DevLog – Designing Catedral, My First Functional Quake Map

Catedral is the first Quake map I designed with a clear intention to be fully functional and playable from start to finish. It was a learning experience — an exploration of level design, aesthetics, and combat rhythm — that allowed me to put theoretical concepts into practice.

Architectural Inspiration

The map began with a very specific idea: to replicate the facade of the Basilica of La Plata, a beautiful Gothic-style cathedral located in the capital of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Its scale, arches, and symmetry felt like a perfect starting point for a structure inside Quake’s world.

From that base, I iterated interior sections focused on player movement, combat flow, and how architecture could support the overall gameplay experience.

Combat Flow and Layout

Inside the cathedral, I experimented with fast and ranged enemies, trying to create encounters that kept the player moving. I also added platforming elements, which naturally emerged from the vertical structure and internal gaps of the building.

The exterior was built afterward, inspired by the gameplay of early Zombie levels in Quake. I decided to end the map with a deathmatch-style encounter against demons — a chaotic peak to close out the experience.

Opening Sequence: Catacombs and Lighting Experiments

I imagined the player emerging from catacombs at the beginning. I deliberately broke the geometry to create a sense of pressure and discomfort. I played with lighting to enhance this atmosphere, though I believe this was the weakest part of the map.

I struggled to find strong visual references for this area, so I see it as a key area for improvement in my next Quake mapping project.

 Thank You

Thank you so much for reading. This project was special to me, not only because it was my first, but because it allowed me to connect real-world architecture with classic Quake mechanics.

I hope you enjoyed the map — feedback is always welcome!