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Last month we asked you, the Destructoid community, to show us your level creation skills with the first Dtoid Designs contest. The challenge was to create a Super Mario Maker level based on the theme of Halloween and you guys did not disappoint.

Several dozen of you answered the call and responded with ghost houses, ghost ships, tributes to Horror video games, one stage that was nothing but dicks and several that will benefit from next month’s update introducing checkpoints. Some levels were okay, many were good but only a handful were great enough to make to the top 5. 

#5: The Tell-Tale Heart by Twentythoughts

Level ID: 0CCC-0000-0030-F6F4

At #5, we start with The Tell-Tale Heart by user Twentythoughts. Showing restraint where others indulged in excess, Twentythoughts’ use of the heartbeat sound effect sets you on edge as you traverse this platforming recreation of the classic Edgar Allen Poe tale. What’s that knocking sound coming from beneath the floorboards? Journey down into this house of horrors to find out!

#4: King Boo’s Sunken Mansion by reznor151

Level ID: 778E-0000-0040-4180

You may not think the calming underwater music from Super Mario Bros. 3 would fit a Halloween themed level, but you’d be wrong. One of the few entries to include multiple swimming sections, King Boo’s Sunken Mansion by Reznor151 sets out to challenge players with a ghost-filled obstacle course that can and will kill you. Like the very best Super Mario levels, King Boo’s Sunken Mansion asks that you keep moving no matter what, but never sets out to dissuade the player by being unfair. That is the sign of someone who has paid attention to what Nintendo has been doing with this series for the past 30 years.

#3: Ghastly Challenge *CP system by Alfonso Navarro

Level ID: 8249-0000-0065-7F1F

Don’t be put off by the awkward name, Ghastly Challenge *CP System is one fun haunted house maze. This clever little level takes full advantage of the space Super Mario Maker allows by creating a repeating ghost house with multiple paths you can take to the end. Breeze through by running in the attic or take you chances in this ghost filled house of tight spaces and dead ends. Just make sure you play through this more than once to get the full experience.

#2: The House at the End of the Lane by Albert Chao

Level ID: D1E0-0000-0064-012F

The House at the End of the Lane by Albert Chao gets as close to a horror film experience a level in Super Mario Maker can get. Serial killer stalker? Check. The horrors of everyone you know disappearing? Check. The way the world is infinitely scarier at night? You betcha. The House at the End of the Lane tells a story, a story that is only possible due to the tight attention to detail and foresight Albert Chao had when he made this Halloween masterwork. 

#1: The Night of the Pikmin Fright by TheWretchedCrow

Level ID: 09D2-0000-0059-6460

Finally, the level that scored the highest in this first Dtoid Designs contest: The Night of the Pikmin Fright. Designed by user TheWretchedCrow, this explosive, spook filled ghost house is smartly filled with just enough ghoulish effects to really capture the feel of a haunted house without going absolutely overboard. A great level by itself, it was the decision to put players in the shoes of the littlest creatures available, the innocent Pikmin, that really helped this level set itself apart from the competition. It was fun on my first play through, and it was still fun on my fifth. That is the sign of a wonderfully designed level.

Congratulations to our top 5 winners. If you would like to show off your level design skills, the next Dtoid Designs Super Mario Maker challenge will be announced on November 1. To see the level I created for this theme, check out Quik or Treat: 5CF0-0000-00BF-53CB

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