The randomized level algorithm in Spelunky is the perfect example of the kind of programming exercise I enjoy. In this case, it was my distinct lack of passion for programming that led me to the idea, since I didn’t want to do anything more complicated. This system doesn’t create the most natural-looking caves ever, and players will quickly begin to recognize certain repeating landmarks and perhaps even sense that the levels are generated on a grid. But with enough templates and random mutations, there’s still plenty of variability. More importantly, it creates fun and engaging levels that the
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