Store Page
Portal 2
All Discussions Screenshots Artwork Broadcasts Videos Workshop News Guides Reviews

Portal 2

Store Page
Portal 2 > Guides > RGB Productions's Guides
42 ratings
How to make a good Portal 2 puzzlemaker map
By RGB Productions
I will be telling you what should and shouldn't be involved in a Portal 2 puzzlemaker test chamber.
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Created by
RGB Productions
Offline
Category: Maps or Levels
Languages: English
Posted
28 Jan, 2017 @ 2:37pm
1,470 Unique Visitors
31 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
The portal gun has no use 
Where's the challenge? 
Where is everything? 
It's getting crowded in here! 
Make it smaller, please 
The story is ruined 
Easter egg! 
Strategy is very fun! 
Playtesting 
Comments
The portal gun has no use
When making a test chamber, don't make it completely black. The portal gun is in the game for a reason. For many reasons, actually. Making it so you can't place any portals makes for a terrible test chamber.

A completely black test has very negative feedback and very little positive. Possibly, it could have no positive feedback.
Where's the challenge?
Making a 100% white test chamber makes for an easy test chamber. There's no way you are giving a challenge to the players. Making that kind of test has the same feedback as a 100% black test. Very negative, and very little or no positive.

Give players a challenge! Make some black surfaces and some obstacles. Remember to not put too much black surfaces!
Where is everything?
Making a dark chamber is no fun. It would leave players with the questions, "Where's a pit? Where's deadly goo? Where's a portal surface? Where's the wall? Where's the ceiling?". Use light strips and observation rooms in the test. Don't put too much light, though. That makes for an ugly test chamber.
It's getting crowded in here!
Make sure your player can get around easily. Don't put too many items. The player won't have enough space to work with. There might be space, but it might bug the player to have so many things here and there and everywhere. A few items here and there would give positive feedback. Just don't go crazy with the items!
Make it smaller, please
Don't make a test with a lot of unnecessary space. Even though the player has a lot of area to move around in, you shouldn't have too much area. Test chambers aren't supposed to be huge. They're supposed to be fairly small but easy to navigate.
The story is ruined
If you make a test where you can get trapped, then it'll be way less fun. At least make it so they die when they get trapped. Remember that Portal is a story-based game, and in real life, you don't have a restart button. Getting trapped to the point where you need to use the button ruins the entire story of the test.
Easter egg!
You can put secrets in your test chamber. If you can get into the area where the secret is, then it'll be even better. Put the secret where players usually don't go. For example, in the roof. If you want to make it so that players can enter the secret place, but it's not able to be walked into, then make a portal surface in it.
Strategy is very fun!
Making a strategy test really fits Portal 2, because Portal is mainly a story with strategy in it. Using strategy in a test will make it a great test! Don't make it to the point where it's extremely hard, though. Making it too hard will make players get confused and make them require help.
Playtesting
When you finish making the map, before sending it to the public, you should give it to a friend and have them tell you if it's playable or unplayable. If it's playable, or very close to playable, then you can publish it. If it's unplayable, or almost unplayable, then you should edit it to make it playable. Remember, you know the solution, but others don't. They might get stuck without knowing what to do. You know how to solve it.
12 Comments
< >
cortinastone 8 Mar, 2020 @ 7:41pm 
what abut mods?
3DartBlade 8 Mar, 2020 @ 2:52pm 
I don't completely agree with all of those. Sure, they make for a playable test chamber, but I think it's important to think outside the box. Try to make something smart! Something that nobody ever saw before! Something that breaks the rules, but still fun!

And do playtesting. Playtesting is VERY important.
Cheers!
Nick 29 Feb, 2020 @ 7:33pm 
hard test 5
jarmge 22 Feb, 2020 @ 5:16am 
You should also include not having enough lighting
nafclark 22 Nov, 2019 @ 4:17pm 
how do you get the portal gun out then!!!????!?
Mikeastro 20 Nov, 2019 @ 4:19pm 
Even though there are some helpful things present in this guide, there's also a lot of things I strongly disagree with. I do mostly agree with @Dark Rozen's comment and I would encourage anyone who reads this guide to read his comment as well
Dracoli-Z_Gaming 15 Nov, 2019 @ 4:53pm 
where is that app
Xx_tH3_d4rK_10rD_xX 4 Oct, 2019 @ 4:59pm 
use beemod 2.4 or hammer
AlexaKD24 1 Oct, 2019 @ 9:22pm 
epic
Dark Rozen 27 Sep, 2019 @ 6:43pm 
I'm now going to run through these and prove you wrong. First chambers that are all black / white do get positive feedback, try The White Room by Toncica, or White Christmas by Demon Arisen. As long as the player is comfortable, the room can be whatever size, I've seen giant chambers, with a very hard puzzle. Example Whole Shebang by Libbybapa. Trapping I agree is tedious, However, you shouldn't have to die to get out. Easter eggs can sometimes be fun, but too many can make a puzzle feel confusing. Strategy makes a chamber good in design, and satisfied to solve. Hard strategy can help players learn new mechanics, such as momentum, and different usage of puzzle elements. Playtesting is the most important. You should always check yourself for any exploits before making a puzzle viral, Friends can also do this, But you'll find it much more satisfied if you find it yourself.