Level hub

Video game concept

platforms

Uses a central location which connects to all others, with the player returning to it after finishing each other level. Usually has very few or no enemies, little to no exploring, occasionally some unlockable areas, and so forth.

Notable people involved: Rhianna Pratchett, John Carmack, Tom Hall and Jonathan Blow

Dustforce

WIN 2012-01-17

Knights of the Old Republic

XBOX 2003-07-16

Fly'N

WIN 2012-11-09

Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

WIN 2005-02-08

Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

XBOX 2004-12-06

Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die!

DOS 1990-12-14

Commander Keen 1: Marooned on Mars

DOS 1990-12-14

WIN 2009-08-18

WIN 2009-04-11

PS4 2014-02-25

PS3 2014-02-25

Commander Keen: The Armageddon Machine

DOS 1991

See also: inter-linked levels (similar but lacks a central location that you return to, though some locations may be visited more often), intermissions (these although "link" to all levels are not necessarily level hubs), overworld (the level hub can be the overworld, but not all overworlds are level hubs)

Implied: level select, level replay

This can be a static location such as a HQ or home, or a vehicle such as airship, starship, or such.

This does not cover smaller hubs that connect few levels together before you lose access to them as you move forward in the game (e.g. Hexen).

Note that the TV Tropes Hub Level is very flexible on what constitutes as a hub level, many of the examples there are not worthy of existing here (e.g. Ultima Underworld II).

Games by year

The first Level hub video game was released on December 14, 1990.

Square Enix, Eidos Interactive, Apogee and LucasArts published most of these games.

Related site

Related trope at TV Tropes (Hub Level)

Platforms

Windows	11
Linux	9
MS-DOS	7
Mac OS X	4
PS3	3
X360	2
Xbox	2
Xbox One	1
PS4	1
Android	1
Pandora	1
Mega Drive	1
N64	1
Game Gear	1

Most common companies