Portal: The five best DIY maps

Nov 9, 2007

We love Portal. It is, for all intents and purposes, a perfect game. Though we have to admit it is very short. However, thanks to Valve being the definition of a user-focused developer, an official Portal level-editing kit was bundled onto the web some time ago, and now there's a whole collection of user-made levels to enjoy.

But where do you start? Well, we've discovered a 35-map pack (plus an extra map )and hooked it up to FileRadar, then we've picked out the best five maps from the collection, with our own unique rating for each recorded below. Enjoy...

Quick tip - instructions for use are included with the pack in readme files

Chamber 21
This short but sweet map requires a particularly angular approach.
Difficulty - Thoughtful
Style - Slanted
Rating - Neat

Facility
This map is very intensive, causing a bit of PC-judder, but well thought out.
Difficulty - Painful
Style - Undefined
Rating - Good

GlassChamber
An incredible map, this, comprised of interlinking glass tubes and walls.
Difficulty - Toe curling
Style - Glassy
Rating - Superb

RenTest2
The latest version of the map by 'that Bethesda guy ', RenTest is long and rewarding.
Difficulty - Crystal Maze-ish
Style - Distinctive
Rating - The best

Maze
Simply that - a maze. But, as you'd expect, with brain-wrangling Portal puzzles.
Difficulty - Ahhhhgh!
Style - Dizzying
Rating - A-maze-ing (sorry)

Ben Richardson is a former Staff Writer for Official PlayStation 2 magazine and a former Content Editor of GamesRadar+. In the years since Ben left GR, he has worked as a columnist, communications officer, charity coach, and podcast host – but we still look back to his news stories from time to time, they are a window into a different era of video games.