LittleBigPlanet 3: How to Create Levels and Heroes

Over the years, Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet games have become a reliable source of creativity for community members, as savvy players built their own levels and then shared them online with others while discovering new creations. It’s a terrific feature, and it’s nice to see this continue in LittleBigPlanet 3, even with a new developer, Sumo Digital, at the helm.

This time around, you can tweak the design of your heroes to give them a unique look, along with creating custom stages. Plus, with the inclusion of the TouchPad, you’ll be able to use more precision than ever before when it comes to placing and adjusting items.

Here are some tips to get you started with creating your own levels and heroes in LittleBigPlanet 3.

Building a new you

There are two ways you can go about changing the appearance of the four main characters in LittleBigPlanet 3. The first is to keep an eye out for shops, as you can use the bells you pick up over the course of each stage as currency to buy new items to customize your character with. The second is with bonus items occasionally hidden in bubbles, along with stickers strewn throughout each stage.

Once you have the item you want, go ahead and move into the customization menu and decide how you wish to customize your character, including head and body. You’ll be able to choose from a variety of items, including different eyes, glasses, hair, mustache, mouth and more. The general build of your characters will stay the same (mainly due to the purposes they serve in the game itself, as you’ll see in our Beginners Tips tomorrow), but everything else is pretty much fair game.

Go ahead and see what different costumes and appearances can do for you. Who knows, you might just find a cool new ability that will help you get through levels even easier, as the trailer below demonstrates.

Making levels in LittleBigPlanet 3

Unlike Super Smash Bros. stage building, creating good levels in LittleBigPlanet 3 can take some time. If you want, you could rush through to make something, but you probably won’t get high marks for doing so. In this situation, you’ll definitely want to take your time to browse the tools you have available, as well as the number of stickers you picked up.

Stickers can add a level of customization to your stage that defines you, even if they seem out of place when you put them into the general game world. Don’t be afraid to browse through your collection and see what fits best when it comes to design – you may even stumble upon an idea that could be a huge hit with the community.

Placement and sizing can be done utilizing the analog sticks on your PlayStation 4 controller if you prefer, but the TouchPad is a unique option. With it, you have more precision when it comes to movement and placing, as well as drawing items that feel more like a natural fit to a stage than something pre-designed. Feel free to play around with both control types and see what works best for you, but neither should get in the way of your creativity.

Be sure to look through items as well. There are various accessories to choose from, so you shouldn’t automatically go through what’s on the default page. Browse around and select the right part for the job, then move on.

Again, it’s bound to take some time, but the right level of imagination can give you the ideal level to attract community players. If you’re looking for inspiration, be sure to check out some of the other pre-made levels as well. You may even make a friend out of it.

Create and Share

In addition to creating custom levels, you can set up mini-games in LittleBigPlanet 3, provided you have the right tools for the job. Whether you prefer a sports game with a little sack ball, or a shooter where you destroy a number of tanks, you can really get a lot done here. You can even create a universe to cruise through, even though it’s about the same size as a routine level.

Be sure to browse through all the options and see what you can do. You aren’t just limited to creating one type of level, so try your hand on all the available tools.

Don’t forget, sharing is caring. Once you created your stage and tested it (you can have friends test it offline as well), head over to the community page and upload it. You’ll be able to see top suggestions on what to try as well, some of them even hand-picked by the developers. Don’t forget to rate the ones you enjoy as well – the top-rated ones manage to stick around on the recommendation charts a little longer than the others. That’s why creating a splendid level is so important in a game like this. Check out the video below for a few inspirational ideas. Good luck!

LittleBigPlanet 3 is available now for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.