In video games, a level (also known by many other names) is a discrete subdivision of a video game's virtual world or set of challenges.

Each level almost always has an associated objective, which may be as simple as walking from point A to point B, though the objective can be far more elaborate than that. When the objective is completed, the player usually moves on to the next level; if it is failed, the player must usually try again. Not all games order the levels in a linear sequence; some games allow the player to revisit levels or complete them in any order, sometimes with an overworld in which the player can transition from one level to another. An example of this is The Legend of Zelda.

Purpose

Programming constraints such as a limit on memory with which to store graphics and sound necessitated that games be split into levels—or from another point of view, using levels allowed a great deal of variety in the game despite hardware limitations. Variety in a game's environment could not have been achieved at the time without a level system, since the hardware could not hold multiple sets of game data at the same time.

Some modern games have attempted to gain the benefits of a level system while giving the impression that the games are continuous—i.e., one long game rather than levels. In these games, data required for an upcoming level is loaded into memory in the background as the player approaches it, a process known as prefetching.

A practical advantage is that levels divide the game into manageable sections, giving players a chance to rest at periodic intervals.