Map Labs

Map Labs

Developer(s)

Map Labs (the template and organizing)
Various community members (challenge entrants)

Release date(s)

November 1, 2018 (first ModDB release; ongoing anthology series)

Genre(s)

Defined by each entry

Mode(s)

Single-player

Platform(s)

Windows

Engine

Source (Source 2013 SP)

Written in

C++

SDK

Map Labs Template

System requirements

• Win 7 or later
• 1.7 GHz CPU
• 1 GB RAM
• DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics
• Source SDK Base 2013 SP beta ("upcoming")

Links

ModDB page
Discord Server

The social card of Map Labs #1 - Halloween Horror.

The social card of Back on 2track - Vertigo from 2024.

Map Labs is an ongoing anthology of Half-Life 2/Source Engine levels designed for various themed challenges. As of Summer 2024, it includes over 40 releases, composed of over 650 entries. Those can range from experimental, abstract, or joke maps to entire adventures, aiming to reach or even surpass the quality of Valve's work.

Map Labs currently uses its own modified version of Mapbase, the Map Labs Template. On top of Mapbase's improvements, it adds PBR support, Counter-Strike: Source weapons, and various challenge-related features.

Overview

History

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Map Labs started in 2018. Its first challenge was Halloween Horror. In keeping with the theme, the Map Labs Template - which wasn't yet a fork of Mapbase - included two horror-themed entities, the "Shadow Walker" (a dark figure that's hostile to the player and can be given a weapon) and the "Lost Soul" (a flying flaming skull reminiscent of Doom's enemy by the same name; internally, it behaves like a manhack).

The first challenge to use the new Map Labs Template, based on Mapbase, was Atom #4 - TUNE from July of 2020. Since then, the inclusion of Mapbase allows entrants to use its advanced features like VScript to create levels which can essentially transform the game into their own genres, or feature mechanics and puzzles that'd otherwise require C++ editing or overwhelming amount of map scripting to create.

Types

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Up until Map Labs #20 there were three types of challenges which differed in scope and deadlines. Newer challenges mostly dropped the type separation.

• "Atom" - smaller-sized contest with usually a simpler, more "singular" theme and a deadline of 48 hours. The last "Atom" was Atom Week in March of 2021.^[1]
• "Test Tube" - medium-sized contest with a deadline of 10 days, plus 3 days bonus.
• "Map Labs" - larger-sized contest usually revolving around a concept-based theme. The deadline is 25 days, plus 3 days bonus.

The deadlines are sometimes expanded and can vary based on the complexity of the theme. Entries submitted during the bonus period will be featured and scored, but won't be placed against the rest.

The challenges are often sequalized. For example, Halloween Horror happens yearly; as fo 2024, there had been two Eye Candy contests, two TUNE(s), three Companion Piece(s).

Themes and rules

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The theme of a particular challenge is kept secret until its announcement. Apart from the core theme, which needs to be followed in general, there may be extra challenges, which don't impact the score, but instead are used to stimulate fun, creative thinking. For example, Eye Candy 2 had an extra challenge of using Houndeyes in some manner, which were added to the template since that challenge.

The rules permit using approved Valve games content from outside the Half-Life series, as well as custom-made content. It is forbidden to use leaked/stolen content, and an entry that breaks that rule may be immediately removed from the contest.

Entrants must provide the source VMF of their entry.

The visual style, gameplay, story and interpretation of the themes are left entirely up to the entrants.

Scoring

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The entries are typically judged based on their use of the theme (Presentation), Gameplay, and Uniqueness. The scores are given by selected judges, often featuring a guest judge from the community.

• On two occasions, Valve members, Dario Casali and Matt Wood, agreed to participate as guest judges; in case of Dario, the contest was Crossfire - based on the deathmatch map for Half-Life which Dario had created.^[2][3]

The scores from these two judges are still pending.

• On another occasion, Jeep Barnett both agreed to guest judge and, in fact, judged CHROMA - a challenge for Portal 2 done in collaboration with Thinking With Portals.^[4]

Map Labs on Steam Workshop

Several challenges not based on the Map Labs Template are not hosted on ModDB; instead, they exist as Workshop Collections.

• Map Labs Workshop #1 - Half-Life Alyx: One Room for Half-Life: Alyx
• Map Labs Workshop #2 - Half-Life Alyx: Déjà Vu for Half-Life: Alyx
• Map Labs #11 - Left 4 Dead 2: Abridged for Left 4 Dead 2
• Map Labs #13 - The Fix for Half-Life: Alyx
• Map Labs #14 - CHROMA for Portal 2
• Map Labs Presents - Scene Better Days: An Eye Candy Experiment for Portal 2

Gallery

• 

  Menu background of Map Labs #9 - Back On Track

• 

  Menu background of Test Tube #8 - Eye Candy

• 

  Menu background of Map Labs #18 - CrossoverVille 2

External links

• Discord Server
• ModDB page
• Github repository
• A spreadsheet of Map Labs releases, listing entries and scores

References

References
1. It's official. No more Atoms on Twitter (March 22, 2021). 2. Dario Casali is taking a bit to get back to us on Twitter (April 12, 2021). 3. Map Labs #17 - Layout announcement on Twitter (Jan 2, 2022). 4. Jeep Barnett's scores for CHROMA.