Creating Memorable Player Experiences Through Level Design: A Case Study of Elden Ring's Siofra River Well Elevator Scene

Abstract: Player experience in digital games emerges from the interplay between design and psychological responses, often producing memorable moments. This paper presents a qualitative case study of the Siofra River Well elevator scene in Elden Ring (FromSoftware, 2022), examining how level design shapes memorability. Combining structural analysis of the environment with observations of player behavior, we show how spatial guidance, pacing, and staged revelation create a sequence of curiosity, anticipation, and awe. We outline a candidate design pattern capturing these interactions, offering designers a structured reference for crafting similarly memorable player experiences.

Reference: Ismail Adiyaman, Chrysa Bika, and Daniel Dyrda. 2026. Creating Memorable Player Experiences Through Level Design: A Case Study of Elden Ring’s Siofra River Well Elevator Scene. In Foundations of Digital Games (FDG ’26), August 10–13, 2026, Copenhagen, Denmark. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 4 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3815598.3815691