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Game Development vocabulary · Level Design

Greybox

Meaning in game development, with examples

/ˈɡreɪbɑːks/nounCommon term

In game development, greybox means: An early version of a level built from simple grey shapes with no final art, used to test layout, scale, routes and timing before artists spend time on it.

In Turkish: greybox, gri kutu taslağı, blockout

How it is used

Also called a blockout, and spelled graybox in American English. It is also a verb: to greybox a level. Level designers greybox, playtest and iterate many times before handing a level to environment artists.

Example sentences

  1. The greybox already shows that the bridge is too long to be fun.

  2. Let's playtest the greybox before anyone starts modeling buildings.

Common collocations

  • greybox a level
  • greybox phase
  • blockout
  • greybox layout
  • level designThe work of creating the spaces a game takes place in, such as maps, missions and stages, and deciding where players go, what they meet and how hard it is.
  • prototypeA quick, rough version of a game or feature made to test whether an idea is fun or works, before the team spends time on final art and polish.
  • playtestA session in which people play an unfinished version of the game while the team watches and collects feedback on fun, difficulty and confusing moments.
  • pacingThe rhythm of a level or game: how action, exploration, story and quiet moments are mixed and timed so that players stay interested without getting tired.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Level Design

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