# On Linking Level Segments

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.05057 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.05057/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 12 of its 31 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 9 Mar 2022.

## Builds on (most cited first, 12 of 12)

- [Auto-Encoding Variational Bayes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1312.6114/) (2013)
- [Illuminating search spaces by mapping elites](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1504.04909/) (2015)
- [Procedural Content Generation via Machine Learning (PCGML)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1702.00539/) (2017)
- [PCGRL: Procedural Content Generation via Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2001.09212/) (2020)
- [Evolving Mario Levels in the Latent Space of a Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1805.00728/) (2018)
- [The VGLC: The Video Game Level Corpus](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1606.07487/) (2016)
- [Video Game Level Repair via Mixed Integer Linear Programming](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.06627/) (2020)
- [Sequential Segment-based Level Generation and Blending using Variational Autoencoders](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.08746/) (2020)
- [Intentional Computational Level Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.08972/) (2019)
- [Mario Level Generation From Mechanics Using Scene Stitching](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2002.02992/) (2020)
- [Procedural Content Generation using Behavior Trees (PCGBT)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.06638/) (2021)
- [Ensemble Learning For Mega Man Level Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.12524/) (2021)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Level Assembly as a Markov Decision Process](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.13922/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

An increasingly common area of study in procedural content generation is the creation of level segments: short pieces that can be used to form larger levels. Previous work has used basic concatenation to form these larger levels. However, even if the segments themselves are completable and well-formed, concatenation can fail to produce levels that are completable and can cause broken in-game structures (e.g. malformed pipes in Mario). We show this with three tile-based games: a side-scrolling platformer, a vertical platformer, and a top-down roguelike. Additionally, we present a Markov chain and a tree search algorithm that finds a link between two level segments, which uses filters to ensure completability and unbroken in-game structures in the linked segments. We further show that these links work well for multi-segment levels. We find that this method reliably finds links between segments and is customizable to meet a designer's needs.