Hej hej! After 4 months, I have finally conquered the most daunting part of my quest to play and rate every KS level. 703 697 levels later, here are my personal letter grade reviews for levels submitted by authors N-S, corresponding to pages 18-25 on knyttlevels.com.

Disclaimer: I don't consider myself an authority on what makes a "good" level. It's a lot easier for me to fill in a single letter on a spreadsheet than spend hours making these levels so if a particular grade seems unfair I am more than happy to give more in-depth thoughts on any particular level.

As always, these ratings aren't meant to discourage anyone or be harsh. Making a level always beats not making a level.


What each grade corresponds to:   

OUTDATED   Obsolete versions of levels (see newer version for review)     
N/A  Tileset showcases, demos, etc. that can't be judged for gameplay     
---   ---     
F   Broken / flawed to the point of unplayable     
D   Severe issues (see criteria below) that makes completing the level unenjoyable / will not replay     
C   Average levels / no strong feelings one way or the other / good aspects counteracted by flaws     
B   Great levels that are replayable, or great level concepts       
A   Must-play levels     


Things that may negatively impact grade (-):               
Broken levels           
Random tile or enemy spam           
Excessive "hallway screens" that pad-out level with no challenge or noteworthy visuals           
Unnessesarily long walking period before recieving run powerup (unrelated to challenge)           
Arbitrary hidden spikes / invisible death tiles           
Wall clipping on screen transitions / void pits           
Poor distinction between foreground / background tiles           
Poor save point placement (e.g. save point > multple hallway screens > challenge)           
Surprise death by environment/enemy immediately on screen transition           


While playing each level, I've considered its gameplay (challenge, platforming, puzzle) , art (quality of assets/tileset), worldbuilding (unique lore, worlds that feel "alive"), atmosphere (mood), music, and storytelling. My ratings are gameplay-forward, meaning, for example, that a "fun to play" level with average graphics typically will be rated higher than a tedious level with great graphics.


I'm biased in favor of (+):
difficulty:   hard / very hard
genre:   puzzles
art style:   simple and stylized (e.g. Hostile Landscape) can score just as well as 'realistic / heavily detailed' art
mechanic:   use of minimap
   
I'm biased against (-):
genre: mazes   
genre: massive exploration levels   


Without further to do...

SPREADSHEET: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BZHKZnLvsjdrpTRF7z6tdhQaN8bL2FRoP96rAa7nMhU/edit?usp=sharing


If you are unable to sort/edit due to the permission settings, feel free to make a copy of the sheet.

Stats (Imgur): https://imgur.com/a/Vkyxc1F

Sorted by grade (Imgur): https://imgur.com/a/ZuhXcyP

Sorted by author (Imgur): https://imgur.com/a/NocG0ko

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Tjenare! This is part II in my quest to play and rate every KS level before the heat death of the universe [impossible]. Here are my personal letter grade reviews for levels submitted by authors D-H corresponding to pages 6-12 on knyttlevels.com.

Disclaimer: I don't consider myself an authority on what makes a "good" level. It's a lot easier for me to fill in a single letter on a spreadsheet than spend hours making these levels so if a particular grade seems unfair I am more than happy to give more in-depth thoughts on any particular level.       

---

What each grade corresponds to:     

OUTDATED   Obsolete versions of levels (see newer version for review)      
N/A   Tileset showcases, demos, etc. that can't be judged for gameplay      
---   ---      
F   Broken / flawed to the point of unplayable      
D   Severe issues (see criteria below) that makes completing the level unenjoyable / will not replay      
C   Average levels / no strong feelings one way or the other / good aspects counteracted by flaws      
B   Great levels that are replayable, or great level concepts       
A   Must-play levels      

---

Things that may negatively impact grade (-) :            
            
Broken levels            
Random tile or enemy spam            
Excessive "hallway screens" that pad-out level with no challenge or noteworthy visuals            
Unnessesarily long walking period before recieving run powerup (unrelated to challenge)            
Arbitrary hidden spikes / invisible death tiles            
Wall clipping on screen transitions / void pits            
Poor distinction between foreground / background tiles            
Poor save point placement (e.g. save point > multple hallway screens > challenge)            
Surprise death by environment/enemy immediately on screen transition            

---

While playing each level, I've considered its gameplay (challenge, platforming, puzzle) , art (quality of assets/tileset), worldbuilding (unique lore, worlds that feel "alive"), atmosphere (mood), music, and storytelling. My ratings are gameplay-forward, meaning, for example, that a "fun to play" level with average graphics typically will be rated higher than a tedious level with great graphics.


I'm biased in favor of (+):
challenge level:   hard / very hard
genre:   puzzles
art style:   simple and stylized (e.g. Hostile Landscape) can score just as well as 'realistic / heavily detailed' art
mechanic:   use of minimap
   
I'm biased against (-):   
genre: mazes   
genre: massive exploration levels   

---

Without further to do...

SHEETS link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16EkmumEwA1tVzA4MEnim-VG1MTARIGG7hDvJLNwyFOE/edit#gid=1086492532

If you are unable to sort/edit due to the permission settings, feel free to make a copy of the sheet.

IMGUR stats: https://imgur.com/a/Vw9KJ0E

IMGUR sorted by grade: https://imgur.com/a/HJbgINg

IMGUR sorted by author: https://imgur.com/a/KAjzXCi

Hej hej,

Here is a roundup of "single screen" levels that I have found over the years.

This list may be useful for those who enjoy these sort of levels and are looking for more, and may spur some good discussion on the design of such levels. Personally, I always enjoy stumbling upon these as they offer bite-sized experiences that bring out the designer's creativity working within the constraints.




The list below is not exhaustive, so please share if I am missing anything! There is at least one (very hard) level from memory that I haven't added.

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Take the Eyeball - ErSorro
[Hard][Small][Misc]
download: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/ErSorro%20-%20Take%20the%20Eyeball.knytt.bin

     Challenge Rating: Medium

     Puzzle Rating: Easy

     Misc Thoughts: Default tileset which is nicely presented. The background elements and clearly marked borders are a nice touch
                                 without the level feeling too busy. There are a few tough jumps.


One Epic Screen - pfrangip
[Very Hard][Tiny][Puzzle/Challenge]
download: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/pfrangip%20-%20One%20Epic%20Screen.knytt.bin

     Challenge Rating: Very Hard

     Puzzle Rating: Very Hard

     Misc. Thoughts: One of my favorite levels in this category. Very well crafted with no clear path to progress. Is that powerup just
                                  out of reach a dead-end or are your reflexes just not quick enough? The answer is never obvious.
                                  *spoiler* Only nit would be with the intuitiveness of the code section, as far as how to apply it to the buttons after you solve the code and figure out the value of each symbol.
                                                                    Fortunately, there is a heuristic approach (visual, no math required) that coincidentally (?) gives the correct answer.


Deluxe 1screen v1.2 - Lvl100Magikarp
[Very Hard][Small][Challenge/Playground]
download: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/Lvl100Magikarp%20-%20Deluxe%201screen%20v1.2.knytt.bin

     Challenge Rating: Normal

     Puzzle Rating: Normal

     Misc. Thoughts: Clean presentation. The two monsters with random projectiles may feel frustrating for those who are only
                                  looking for a puzzle, but they add to the challenge.


Onescreen - David L
(Hard/Very Hard, Small, Puzzle/Challenge)
download: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/David%20L%20-%20Onescreen.knytt.bin

     Challenge Rating: Normal/Hard

     Puzzle Rating: Normal

     Misc. Thoughts: The beginning in particular can be tricky when figuring out your surroundings. This is mitigated by save points
                                  strewn across the map at every powerup. There are some walkable tiles that are unbordered while some
                                  background blocks are bordered. There are also multiple points where the ​player can fall into a void.


One Screen Puzzle - Purple Pineapple
[Hard][Small][Puzzle]
download: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/Purple%20Pineapple%20-%20One%20Screen%20Puzzle.knytt.bin

    ​Challenge Rating: Hard

    ​Puzzle Rating: Hard

    ​Misc. Thoughts: This level presents one challenge. Difficulty can be seen as either impossible or trivial, depending on the player's ​
                                 knowledge of game mechanics. A nice level for players to discover that mechanic if they aren't aware.



One Screen Puzzle 2 - Purple Pineapple
[Normal][Small][Puzzle]
download: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/Purple%20Pineapple%20-%20One%20Screen%20Puzzle%202.knytt.bin

    ​Challenge Rating: Easy/Normal

    ​Puzzle Rating: Normal

    ​Misc. Thoughts: Really interesting level where the player must figure out which key combinations are needed (and when) to
                                 progress in the central puzzle. Plenty of configurations to try and rule out.


One Screen Puzzle 3 - Purple Pineapple
[Normal/Hard][Small][Puzzle/Challenge]
download: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/Purple%20Pineapple%20-%20One%20Screen%20Puzzle%203.knytt.bin

    ​Challenge Rating: Hard

    ​Puzzle Rating: Hard

    ​Misc. Thoughts:  Nice puzzle that requires quick reflexes once you know how to progress. One jump in particular is quite
                                  challenging.


One Screen Puzzle 4 - Purple Pineapple
[Very Hard][Small][Puzzle/Challenge]
download: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/Purple%20Pineapple%20-%20One%20Screen%20Puzzle%204.knytt.bin

    ​Challenge Rating: Hard/Very Hard

    ​Puzzle Rating: Very Hard

    ​Misc. Thoughts: ​Perhaps tied with "One Epic Screen" as my favorite of the category. Will teach the player the limits of a handful of
                                 objects/mechanics in the game. Some powerups locked behind progression felt just barely possible to get
                                 (wrong), while some seemingly unobtainable powerups were available from the start.


One Screen Puzzle 5 - Purple Pineapple
[Normal][Small][Puzzle]
download: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/Purple%20Pineapple%20-%20One%20Screen%20Puzzle%205.knytt.bin

    ​Challenge Rating: Normal

    ​Puzzle Rating: Hard

    ​Misc. Thoughts: A beautiful level that really shows PurplePineapple's progress as a level creator. The background and
                                 incorporation of puzzle elements was very creatively done. No advanced knowledge of the game necessary.