + on/off
2-10) Labyrinth (complex routing, thin passages, traps, maximum coins)

3-1) Morning stars + Springs
3-2) Advanced timing: Morning stars, On/Off, Springs
3-3) 3 separate sections, 1 coin each. Vertical level
3-4) Top to bottom level, single screen width, some traps
3-5) Very large level, mostly horizontal. Maximum coins

3-6) Advanced movement: Conveyors + Springs + On/Off
3-7) Morning stars + Conveyors (conveyor passages)
3-8) Short stage, sequential challenges, tight timer
3-9) Round clockwise path, use all elements
3-10) Hard platforming with spikes, timer a bit tight


Of course, to actually design the whole level you will need
more details than this, but that comes with experience.


------------------------------
  Teaching game mechanics
------------------------------
A level especially important in every game is the first
level, in which you need to teach the basics of gameplay.
That is even more important in a game like this, that
features no tutorials at all. For instance, in level 1-1,
one of the coins is placed in a block 3 tiles over the
player, to make them realize they can't reach that coin
in a single jump (the maximum height a jump can clear is
2 blocks).

Also, when teaching new mechanics, it is useful to first
intoduce them in an easy way so that players can safely
experiment and understand them. After that you can now
design harder tests to encourage players to master those
mechanics to a higher degree.
